History of China

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.[1] The written history of China can be found as early as the Shang Dynasty (c. 1700–1046 BC),[2] although ancient historical texts such as the Records of the Grand Historian (ca. 100 BC) and Bamboo Annals assert the existence of a Xia Dynasty before the Shang.[2][3] 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. Prehistory Paleolithic Neolithic Ancient China Capital: Yin, near Anyang

Ancient China - The Ancient Chinese Civilization Chinese Historical Accounts the Forbidden City, the home of the Chinese emperors until the last dynasty was overthrown in the 20th century Chinese history, until the twentieth century, was written mostly by members of the ruling scholar-official class and was meant to provide the ruler with precedents to guide or justify his policies. These accounts focused on dynastic politics and colorful court histories and included developments among the commoners only as backdrops. The historians described a Chinese political pattern of dynasties, one following another in a cycle of ascent, achievement, decay, and rebirth under a new family. Of the consistent traits identified by independent historians, a salient one has been the capacity of the Chinese to absorb the people of surrounding areas into their own civilization. Sun-Tzu, the realist writer of the the influential "Art of War" The first prehistoric dynasty is said to be Xia , from about the twenty-first to the sixteenth century B.C.

History of China, China History, China History guide, Chinese hi Entymology Chinese prehistory Outline of China The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to China: The People's Republic of China is the most extensive country in East Asia and the third or fourth most extensive country in the world.[1][2] With a population of over 1,300,000,000, it is the most populous country in the world. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the PRC under a single-party system since the state's establishment in 1949. China plays a major role in international trade. General reference[edit] Geography of China[edit] Mongolia 4,677 km Russia 3,645 km India (excluding the territorial border disputes; McMahon Line is 3,380 km Myanmar 2,185 km Kazakhstan 1,533 km North Korea 1,416 km Vietnam 1,281 km Nepal 1,236 km Kyrgyzstan 858 km Pakistan 523 km Bhutan 470 km Laos 423 km Tajikistan 414 km Afghanistan 76 km Coastline: 14,500 km Environment of China[edit] Natural geographic features of China[edit] Regions of China[edit] Administrative divisions of China[edit] Provinces of China[edit] Districts of China[edit]

Names of China In China, common names for China include Zhongguo (中国/中國) and Zhonghua (中华/中華), while Han (汉/漢) and Tang (唐) are common names given for the Chinese ethnicity. Other names include Huaxia, Shenzhou and Jiuzhou. The People's Republic of China (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó) and Republic of China (Zhōnghuá Mínguó) are the official names for the two contemporary sovereign states currently claiming sovereignty over the traditional area of China. Sinitic names[edit] In mainland China, the term Zhongguo is used to refer to all territories claimed by the PRC, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Zhonghua is a more literary term sometimes used synonymously with Zhongguo; it appears in the official names of both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. Zhongguo and Zhonghua [edit] Zhongguo is the most common name for China. "Zhōngguó" in different languages "Zhōnghuá" in different languages Han[edit] Tang[edit] Ryukyuan: 唐ぬ国 tō-nu-kuku, the Ryukyuan name for China