China Era Atlas朝城记

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HISTORY / TIME

Chinese dynasties: a history timeline

From early legends to Qing: compare dynasty dates, understand overlapping states and follow the stories behind each era.

CHINESE HISTORY · QUICK REFERENCE

Chinese dynasties in order: dates at a glance

The familiar sequence is Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing. It is a useful starting point, not an unbroken succession. The table also includes divided periods such as the Three Kingdoms and Five Dynasties, with legendary traditions listed separately.

Dates and reading clues for 18 eras. Select a name to explore that period.
EraDatesWhat to look for
Prehistory and early settlementsc. 10,000–1800 BCEExplore settlement, farming, crafts and early cities through archaeological evidence from different regions. This span is not a dynasty or a chronology of legendary rulers.
Early legendsNo verifiable single chronologyPangu, Nüwa and other origin stories evolved over time. They are legends, not dated historical events.
Yao, Shun and YuLegendary ageStories of succession and flood control shaped later political ideals, but their people and dates are not independently established.
Xiac. 2100–1600 BCEThe traditional dynastic sequence begins with Xia. Whether Erlitou remains correspond to it remains debated.
Shangc. 1600–1046 BCELate Shang oracle-bone inscriptions and bronzes provide direct written and material evidence.
Western Zhou1046–771 BCEZhou political networks, ritual practices and bronze inscriptions shaped later ideas of order.
Spring and Autumn770–476 BCEThe Zhou court’s authority shifted as regional states and intellectual traditions developed. Period boundaries vary by historian.
Warring States475–221 BCEUnderstand the Warring States, conventionally 475–221 BCE: seven major rivals, reforms, Sun Bin’s role in Qi and Qin’s unification.
Qin221–206 BCEQin unified a large territory; the First Emperor’s mausoleum is a major surviving site.
Han206 BCE–220 CEHan government, economic exchange and culture shaped later history. Western and Eastern Han were separated by the Xin interregnum, with Chang’an and Luoyang as their respective capitals.
Three Kingdoms220–280 CEMeet Wei, Shu Han and Wu in 220–280 CE. Separate Red Cliffs from state formation, follow Jin’s reunification, and compare history with the novel.
Jin and Northern–Southern Dynasties265–589 CE (overlapping states)This was not one continuous dynasty. Northern Wei carving at Longmen near Luoyang reveals one cultural strand.
Sui581–618 CESui reunited north and south and shaped institutions and routes inherited by Tang.
Tang618–907 CEExplore Tang China’s capitals, poetry, sancai ceramics and Buddhist printing, from 618 to 907 and the changes after the An Lushan rebellion.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms907–960 CE (some states to 979)Multiple regional regimes followed Tang; the transition was not a neat single line.
Song (alongside Liao and Jin)960–1279 CENorthern and Southern Song overlap in time with Liao and Jin. Southern Song Lin’an relates to today’s Hangzhou.
Yuan1271–1368 CEYuan capital planning laid foundations for the later Beijing Central Axis.
Ming1368–1644 CEExplore Ming China’s Nanjing and Beijing capitals, palace and Great Wall, Zheng He’s voyages, porcelain trade and the transition of 1644.
Qing1644–1912 CE (rule over China proper)Qing continued and changed Beijing’s political landscape. Here 1644 marks its rule over China proper, not its earliest state founding.

Why do some dates overlap?

Different states could exist at the same time. Western Jin began in 265, while Wu survived until 280, so their dates overlap. Sui was founded in 581 and reunited north and south in 589. “Jin and Northern–Southern Dynasties” is a grouped period, not a single dynasty.

Early dates are often approximate, and conventions differ between timelines. BCE means before the Common Era; CE means Common Era. There is no year zero.

Continue into the era-by-era stories ↓

Dynasty timeline

Drag to explore
Prehistory & legendsMing & Qing
Han
206 BCE–220 CE

Han

Han government, economic exchange and culture shaped later history. Western and Eastern Han were separated by the Xin interregnum, with Chang’an and Luoyang as their respective capitals.

Read this era

Drag or use the arrow buttons to explore, then select “Read this era.” Node spacing is not proportional to historical duration.

Choose an era by date
  1. Prehistory and early settlementsc. 10,000–1800 BCE
  2. Early legendsNo verifiable single chronology
  3. Yao, Shun and YuLegendary age
  4. Xiac. 2100–1600 BCE
  5. Shangc. 1600–1046 BCE
  6. Western Zhou1046–771 BCE
  7. Spring and Autumn770–476 BCE
  8. Warring States475–221 BCE
  9. Qin221–206 BCE
  10. Han206 BCE–220 CE
  11. Three Kingdoms220–280 CE
  12. Jin and Northern–Southern Dynasties265–589 CE (overlapping states)
  13. Sui581–618 CE
  14. Tang618–907 CE
  15. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms907–960 CE (some states to 979)
  16. Song (alongside Liao and Jin)960–1279 CE
  17. Yuan1271–1368 CE
  18. Ming1368–1644 CE
  19. Qing1644–1912 CE (rule over China proper)
How to read: dates are conventional period labels, often approximate for early eras. There is no year zero between BCE and CE. Modern cities are reading clues, not historical borders.

Myth and legendary tradition

Legendary age
Legend

Yao, Shun and Yu

Stories of succession and flood control shaped later political ideals, but their people and dates are not independently established.

Read era overview →Yao chooses Shun ↗

Early dynasties and the Bronze Age

c. 1600–1046 BCE
Early history

Shang

Late Shang oracle-bone inscriptions and bronzes provide direct written and material evidence.

Late Shang · Oracle bones preserve written evidence
Oracle-bone inscriptions give direct evidence beyond later tradition.

Read era overview →Tang and the founding of Shang ↗

Eastern Zhou: Spring and Autumn / Warring States

Empires, division and overlapping states