China is one of the world's four ancient civilizations; here we give a concise

overview of more than 5000 years of Chinese history, including the Great Wall and
the four great inventions of ancient China. Do you know what they are?

The written history of China can be said to date back to the Shang Dynasty (16001046
BC), over 3,000 years ago. The first dynasty was founded in the 21st century B.C.,
and China was first unified in 221 B.C. by Qin Shihuang - Owner of The Terracotta
Army.

Imperial Era
First Dynasties

The founding of China's first dynasty, Xia Dynasty in the 21st century B.C. marked
a change from a primitive society to a slave society. Slave society developed further
during the Shang (16th-11th century B.C.) and the Western Zhou (11th century-770
B.C.) Dynasties.

This era was followed by the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (475-
221 B.C.), and the transition from the slave society to feudal society.

The First Emperor

In 221 B.C., Ying Zheng, a man of great talent and bold vision, ended the rivalry
among the independent principalities in the Warring States Period.

He established the first centralized, unified, multi-ethnic state in Chinese history,

under the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.). He called himself Shi Huang Di (the First
Emperor), also known as Qin Shi Huang, or First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty.

During his reign, Qin Shi Huang standardized the script, currencies, and weights and
measures, established the system of prefectures and counties, and began the
construction of the world-renowned Great Wall . He also built a large palace, a
mausoleum (the Terracotta Army), and temporary regal lodges in Xianyang, Lishan,
and other places.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang, a peasant leader, overthrew the Qin regime in
cooperation with Xiang Yu, an aristocratic general. A few years later, Liu Bang defeated
Xiang Yu and established the strong Han Dynasty in 206 B.C.
Han Dynasty

The Silk Road, an important trade road, was formed

in Han Dynasty

During the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce
were well developed. During the reign of Emperor Wudi (Liu Che, 140-87 B.C.), the
Han regime reached the period of its greatest prosperity. The multi-ethnic country
became more united during the Han regime, which existed in total 426 years.

The emperor conquered the Xiongnu nomads, sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the
Western Regions (Central Asia), and in the process pioneered the route known as the
"Silk Road" from the Han capital Chang' an through Xinjiang to Europe.

One of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, Wang Zhaojun, was married as a
political bride to chieftain of the Xiongnu in 33 B.C. Her life and influence created
a famous inspiring story about marriage between the Han and the Xiongnu.
(See Former Residence of Wang Zhaojun in Yichang, the starting point of the
upstream Yangtze Cruise)

Reference: http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/china-history.htm