Classical China
A timeline of classical Chinese civilization from Confucius through the Han Dynasty — philosophy, unification, the Silk Road, and the foundations of Chinese governance.
Birth of Confucius
Kong Qiu is born in the state of Lu. His teachings will shape East Asian civilization for over two and a half millennia.
Hundred Schools of Thought
China's Warring States period produces a flowering of philosophical schools — Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, Mohism — debating governance and human nature.
Laozi and the Dao De Jing
The Dao De Jing — attributed to the semi-legendary Laozi — articulates Daoism's vision of harmony with the natural order through wu wei.
Qin Shi Huang unifies China
The king of Qin conquers all rival states and declares himself First Emperor, unifying China under a single government for the first time.
Great Wall construction begins
Qin Shi Huang connects and extends existing defensive walls into what will become the Great Wall of China.
Death of Qin Shi Huang
The First Emperor dies and is buried with his terracotta army. The Qin Dynasty collapses within four years.
Han Dynasty established
Liu Bang defeats rival factions and founds the Han Dynasty, which will rule for over four centuries.
Reign of Emperor Wu
Emperor Wu adopts Confucianism as state ideology, establishes the civil service exam, and expands the empire to its greatest extent.
Zhang Qian opens the Silk Road
The diplomat Zhang Qian travels to Central Asia, establishing the trade and diplomatic connections that will become the Silk Road.
Invention of paper
Cai Lun standardizes papermaking in China — a technology that will eventually revolutionize communication worldwide.
Fall of the Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty collapses into the Three Kingdoms period, ending over four centuries of unified rule.