Chinese History 历 史
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 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 as well as significant events in Chinese history, up to the foundation of the Republic separate section Taiping Rebellion railways Imperial system Hanlin Academy Imperial officials kowtow Opium Wars Early contacts with Britain 18th century UK-China contacts Leibniz Treaty port system Chinoiserie Lay-Osborn debacle Chinese coolies
Click on the time chart on the left to go to a particular time period.
War between Britain and China History The import of opium from India had a devastating effect on China. Although opium had been grown and used in China for centuries the import of huge quantities of the British controlled trade into Guangdong proved far more addictive. The two 'Opium Wars ' between Britain, France and China 1839-1860 mark China's forced change in direction after thousands of year of dynastic rule. Defeat by a far away foreign power created turmoil in China and triggered the 'century of humiliation' from which China only emerged in 1949. Read more…
The early history of China from pre-history to 770BCE History Most of the ancient traditions of China had become established 3,000 years ago. The institution of Emperor, the written scripts and the key technologies (including silk) all come from China's distant past. The longevity and continuity of Chinese culture are the two key principles to understanding China - even today. Read more…
Power and Prosperity during the Tang dynasty History When the dynasties of China are brought to mind, the Han, Tang and Ming are generally considered the greatest. In the Tang dynasty China was undoubtedly the only world super-power with huge cities and great achievements. Tang poetry is considered the finest. Influence of China spread to Japan and far to the west reaching the Aral Sea and Pakistan. Read more…
异 yì different; other; hetero- 廾 gǒng two hands radical 55, 巳 sì snake; 6th earthly branch and zodiac element radical 49]Origin Ancient form is man, perhaps wearing a mask, holding up his arms. Possibly denotes someone giving deference to a 'different' class of person Full information for 异
Ancient stone writings Stone steles form the most permanent of records. Over the centuries they have been used as memorials, reference libraries, calligraphy samples and poems. The earliest examples date back 2,500 years and the characters remain understandable. Collections of steles in Beijing , Xi'an and Qufu are numbered in the thousands. Visitors to China will have seen these revered inscriptions in all sorts of locations: mountains, houses, parks and museums documenting the lives and feelings of people over the centuries. A few are diagrams rather than text, showing maps of cities and even star maps of the heavens. They are a powerful and permanent expression of the continuity of Chinese history. Read more…
The Long March The epic tale of the struggle of thousands of soldiers over thousands of miles of challenging terrain has been held up as the chief heroic episode in the early days of the Communist party. It was during the Long March that Mao Zedong emerged as leader with his own vision for the future of China. Read more…
Foot binding History After the Han dynasty the custom of foot binding of girls from a very early age kept them house bound. The tradition lasted from the Sui to the Qing dynasty and was at times inflicted on half of all girls. It was seen as a badge of wealth of a household because it implied that the family was rich enough to not need women to carry out physical work. In poor areas the feet of women were not bound so they had to share the work of husbands in manual labor. Slightly richer families would have girls' feet bound and live out their lives indoors, bringing up the family. Read more…
History Index Qing Dynasty - Taiping Rebellion - Coolies - Railways - Treaty ports - Lay - Osborn - Opium Wars - Ming Dynasty - Ming Tombs - Yuan Dynasty - Mongol Conquest - Song Dynasty - Five Dynasties - Tang Dynasty - Empress Wu Zetian - Eunuchs - Officials - Sui Dynasty - Period of Disunity - Han Dynasty - Qin Dynasty - Warring States - Spring and Autumn - Early Dynasties - Emperor - Eunuchs - Officials - Foot binding - Kowtow - Hanlin academy - Early British contacts - Europe contacts 18thC - Macartney mission - Leibniz - Chinoiserie - Money - Torture
