China Introduction

A CHRONOLOGY OF CHINESE HISTORY
Xia Dynasty			2070 - 1600 BC
Shang Dynasty			C. 1600 - 1046 BC
Zhou Dynasties	Western Zhou		C. 1046 - 711 BC
	Eastern Zhou		770 - 256 BC
Spring & Autumn			770 - 476 BC
Warring States			475-221 BC
Qin Dynasty			221-206 BC
Han Dynasties	Western Han		206 BC - 24 AD
	Eastern Han		25 - 220
Three Kingdoms	Wei		220 - 265
	Shu Han		221 - 263
	Wu		222 - 280
Jin Dynasties	Western Jin		265 - 317
	Eastern Jin		317 - 420
Northern and Southern Dynasties	Northern Dynasties	Song	420 - 479
		Qi	479 - 502
		Liang	502 - 557
		Chen	557 - 589
	Southern Dynasties	Northern Wei	368 - 534
		Eastern Wei	534-550
		Northern Qi	550 - 577
		Western Wei	535 - 556
		Northern Zhou	557 - 581
Sui Dynasty			581 - 618
Tang Dynasty			618 - 907
Five Dynasties	Later Liang		907 - 923
	Later Tang		923 - 936
	Later Jin		936 - 947
	Later Han		947 - 950
	Later Zhou		951 - 960
Song Dynasties	Northern Song		960 - 1127
	Southern Song		1127 - 1279
Liao Dynasty			1206 - 1368
Jin Dynasty			1115 - 1234
Yuan Dynasty			1206 - 1368
Ming Dynasty			1368 - 1644
Qing Dynasty			1644 - 1911

The Land: Since ancient times when Roman traders first ventured across the Silk Road in search of its riches, China`s remarkable terrain and natural beauty has fascinated the Western world. Over the course of history, this vast land has evolved into one of the largest and most diverse geographical nations on earth. Stretching from the shores of the Western Pacific Ocean to the barren mountainous plains bordering Nepal and India, and from the southern tropical island of Hainan north to the Gobi desert plains bordering Mongolia and Siberia, Mainland China has an area of more than six million square miles. China`s coastline stretches for more than 2,000 miles and includes more than 5,000 islands. The Yellow River and the mighty Yangtze cut through the middle of the country like two great arteries from which the Chinese civilization developed many centuries ago. Highlands and mountainous plains, basins, and hills occupy 65% of the country`s total land mass which encompasses more than 2,000 lakes. From Qomolangma (Mount Everest), the highest mountain peak in the world at 8,848 meters above sea level to the Turpan Basin, the lowest point at 154 meters below sea level, China is truly a land of geographical extremes.

The History: The land known to its people as Zhongguo translated as the “middle kingdom” boasts more than 3,000 years of written history which has provided a cultural continuity without parallel. The name China comes from the Qin Dynasty circa 221 BC which marked the first unification under the great Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di from his base in the ancient capital of Xian. Today the Terracotta Warriors serve as a testament to Qin`s great power. Over the next millennium various dynasties maintained centralized government, with some exceptions. The Song Dynasty assumed power in 960 and moved its capital to the south. In 1279 they were displaced when Mongol (Yuan) domination began. During this time, Marco Polo traveled to China and visited Kublai Khan. The Ming Dynasty succeeded the Mongols and ruled from 1368 to 1644. The Qing Dynasty was established by northern Manchurian tribes from 1644. Everincreasing incursions by foreign interests led to the Opium Wars, the Taiping Rebellion, and the Sino-Japanese War, all of which weakened the Qing, the last dynasty which fell in 1911. Today visitors can see the great palaces and temples of past dynasties in Beijing existing now much as they did in ancient times.

The People: China is the world`s most populous country. With a population exceeding 1.2 billion, nearly one in every four human beings is Chinese. The Chinese population is composed of 56 different ethnicities and literally hundreds of local linguistic dialects. Ethnic Han Chinese make up approximately 93% of the total population and Mandarin Chinese is the standard language understood nationwide.