Timeline of Chinese history – Covering the entire span from 2500 BC to the present
| Date | Ruling Entity | Ruler | Events | Other People/Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2500 BC | Xia Dynasty | Yu the Great | Xia Dynasty established | |
| 1600 BC | Shang Dynasty | Tang of Shang | Oracle bone script, bronze casting | Lady Hao’s tomb, oracle bone inscriptions |
| 1046 BC | Zhou Dynasty | King Wu of Zhou | Collapse of Shang, Mandate of Heaven | Duke of Zhou, “Book of Documents” |
| 221 BC | Qin Dynasty | Qin Shi Huang | Unification of China, Great Wall built | Terracotta Army, Standardized script |
| 206 BC | Han Dynasty | Emperor Gaozu | Silk Road trade, Confucianism thrives | Emperor Wu, Ban Zhao |
| 220 AD | Three Kingdoms | Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan | Three Kingdoms period begins | Battle of Red Cliffs, Romance of the Three Kingdoms |
| 581 AD | Sui Dynasty | Yang Jian | Grand Canal construction, Buddhism spreads | Emperor Wen, Emperor Yang |
| 618 AD | Tang Dynasty | Emperor Gaozu | Golden Age of Chinese poetry | Empress Wu, Xuanzang’s journey to India |
| 907 AD | Five Dynasties | Zhu Wen | Period of political disunity | Rise of Khitan Liao Dynasty, Song Dynasty |
| 960 AD | Song Dynasty | Zhao Kuangyin | Economic prosperity, Neo-Confucianism | Kaifeng, Southern Song Dynasty |
| 1279 AD | Yuan Dynasty | Kublai Khan | Mongol rule over China | Marco Polo, Yuan Dynasty’s fall |
| 1368 AD | Ming Dynasty | Zhu Yuanzhang | Restoration of Chinese rule | Zheng He’s voyages, Great Wall reconstruction |
| 1644 AD | Qing Dynasty | Shunzhi Emperor | Manchu conquest, Opium Wars | Kangxi Emperor, Boxer Rebellion |
| 1912 AD | Republic of China | Sun Yat-sen | End of Imperial rule, Republic established | Yuan Shikai, May Fourth Movement |
| 1949 AD | People’s Republic of China | Mao Zedong | Communist victory, Cultural Revolution | Great Leap Forward, Deng Xiaoping’s reforms |
| 1978 AD | Economic Reforms | Deng Xiaoping | Opening up to the world, Economic reforms | Tiananmen Square protests |
| Present | People’s Republic of China | Xi Jinping | Economic powerhouse, Belt and Road Initiative | Modernization, Technological advancements |