Chinese Dynasties


China’s history dates back 5000 years. Most of the Great Wall was built between the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After that, China’s Wall was not as important.

Dynasty Years
Three Sovereign Ones and the Five Emperors 2070 BC and earlier
Xià Dynasty 2070 BC — 1600 BC
Shang Dynasty 1600 BC — 1046 BC
Western Zhou Dynasty 1046 BC — 771 BC
Eastern Zhou Dynasty

Divided into:
Spring and Autumn Period  722 BC — 476 BC
Warring States Period            475 BC — 221 BC

 770 BC — 256 BC
Qin Dynasty 221 BC — 206 BC
Western Han Dynasty 206 BC — 9 BC
Three Kingdoms 220 — 265
Western Jin Dynasty 265 — 317
Eastern Jin Dynasty 317 — 420
Southern and Northern Dynasties 420 — 589
Sui Dynasty 581 – 618
Tang Dynasty 618 — 907
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 907 — 960
Northern Song Dynasty 960 — 1127
Southern Song Dynasty 1127 — 1279
Liao Dynasty 916 — 1125
Jin Dynasty 1115 — 1234
Yuan Dynasty 1271 — 1368
Ming Dynasty 1368 — 1644
Shun Dynasty 1644
Qing Dynasty 1644 — 1911
Empire of China 1912 – 1916