China has over 3,000 years of history, based on the earliest written records. China’s timeline shows the rise and fall of the main 15 Chinese dynasties, and modern era governments.
This table shows the timeline of Chinese history. Read on for the years of China's dynasties and coexisting kingdoms with their founders and capitals.
| Years | Dynasty (Eras and sub-eras) |
Periods of Coexisting Kingdoms |
Founder (also known as) |
Capital (Modern City Area) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 2100–1600 BC | Xia Dynasty | Yu the Great | Zhenxun (Luoyang), Yangcheng (Dengfeng), Zhengzhou | |
| c.1600–1046 BC | Shang Dynasty | King Tang | Yin (Anyang) | |
| c. 1046–256 BC | Zhou Dynasty | |||
| c. 1046–771 BC | Western Zhou | Ji Fa (King Wu of Zhou) | Fengjing and Haojing | |
| c. 770–475 BC | Eastern Zhou | Spring and Autumn Period | Ji Yiju (King Ping of Zhou) | Luoyi (Luoyang) |
| 475–221 BC | Eastern Zhou | Warring States Period | ||
| 221–206 BC | Qin Dynasty | Ying Zheng (Qin Shihuang 'First Emperor of Qin') | Xianyang (Xi'an) | |
| 206 BC–220 AD | Han Dynasty | Liu Bang | Chang'an (Xi'an) | |
| 206 BC – 9 AD | Western Han (Former Han) | Liu Bang | Chang'an (Xi'an) | |
| 9–23 | Xin Dynasty | Wang Mang | Chang'an (Xi'an) | |
| 25–220 | Eastern Han (Later Han) | Liu Xiu | Luoyang | |
| 220–265 | Three Kingdoms | Kingdom of Wei | Cao Pi | Luoyang |
| 221–263 | Kingdom of Shu | Liu Bang | Chengdu | |
| 222–280 | Kingdom of Wu | Jianye (Nanjing) | Jianye (Nanjing) | |
| 265–420 | Jin Dynasty (Sima Jin) | Sima Yan | Luoyang | |
| 265–316 | Western Jin | Sima Yan | Luoyang | |
| 317–420 | Eastern Jin | Sima Rui | Jiankang (Nanjing) | |
| 304–439 | Five Hus and Sixteen States | |||
| 420–589 | Northern and Southern Dynasties | |||
| 386–581 | Northern Dynasties | |||
| 386–534 | Northern Wei | Tuoba Gui | Pingcheng (Datong), Luoyang | |
| 534–550 | Eastern Wei | Yuan Shanjian (regent: Gao Huan) | Yecheng (Handan) | |
| 535–557 | Western Wei | Yuan Baoju (regent: Yuwen Tai) | Chang'an (Xi'an) | |
| 550–577 | Northern Qi | Gao Yang | Yecheng (Handan) | |
| 557–581 | Northern Zhou | Yuwen Jue | Chang'an (Xi'an) | |
| 420–589 | Southern Dynasties | |||
| 420–479 | Song | Liu Yu | Jiankang (Nanjing) | |
| 479–502 | Qi | Xiao Daocehng | Jiankang (Nanjing) | |
| 502–557 | Liang | Xiao Yan | Jiankang (Nanjing) | |
| 557–589 | Chen | Chen Baxian | Jiankang (Nanjing) | |
| 581–618 | Sui Dynasty | Yang Jian | Daxing (Xi'an), Luoyang | |
| 618–907 | Tang Dynasty | Li Yuan | Chang'an (Xi'an), Luoyang | |
| 907–960 | Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period | |||
| 907–923 | Later Liang | Zhu Wen | Kaifeng | |
| 923–936 | Later Tang | Li Cunxu | Luoyang | |
| 936–946 | Later Jin | Shi Jintang | Kaifeng | |
| 947–950 | later Han | Liu zhiyuan | Kaifeng | |
| 951–960 | Later Zhou | Guowei | Kaifeng | |
| 907–1125 | Liao Dynasty | Yelv Abaoji | Shangjing (Chifeng) | |
| 960–1279 | Song Dynasty | Zhao Kuangyin | ||
| 960–1127 | Northern Song | Zhao Kuangyin | Bianjing (Kaifeng) | |
| 1127–1279 | Southern Song | Zhou Gou | Lin'an (Hangzhou) | |
| 1038–1227 | Western Xia Dynasty | Li Yuanhao | Xingqing (Yinchuan) | |
| 1115–1234 | Great Jin Dynasty (Jurchen Dynasty) | Aguda | Huining (Harbin), Zhongdu (Beijing), Bianjing (Kaifeng) | |
| 1271–1368 | Yuan Dynasty | Kublai Khan | Dadu (Beijing) | |
| 1368–1644 | Ming Dynasty | Zhu Yuanzhang | Yingtian (Nanjing), Shuntian (Beijing) | |
| 1644–1912 | Qing Dynasty | Hong Taiji (Aisin Gioro Nurhachi) | Beijing | |
| 1912–1949 | Republic of China | Sun Yat-sen (Sun Zhongshan) | Beijing, Wuhan, Nanjing | |
| 1949–present | People's Republic of China | Mao Zedong | Beijing |
