This table shows only the main dynasties etc., and omits details such as the northern rulers of China during the Song periods. Adapted from John King Fairbank, China: A New History (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap/Harvard, 1992), p. 24.
| Period | Dates |
| Eastern Zhou | 770 BC–256 BC |
| traditionally divided into Spring and Autumn Period Warring States Period |
722 BC–476 BC 475 BC–221 BC |
| Early: | |
| Qin | 221 BC–206 BC |
| Western Han (Former Han) | 206 BC–9 AD |
| Eastern Han (Later Han) | 25 AD–220 |
| Period of disunion: | 220–589 |
| Middle: | |
| Sui | 589–618 |
| Tang | 618–907 |
| Late: (Note: Song Dynasty sometimes included in “Middle” period) | |
| Northern Song | 960–1127 |
| Southern Song | 1127–1279 |
| Yuan (Mongols) | 1279–1368 |
| Ming | 1368–1644 |
| Qing (Manchu) | 1644–1911 |
| Republic: | |
| Republic of China | 1912–49 1949–: Taiwan only |
| People’s Republic of China | 1949–present |
[ENDS]