Chinese History 历 史 Lì shǐ
Most countries can look back at a few hundred years of continuous recorded history; China looks back at thousands of years. From earliest times an accurate account of events has been treasured by the Chinese, this is embodied in the character 史 shǐ ‘history ’ which also has the meaning ‘impartial’ . Chinese people know their heritage well and have a long tradition of revering their ancestors . A good knowledge of Chinese history is essential to understanding and relating to its people.
We include pages on all the main dynasties (click on time chart) as well as significant events in Chinese history, up to the foundation of the Republic in 1912 (modern history is in a separate section ), including the Taiping Rebellion , the coming of railways , the Imperial system , the Hanlin Academy , Imperial officials , the kowtow , , the Mandate of Heaven and the Opium Wars . There are also pages covering relations with foreign countries: Early contacts with Britain , 18th century UK-China contacts and the great the European sinophile Leibniz , the Treaty port system , Chinoiserie , the Lay-Osborn debacle , General Charles ‘Chinese’ Gordon , and the despicable trade in Chinese coolies as slaves. We will continue to add new topics.
Click on the time chart on the left to go to a particular time period.
Imperial officials The prized job in dynastic China was as an Imperial official. As well as prosperity and a life of relative leisure an official received respect from the community. As anyone who passed the Imperial examinations could hope for such an appointment the posts were potentially open to all men. Read more…
The Qin Dynasty The brief spell of rule by the Qin (only 15 years) defined much of what we now about China. The brutal and centralized rule of Qin Shihuangdi set common standards for all sorts of things across his new vast empire including measurements and the Chinese script. Read more…
Great Inventions The four great Chinese inventions are considered to be: paper; printing ; compass and gunpowder . Other key inventions include the abacus, iron casting, pasta, silk etc.. However the production of paper and then printing must be considered the most important of these. Read more…
Han Dynasty After the trauma of the Qin dynasty it was the succeeding Han dynasty that established China as a stable nation. Many Imperial institutions inaugurated at this time lasted for the next two thousand years. Together with the Tang and Ming it is considered one of the great periods of Chinese history. Read more…
China's Silk Road The silk road from China leading to India and also through Central Asia to the Middle East was the longest trade route by land. It allowed early contact between the Roman Empire and China when silk was in great demand in Rome. The trade brought great prosperity to the cities of Central Asia such as Samarkand and Bactra. Read more…
The Great Mongol Empire The conquest of China by the Mongols took over 50 years. The north was taken in 1215 and the south held out until 1279. The horde of brutal horsemen from Mongolia swept all before them. The Mongols took to Chinese ways, using existing administration and traditions rather than imposing their own. It was China's most cosmopolitan era. Read more…
Top Academy in China 725-1911 China can lay claim to having the longest lived academic institution. The Hanlin Academy was founded way back in the Tang dynasty long before any European university. For nearly 1,200 years it comprised all the top scholars in many disciplines and had its own set of buildings at the Imperial capital. The academy produced Imperial edicts, the Imperial histories as well as educating the Emperor's children and setting the university examination system . Read more…
Chinese money As in so many other things, China was the first to introduce paper currency and has had a standard coinage for thousands of years. Read more…
Righteous Fists 1898-1901 The Boxer rebellion came in the final stages of decline of the Qing dynasty. Dowager Empress Cixi used the widespread hatred of foreigners taking unfair advantage of China's weakness to support the grassroots revolt. It did not end well. Read more…
The 13 Ming Tombs The tombs of the 13 Ming Emperors is one of the largest and most lavish burial complexes anywhere in the world. Like the Valley of the Kings in Egypt the tombs are scattered around a valley of 17 square miles and only one tomb has been excavated and was found to be completely intact. Read more…
Understanding the Date and Time in Chinese Telling the date and time is essential for travelers. In China the Arabic numbers are used for writing but the Chinese characters are used for reading. Read more…
The Chinese Emperor The institution of Emperor , as head of the Chinese family of people, lasted for thousands of years and to some extent lives on with the Presidency. In China there has been great respect for the Emperor/President who in turn is expected to rule wisely with the best interests of his subjects in mind. To early European visitors to China the structure was considered close to the ideal form of society. Read more…