Ancient China is a very old civilization. There are written records of the history of China which date from 1500 BC in the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC).

China is one of the world's oldest continuous (still alive) civilizations. Turtle shells with writing like ancient Chinese writing from the Shang Dynasty () have been carbon dated to about 1500 BC. They say that China began as city-states in the Yellow River valley. Many people say that China became a big Kingdom or Empire in 221 BC. The Qin () emperor Qin Shi Huang made everyone write the same way. He also had ideas about the state which he based on legalism and fought Confucianism. This began what we call the Chinese civilization. Ancient China fought wars and Civil wars and was also sometimes conquered by other people.

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest civilizations. The written history of China can be found as early as the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 – 1046 BC) although ancient historical texts such as the Records of the Grand Historian (ca. 100 BC) and Bamboo Annals say that a Xia Dynasty existed before the Shang. Much of Chinese culture, literature and philosophy further developed during the Zhou Dynasty (1045 – 256 BC).

The Zhou Dynasty began to bow to external and internal pressures in the 8th century BC, and the kingdom eventually broke apart into smaller states, beginning in the Spring and Autumn Period and reaching full expression in the Warring States period. This is one of multiple periods of failed statehood in Chinese history (the most recent of which was the Chinese Civil War).

Between eras of multiple kingdoms and warlordism, Chinese dynasties have ruled parts or all of China. In some eras, control has stretched as far as Central Asia, Tibet and Vietnam. This Chinese imperialism began with the Qin Dynasty: in 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring kingdoms and created the first Chinese empire. Successive dynasties in Chinese history developed bureaucratic systems that gave the Emperor of China direct control of vast territories.

The conventional view of Chinese history is that of alternating periods of political unity and disunity, with China occasionally being dominated by steppe peoples, most of whom were in turn assimilated into the Han Chinese population. Cultural and political influences from many parts of Asia, carried by successive waves of immigration, expansion, and cultural assimilation, are part of the modern culture of China.

Timeline

3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors: 50,000 – 2000 BC
Xia Dynasty: c. 2000 – c. 1600 BC
Shang Dynasty (or Yin Dynasty): c. 1600 – 1046 BC
Zhou Dynasty
Western Zhou: 1046 – 771 BC
Eastern Zhou
Spring and Autumn period: 771 – 481 BC
Warring States period: 481 – 221 BC
Qin Dynasty: 221 – 206 BC
Han Dynasty: 206 BC – 220 AD
Western Han: 206 BC – 8 AD
Xin Dynasty: 8 – 23 AD
Three Kingdoms
The Kingdom of Wei: 220 – 265 AD
The Kingdom of Shu: 221 – 263 AD
The Kingdom of Wu: 229 – 280 AD
Jin Dynasty
Western Jin: 265 – 316 AD
Eastern Jin: 317 – 460 AD
The Sixteen Kingdoms
"Former Zhao" or "Han Zhao": 304 – 329 AD
"Cheng Han" or "Former Shu": 306 – 347 AD
Former Liang: 314 – 376 AD
"Later Zhao" or "Shi Zhao": 319 – 351 AD
Former Yan: 334 – 370 AD
"Former Qin" or "Fu Qin": 351 – 394 AD
Later Yan: 384 – 409 AD
"Later Qin" or "Iau Qin": 384 – 417 AD
Western Qin: 385 – 431 AD
"Later Liang" or "Lu Liang": 389 – 403 AD
Southern  Liang: 397 – 414 AD
Southern Yan: 398 – 410 AD
Western Liang: 400 – 421 AD
Northern Liang: 401 – 439 AD
"Xia" or "Hu Xia": 407 – 431 AD
"Northern Yan" or "Feng Yan": 409 – 436 AD
The countries below are not included in the sixteen kingdoms:
Former Chouchi:  296 – 371 AD
Later Chouchi: 385 – 443 AD
Dai: 315 – 376 AD
Ran Wei: 350 – 352 AD
Western Yan: 384 – 394 AD
Zhai Wei: 388 – 392 AD
Western Shu: 405 – 413 AD
Yuwenbu: 302 – 344 AD
Duanbu: 310 – 357 AD
Tuguhun:  313 – 633 AD
Southern and Northern Dynasties
Southern Dynasties
Song: 420 – 479 AD
Chi: 479 – 502 AD
Liang: 502 – 557 AD
Chen: 557 – 589 AD
Northern Dynasties
Northern Wei: 386 – 534 AD
Eastern Wei: 534 – 550 AD
Western Wei: 535 – 557 AD
Northern Chi: 550 – 557 AD
Northern Chou: 557 – 581 AD
Sui Dynasty: 581 – 618 AD
Tang Dynasty: 618 – 907 AD
Tang Dynasty had been interrupted by Wu Chou: 690 – 705 AD
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Five Dynasties
Later Liang: 907 – 923 AD
Later Tang: 923 – 936 AD
Later Jin: 936 – 947 AD
Later Han: 947 – 950 AD
Later Chou: 951 – 960 AD
Ten Kingdoms
Wu Yue: 904 – 978 AD
Min (changed its name to Yin at 943 AD): 909 – 945 AD
Jinnan: 907 – 963 AD
Chu: 897 – 951 AD
Wu: 904 – 973 AD
Southern Tang: 937 – 975 AD
Southern Han: 917 – 971 AD
Northern Han: 951 – 979 AD
Former Shu: 907 – 925 AD
Later Shu: 934 – 965 AD
And other regimes
Dingnan Jiedu: 881 – 982 AD
Fongshang Jiedu (or Chi): 887 – 924 AD
Lulong Jiedu (or Yan): 897 – 913 AD
Chender Jiedu (or Zhao): 883 – 921 AD
Yiwu Jiedu: 900(?) – 922 AD and 928 – 929 AD
Wuping Jiedu (or Hunan Jiedu): 950 – 963 AD
Chinyuan Jiedu: 946 – 978 AD
Hexi Regime: ?
Song Dynasty
Northern Song: 960 – 1127 AD
Southern Song: 1127 – 1279 AD
Liao Dynasty (or Khitan) - 907 – 1125 AD
After the Gin Dynasty ends the Liao Dynasty, Yelü Dashi, an aristocrat of Liao, rebuilded the Liao Dynasty, we call it Western Liao, also known as Kara-Khitan Khanate: 1132 – 1218 AD
Gin Dynasty: 1115 – 1234 AD
Western Xia: 1038 – 1227 AD
Yuan Dynasty (Actually the Mongolia): 1279 – 1368 AD
Ming Dynasty: 1368 – 1644 AD
Qing Dynasty: 1636 – 1912 AD
The Republic of China: 1912 AD – now (It only ruled mainland China until 1949. It lost in the Chinese Civil War, so now it only rules Taiwan, Penghu, Kingmen, Mazhu, the Taiping Island and the Dongsha Island. The Republic of China after 1949 is actually Taiwan.)
The People's Republic of China: 1949 AD – now

References

Other websites 

Links for Middle School students from the Courtenay Middle School Library Collection

History of China
Ancient history