Old Town of Pingyao(平遥Píngyáo) is in Pingyao County, in the center of Shanxi Province. It was constructed during the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty (C.1100-771B.C.) and has been the county seat ever since the establishment of the prefecture-and-county system in L'ancienne Chine. At present, Pingyao looks much the same as it did during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and is the best-preserved historic town in the regions populated by the Han ethnic group.
Category: Chinese customs
Qin Dynasty 秦朝
Qin (259 BC – 210 BC)
In 221 BC, Ying Zheng, who was originally a king of Qin Kingdom (one of the seven kingdoms during the Warring States Period), terminated the 250-year-old warring situation and brought China into new epoch. After he unified the country, Qin Dynasty, the first Chinese feudal dynasty, was founded and he gave himself the name of “Qin Shi Huang”, signifying that he is the first emperor of China. Qin Shi Huang’s contribution to the country includes unifying written language, currency, length, capacity and weight; and the system of prefectures and counties and the feudal national system he built were used in the following 2000 years. To strengthen his controlling in thought, Qin Shi Huang strived to carry out Hanfei’s thought of Legalist, burnt books of other schools and buried Confucian scholars alive, which suspended the developing of Confucianism. During his reign, over 300,000 men were organized to construct the 5000-kilometer-long Great Wall in northern China and his mausoleum had been built before his death. It was in this well-covert and grand mausoleum that the world-famous Terracotta Warriors and Horses unearthed, and the 8000 life-size terracotta figurines, horses and chariots are hailed as the Eighth World Wonders!
Hulishan Cannon Platform in China
About 1 km south of Xiamen University stands the imposing Huli Mountain Cannon Platform(胡里山炮台Húlĭshān pàotái). Originally built in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) to fend off foreign imperialists, the platform boasts a huge nineteenth century heavy cannoneer piece produced by the German conglomerate Krupp, with a maximum range of 10,000 meters.
The Kanuo Ruins
Location: in Kanuo Village, 12 kilometers southeast to the Chamdo county town, the Ruins are at longitude 97°2′east, latitude 31°1′north, with an altitude of 3,100 meters.
Pre-qin History 先秦历史
The Ancient Age, Slavery Society（奴隶制社会）, Xia（夏） and Shang（商） (about 1.7 million years – 4000 years ago)
So far, the known earliest Chinese hominid is the Yuanmou hominid (scientific name: Homo erectus yuanmouensis) living in the region now known as Yuanmou County of Yunnan Province about 1.7 million years ago. The Lantian hominid (scientific name: Homo erectus lantianensis), who lived in the region now known as Lantian County of Shaanxi Province, is another population that lived in the Paleolithic Period. Lantian Men were able to walk upright completely, make fire, create tools by milling stone and bone implements, tailor closther with animal hides, make a living by hunting and fishing, and begin the matriclan life. The Peking Men (scientific name: Homo erectus pekinensis, or Sinanthropus pekinensis), who lived in the region now known as Beijing, had been able to make simple tools and realized to use natural fire to cook, keep warm and drive off beasts. The Shandingdong Men (scientific name: Upper Cave Man), who lived in the region now known as Beijing as well, lived in the way of developing clan commune. The era of Banpo Culture discovered in the region known as Hemudu Town of Zhejiang Province today and the Dawenkou Culture discovered in Shandong Province are the most famous matriarchal and maternal clan communes respectively in China, who had been able to build original houses, weave, undertake agricultural production, and made and used more tool in their lives.
The first Chinese dynasty – Xia Dynasty – was founded in the regions along the Yellow River in 2070 BC, which are now parts of Henan Province and Shanxi Province. The dynasty led China into the era of slave society and made other regions and tribes along the Yellow River its sphere of influence.
The second dynasty Shang was the first Chinese dynasty with written history, the old oracle bones made in this dynasty have been radiocarbon dated to as early as 1500 BC. And the Simuwu Vessel cast by King Wuding between 1400 BC and 1200 BC is at present the biggest unearthed ancient bronze wares in the world, which is also a reflection of the advantaged casting skills of Shang Dynasty. Moreover, it is also proud of its success in ceramics and silk weaving.
Slave system continued to be developed in following Western Zhou Dynasty. However, the national system commenced to collapse with the declining of the ruling class and the princes’ vying for supremacy. This period is considered as the transitory stage between slave society and feudal society, commonly known as “Spring and Autumn Period & Warring States Period”, during which steel manufacturing emerged and different schools of academic thoughts brisked unprecedentedly. Confucius, Laozi (founder of Taoism), Mencius, Hanfei and Sun Wu (military scientist) are the most outstanding ones who lived in the age and made great contribution to Chinese culture.
Chinese History-Introduction
The earliest men living in China can be traced back to 1.7 million years ago. After long evolving, the ancient hominid commenced to step into civilization society. Cultivating the main Chinese civilization for thousands of years, the Yellow River and The Yangtze River are seen as Mother Rivers by Chinese people, with the Yellow River also being hailed as "the cradle of Chinese civilization".
Mutianyu Great Wall
The Mutianyu Great Wall(慕田峪长城Mùtiányù Chángchéng) Travel Area is situated in Huairou District of Beijing. It has a longer history and is bestowed with brilliant cultures. In according to historic record, Mutianyu Great Wall was supervised and built up by a subordinate general to Zhu Yuanzhang, Xu Da based on the relic of the Great Wall in Northern Qi in ancient China. In 1987, Mutianyu Great Wall was appraised as one of the 16 scenic spots in new Beijing and in 1992, it was appraised as the World Best of Beijing Tourism. In Year 2002, it was appraised as 4A grade scenic area and is the essence of Great Wall.
The Great Wall of the Han
In 206 BC the first Han Dynasty(汉朝Hàncháo) was formed under the Gao Di Emperor, Liu Bang. At first he attempted to appease the northern invaders with gifts and increased trade but peace was off and on. A massive force of the Han army attacked the invaders and forced them back across the northern borders.
Southern Great Wall
Southern Great Wall(南方长城Nánfāng Chángchéng), which is about 10 kilometers away from the Fenghuang (Phoenix) Ancient city. In April, Year 2000, the archaeologists in China discovered that more than 190 kilometers of the ancient Great wall were the same as those of the northern Great Wall. Experts confirm that it was part of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall built to defend the kingdom against the Miao people of the south.
Yin Ruins in Anyang
Location: in North-west Xiaotun Village, Anyang City, Henan Province The Yin Ruins(殷墟Yīnxū) is the first recorded and archaeologically-recognized relics as the capital city in Shang Dynasty. It has a long history of more than 3300 years. Since 1928, Chinese archaeologists have for many times discovered historic sites of palaces, mausoleums, ash pits and others of late Shang Dynasty, and have unearthed large quantities of Oracle-Bone, ceramics, jade wares and Bronze wares(de Wares). In particular, the first discovery of Shang Dynasty Oracle-Bone Inscription reveals the truth about historic capital sites of Chinese Shang Dynasty, and has caused booming interest in Oracle-Bone Inscription studies. The Simuwu Ancient Sacral Square Vessel unearthed from Royal mausoleums in Yin Ruins is the biggest bronze ware ever found in the world, and has become a national treasure in China. In 1976, the Fu Hao Empress Mausoleum of Shang Dynasty was unearthed, which is another important discovery in China’s history of archaeology(the study of the societies and peoples of the past by examining the remains of their buildings, tools, and other objects).
French 
English 
German 
Malay 
Thai 
Vietnamese 
Myanmar