History of China

The history of China is closely connected with series of dynasties. The first Chinese dynasty, the Xia Dynasty is mostly known from the myths and legends. Then came the period of the Zhou Dynasty rule. It was just at the time, when Confucianism emerged. The Qin dynasty is famous for the fact that during its reign the Chinese people became trully united. The first conflicts took place in the years of the Han dynasty (206-220 AD). As a result the country was divided into Three Kingdoms. The unity was restored once again under the Sui dynasty. One of the most markable periods in Chinese history was the period of the rule of the Tang dynasty, when the country had the control of the silk routes.

China’s remarkable prosperity emerged in the 13th century. At that time Beijing and Nanjing became capital cities. The first Europeans, to be more exact they were the Portuguese, came to China in 1516 with trade mission. In the end of 18th century China suffered humiliating defeats in the Opium Wars with the result that Hong Kong was ceded to the British. Chaos reigned in the first half of the 20th century. By the end of World War II China was in the midst of a civil war, and eventually, on 1 October 1949 Mao Tse-Tung declared the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Nowdays China is highly developed country.