Dynasty highlight
- China’s first dynasty was the Qin dynasty (221 to 206 BC) named after Emperor Qin Shi Huang who united the various states into one China. Its 15 years was the shortest major dynasty in Chinese history, consisting of only two emperors, but inaugurated an imperial system that lasted from 221 BC, with interruption and adaptation, until 1912 AD. The dynasty name Qin is thought to be the origin of the European name for China: Qin is pronounced Chin.
- In 1974, a group of farmers digging for a well in the Shaanxi province uncovered some bits of very old pottery. They discovered the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. The tomb contained thousands of amazing life-sized terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots and are now known as the famous Terra Cotta Army.
- Qin Shi Huang also was the one who connected the various stretches of boundary walls and fortifications turning them into the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall, the largest man-made project in the world, erected to protect the territories of ancient Chinese states against the nomadic tribes from the northern steppe. This long wall, just like a gigantic dragon, winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 21,196 kilometers from west to east of China. Most of the wall as it stands today was built during the Ming dynasty.
- The Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) is often referred to as the golden age in the history of China where literature, philosophy, poetry and art flourished. The vast majority of Chinese people today refer to themselves as Han after the Han Dynasty. This is the largest ethnic group in the world.
- The city of Chang’an was the capital of the Western Han Dynasty. This city was immense spanning 13.5 square miles (35 square kilometers) with a population in the hundreds of thousands. It was approximately 3 times as large as the city of ancient Rome which was flourishing at the same time in history.
- The Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) was the last dynasty of ancient China to be ruled by the Han Chinese. An interesting fact is that during the Ming Dynasty, the capital city changed four times between Beijing and Nanjing. The Ming Dynasty is famous for its beautiful blue and white porcelain vases which often have beautiful dragon or floral designs. These pieces have become very valuable collector items.
- The Forbidden City was built during the Ming Dynasty. Located in the center of Beijing it served as the Chinese imperial palace and the center of Chinese government for several dynasties. This amazing place covers over 180 acres on which 980 buildings stand. The Forbidden City was named so because commoners were forbidden from entering the gates and laying eyes on the emperor. Any commoner who saw the emperor was killed.
- The Grand Canal, the oldest and longest man-made canal in the world is 1,794 kilometers (1,115 miles) long with a history of over 2,500 years. It starts at Beijing in the north and ends at Hangzhou in the south. During the Ming dynasty it was almost completely restored.
- The last Chinese dynasty was the Qing Dynasty which ended in 1911 with the Chinese Revolution (Xinhai Revolution) which resulted in the formation of the Republic of China.The last emperor of China was Puyi. He was the last ruler of the Qing Dynasty. An interesting fact is that he became ruler when he was three years old.
