A Brief Chinese History From the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty ( A.D.)  The second golden Era  Capital city: Chang’an (a center for international trade) Founder: Li Yuan

 Reflection of mirror correct your dressing;  Reflection of history tell you boom-and-bust;  Reflection of criticism correct your mistake. The golden era during the reigns of Tai Zong

The first female monarch in Chinese history The An Lushan Rebellion

Religions Islam from Arabia, Nestorian Christian sect of Syria, Zoroastrianism from Persia

Tang Poetry (Men of letters) Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi, Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan Calligraphers Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan

Five Dynasties &Ten States ( ) Five Dynasties in the north: ( ) Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou succeeded each other Ten States in the south ( )

Northern Song ( ) Southern Song ( )  Liao ( )  Western Xia ( )  Jin ( ) Manchus (Nvzhen) Song Dynasty

Northern Song  Founder: Zhao Kuangyin  The movable printing---- Bi Sheng  Gunpowder used in war  The compass employed in navigation  Song Ci (Su shi) the highest glory of literature

The Southern Song  Capital city: Hangzhou (a highly developed commercial, political & cultural center)  Neo-Confucianism (Zhu Xi)  Li Qingzhao, Xin Qiji, Lu You  the first blue and white porcelain

Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes( ) Founder : Kublai Khan (1271) The reign title changed into Yuan (Beijing)

The Yuan Dynasty ( ) Marco Polo The first records of travel by Westerners to China The first foreigner to give a detailed account of the country China under the Mongols with unrivaled splendor and power

The Ming Dynasty ( ) Founder: Zhu Yuanzhang Capital City: Nan Jing

Emperor Yongle Zhu Di ( 明成祖 ) Capital: Beijing the Forbidden City Yongle Encyclopedia

Zheng He (Africa, the Red Sea, Mecca)

 Journey to the West --- Wu Cheng’en  The Romance of the Three Kingdoms ---Lou Guanzhong  Outlaws of the Marsh ----Shi Nai’an

 The eunuchs dominated the politics  The eunuchs’ interference in state affairs led to the corruption, chaos and destruction of the country Li Zicheng founded new government and overthrew the Ming Dynasty.

The Qing Dynasty ( )  1616 Nurhachi united Manchu tribes and re-established the Jin Kingdom  1636 the Jin Kingdom changed into Qing  Emperor Shun Zhi (Beijing in 1644)  The last feudal dynasty  The consolidation and strengthening of central power.

The prosperous period during the reigns of the three emperors ( ) During the 18th century, China was the largest, richest and most influential country in the world.

Achievements in Literature (Novels) The Dream of Red Mansions Caoxueqin The Scholars Wu Jingzi Strange Tales from a Scholar’s Studio Pu Songling

A Series of Events  1840 the first Opium War (Semi-colonial &semi-feudal) the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom the second Opium War The Sino-French War The Sino-Japanese War 1898 Wu Hsu Reform (the Hundred-day Reform) the Boxer Uprising  1900 the invasion of eight imperalist countries 1911 the 1911 Revolution (Provisional Government in Nanjing)