CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE
Reading edition
B.C.
2705-2595 Huang Ti, mythological emperor.
2357-2206 Legendary sages to whose teachings Confucius harked back.
551 Birth of Confucius.
255-206 Ch’in Shih Huang Ti, the emperor who burned the books and built the Great Wall.
206 B.C. to 221 A.D. Han Dynasty—Recovery of literature—Introduction of Buddhism.
A.D.
221-265 The “Three Kingdoms”—Age of romantic chivalry.
618-906 The T’ang Dynasty—Emperor Ming Huang, traditional founder of the theater, and his consort Yang Kuei-fei, China’s most famous beauty. China was at this time the most civilized country in the world. Li Po and other great lyric poets.
960-1127 The Sung Dynasty—Development of landscape painting.
1280-1368 The Yuan or Mongol Dynasty—Classical age of Chinese drama. Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan. Marco Polo.
1368-1644 The Ming Dynasty—Restoration of Chinese rulers—Drama in the hands of scholars.
1644-1911 The Ch’ing or Manchu Dynasty—Emperors K’ang Hsi and Ch’ien Lung encourage arts and letters, including the theater.
1912- The Republic.
