When we talk about world’s oldest or most significant ancient civilizations, we have to talk about China. China has a recorded history for more than 5000 years. It is almost impossible to summarize in one introduction article. Many books and articles of the history of China can be read at most of the bookstores or libraries of the world or on the internet. China is a land abundant with archeological discoveries, artifacts, historical figures, ancient monuments and architectures, and of course stories. When you visit China, you touch, you see, you hear history everywhere and commonly from hundreds or thousands of years ago. The teachings from history and traditions are deeply rooted in Chinese thinking and way of living even for modern days today. It is very useful to understand chronicles of Chinese history. Most of the tourist sites will mark the name of those dynasties and their ages. Sometimes it can be very difficult for foreign tourists to fathom the meanings of those numbers always dating back hundreds or thousands of years ago, but think about it, they offer you a glimpse into that period of history.

The earliest human, Peking Man, about 500,000 years ago, lived in the caves at the suburb of Bejing. Archeological discoveries also found the traces and artifacts 3 million years old from early humans in central China.

In 21 BC, China saw the end of primitive society period and the beginning of slave society with the founding of Xia Dynasty. Shang and Western Zhou dynasties followed. Then came Eastern Zhou which encompassed the Spring and Autumn and Warring State Periods.

In 221 BC, the first emperor of China, Emperor Qin, or QinShiHuang in Chinese,

(Shown above: Emperor Qin’s terracotta Army surrounding his secret tomb discovered in Xi’An, China.)

united all States or kingdoms from Warring States and founded the Qin Dynasty, the first feudal autocracy in Chinese history. It unveiled more than 2000 years of feudalism which until its demise in the Opium War of 1840, viewed the rise and fall of a succession of dynasties including Han, Tang, Song, Yuan (starting from Ghengis Khan period), Ming and Qing.

The Chinese civilization reached an apex early in ancient times. As early as the Shang Dynasty of 3000 years ago, the Chinese had invented the art of bronze metallurgy and iron tools. A galaxy of distinguished thinkers, inventers, scientists, artists and writers emerged. Ancient Chinese were known for their brilliant achievements in mathematics, medical science, astronomy, agriculture, architecture and many other fields. Among the earlier inventions, papermaking, printing techniques, gunpowder and compass, etc, helped change the world forever.

(Shown: Ancient papermaking scene in earlier painting)

The bourgeois democratic revolution of 1911 led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen toppled the imperial rule of the Qing Dynasty and terminated more than two millennia’s feudal monarchy. The movement culminated the establishment of the provisional government of the Republic of China and cultivated the thinking that led to the founding of modern China. On October 1 of 1949 - thus October 1 is China’s National Day, the People’s Republic of China was founded and China was united once more. Today China has been pursuing its economical reforms and development and has gradually regained its prominent and powerful position on the world stage.

Related Information:

1. The history of China by Wikipedia

2. See what educational books say about the history of China