---
title: "Chinese Dynasties in Order: Timeline From Xia to Qing With Dates, Chinese Names, Pinyin and Sound"
description: "Every Chinese dynasty in order, from the Xia, Shang and Zhou through the Qin, Han, Tang and Song to the Yuan, Ming and Qing, each in Chinese with pinyin, its dates and sound."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dynasties"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 31 words

# Chinese dynasties in order

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%A4%8F%E6%9C%9D%20%E5%95%86%E6%9C%9D%20%E5%91%A8%E6%9C%9D%20%E8%A5%BF%E5%91%A8%20%E4%B8%9C%E5%91%A8%20%E6%98%A5%E7%A7%8B%20%E6%88%98%E5%9B%BD%20%E7%A7%A6%E6%9C%9D%20%E6%B1%89%E6%9C%9D%20%E8%A5%BF%E6%B1%89%20%E4%B8%9C%E6%B1%89%20%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%20%E6%99%8B%E6%9C%9D%20%E8%A5%BF%E6%99%8B%20%E4%B8%9C%E6%99%8B%20%E5%8D%97%E5%8C%97%E6%9C%9D%20%E9%9A%8B%E6%9C%9D%20%E5%94%90%E6%9C%9D%20%E4%BA%94%E4%BB%A3%E5%8D%81%E5%9B%BD%20%E5%AE%8B%E6%9C%9D%20%E5%8C%97%E5%AE%8B%20%E5%8D%97%E5%AE%8B%20%E5%85%83%E6%9C%9D%20%E6%98%8E%E6%9C%9D%20%E6%B8%85%E6%9C%9D%20%E4%B8%AD%E5%8D%8E%E6%B0%91%E5%9B%BD%20%E4%B8%AD%E5%8D%8E%E4%BA%BA%E6%B0%91%E5%85%B1%E5%92%8C%E5%9B%BD%20%E6%9C%9D%E4%BB%A3%20%E7%8E%8B%E6%9C%9D%20%E7%9A%87%E5%B8%9D%20%E5%8E%86%E5%8F%B2)

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## The first dynasties

xià夏cháo朝

Xia dynasty

shāng商cháo朝

Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC)

zhōu周cháo朝

Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046-256 BC)

xī西zhōu周

the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1046-771 BC)

dōng东zhōu周

Eastern Zhou (770-256 BC)

chūn春qiū秋

Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC)

zhàn战guó国

Warring States Period (475-221 BC)

## The first empire and the Han

qín秦cháo朝

Qin dynasty (221-207 BC)

hàn汉cháo朝

Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)

xī西hàn汉

Western Han dynasty (206 BC-8 AD)

dōng东hàn汉

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220)

sān三guó国

the Three Kingdoms (220-280)

jìn晋cháo朝

Jin dynasty (265-420)

xī西jìn晋

the Western Jin dynasty (265-316)

dōng东jìn晋

Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420)

nán南běi北cháo朝

Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589)

## Sui, Tang and Song

suí隋cháo朝

Sui dynasty (581-618)

táng唐cháo朝

Tang dynasty (618-907)

wǔ五dài代shí十guó国

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-979)

sòng宋cháo朝

Song dynasty (960-1279)

běi北sòng宋

the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

nán南sòng宋

the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

## The last dynasties

yuán元cháo朝

Yuan dynasty (1279-1368)

míng明cháo朝

Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

qīng清cháo朝

Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

## After the emperors

zhōng中huá华mín民guó国

Republic of China (1912-1949, later in Taiwan)

zhōng中huá华rén人mín民gòng共hé和guó国

People's Republic of China

## Words for history

cháo朝dài代

dynasty

wáng王cháo朝

dynasty; royal court

huáng皇dì帝

emperor

lì历shǐ史

history

## What are the Chinese dynasties in order?

夏 Xia, 商 Shang, 周 Zhou, 秦 Qin, 汉 Han, the Three Kingdoms, 晋 Jin, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, 隋 Sui, 唐 Tang, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, 宋 Song, 元 Yuan, 明 Ming and 清 Qing.

## What was the first dynasty of China?

夏朝 (xiàcháo, Xia dynasty) is the first in the traditional histories. The first with its own writing is 商朝 (shāngcháo, Shang dynasty), and the first to rule all China as an empire was 秦朝 (qíncháo, Qin dynasty), under 秦始皇 (Qín Shǐhuáng).

## What was the last dynasty of China?

清朝 (qīngcháo, Qing dynasty), from 1644 to 1911. 中华民国 (zhōnghuámínguó, Republic of China) followed in 1912.

## Why do dynasty names end in 朝?

朝 (cháo) means dynasty, as in 朝代 (cháodài, dynasty). In speech the dynasty is often just its first character: 唐 (Táng), 宋 (Sòng), 明 (Míng).

## Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each character in our recorded voice instead.

## More on Chinese history

- [Chinese emperors and warriors](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-warrior-and-emperor-names)
- [Names from Chinese mythology](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-mythology-names)
- [The Chinese calendar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-calendar)
- [The Chinese zodiac](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac)

Names, pinyin and dates from our own dictionary.