China, with a recorded history of 5,000 years, is one of the world's earliest civilizations. In the 21st century BC, China entered slave society with the founding of the Xia Dynasty, thereby writing a finale to long years of primitive society. The Xia was followed by the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties; then came the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which encompassed the "Spring and Autumn" and Warring States periods. In 221 BC, Qin Shihuang established China's first centralized autocracy, the Gin Dynasty, thereby ushering Chinese history into feudalism, which endured in a succession 7 of dynasties, such as the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, until the Opium War of 1840. The economy and science and technology were relatively well developed in ancient China. During the Shang Dynasty some 3,000 years ago, the Chinese had mastered the art of bronze metallurgy, and invented iron implements; Many distinguished thinkers, scientists, artists and writers came into being. The contributions to world civilization of ancient China's four inventions: papermaking, printing, powder, and the compass, as well as remarkable achievements in mathematics, medical science, astronomy, agriculture, and architecture, are universally recognized. The Bourgeois Democratic Revolution of 1991 led by Sun Yat-sen toppled the rule of the Qing Dynasty, put an end to more than 2,000 years of feudal monarchical system and culminated in the establishment of the provisional government of the Re public of China.

The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. Today, China is implementing reform and opening-up policies.

HISTORY LIST

Xia (Hsia) 2205 - 1766 BC
Shang 1766 - 1122 BC
Zhou (Chow) 1122 - 770 BC
Spring & Autumn Annals 770 - 476 BC
Warring States 476 - 221BC
Qin (Chin) 221 - 206 BC
Han 206 BC - 220 AD
Three Kingdoms 220 - 265 AD
Jin (Tsin) 265 - 420 AD
Southern and Northern 420 - 580 AD
Sui 589 - 618 AD
Tang 618 - 907 AD
Five Dynasties 907 - 960 AD
Song (Sung) 960 - 1280 AD
Yuan 1280 - 1368 AD
Ming 1368 - 1644 AD
Qing (Ching) 1644 - 1911 AD
Republic of China 1911 - 1949 AD (ROC in Taiwan, China after 1949)
People's Republic of China (Mainland China) 1949 AD