Xia Kingdom (2070-1600 BC), Shang Kingdom (1600-1046 BC), Zhou Kingdom (1046-256 BC), Qin Empire (221-207 BC), Han Empire (202 BC-9 AD, 23-220), Xin Empire (9-23), Jin Empire (266-420), Sui Empire (581-618), Tang Empire (618-690, 705-907), Zhou Empire (690-705), Song Empire (960-1279), Yuan Empire (1271-1368), Ming Empire (1368-1644), Qing Empire (1644-1912, 1917), Republic of China (1912-1915, 1916-1917, 1917-1949), Empire of China (1915-1916) People's Republic of China (1949-present)
Country in East Asia
Location: East Asia
Capital City: Anyi, Yangcheng, Zhenxun, Shangqiu (Xia Dynasty at different times), Bo, Ao, Yan, Xiang, Yinxu, Zhaoge (Shang Dynasty at different times), Fenghao (1046-771 BC), Wangcheng (771-510 BC, 314-256 BC), Chengzhou (510-314 BC), Xianyang (221-207 BC), Chang'an (206 BC-23 AD, 312-316, 618-904), Luoyang (23-196, 266-311, 605-618, 904-907), Xuchang (196-220), Jiankang (317-420), Daxing (581-605), Bianjing (960-1127), Yingtian (1127-1128), Yangzhou (1128-1129), Lin'an (1129, 1138-1276), Jiangning (1129-1138), Beijing (1271-1368, 1403-1927, 1946-present), Nanjing (1368-1644, 1927-1937), Chongqing (1937-1946)
Government type: Absolute Monarchy (2070-256 BC, 221-207 BC, 202 BC-220 AD, 226-420, 581-907, 960-1912, 1915-1916, 1917), Provisional Government (1912), Military-led Republic (1912-1928), Republic (1928-1949), Communist Republic (1949-present)
Main languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu, Min, Jin, Hakka, Xiang, Zhuang, Uyghur, Mongolian, Tibetan
Main religions: Confucianism, Daoism, Chinese Folk Religion, Buddhism, Atheism
Chronology
2070 BC: Traditional date for the founding of the Xia dynasty
1600 BC: Shang, the first historically attested dynasty, comes to power
1046 BC: Zhou Dynasty replaces Shang
770-476 BC: Spring and Autumn Period, Zhou authority declines
475-221 BC: Warring States Period, China split between several kingdoms
256 BC: Remnants of Zhou state conquered by Qin
221 BC: Qin reunites China
207 BC: Qin overthrown, China divided into 18 kingdoms
202 BC: Han Dynasty reunites China
9: Wang Mang overthrows Han, inaugurates Xin Dynasty
23: Xin collapses, Han dynasty restored
220: Han Dynasty breaks up, Three Kingdoms Period
266: Jin Dynasty founded
280: Three Kingdoms period ends, China reunited by Jin
420: Jin collapses, Northern and Southern Dynasties period starts
581: Sui reunites China
618: Tang dynasty replaces Sui
690-705: Zhou Empire under Wu Zetian
907: Tang collapses, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
960: Song Dynasty reunites China
1127: Southern Song Dynasty, forced south after Khitan and Jurchen invasions into Northern China
1271: Yuan Dynasty founded from Eastern part of Mongol Empire
1368: Ming dynasty established after revolt against Mongols
1644: Ming conquered by Manchus, establishing Qing Dynasty
1912: Qing Empire abolished after Xinhai Revolt, Republic established (Beiyang Republic)
1915-1916: President Yuan Shikai declares himself Emperor, but soon steps down
1916-1928: Warlord Era, country fragmented
1917: Qing briefly restored by General Zhang Xun
1928: Kuomintang subdues warlords and reunites country, end of the Beiyang Republic
1927-1949: Chinese civil war between Nationalists and Communists
1949: Communists win civil war, People's Republic of China proclaimed, Nationalists exiled to Taiwan
Currency
Liang (221-118 BC)
1 Liang = 24 Zhu
First Zhu (118 BC-7 AD)
Second Zhu (7-9)
Third Zhu (9-14)
Fourth Zhu (10-14)
Fifth Zhu (14-40)
Sixth Zhu (25-618)
Wen (618-1912)
Yuan (1903-1949)
1 Yuan = 10 Jiao = 100 Fen = 1000 Wen/Cash
First Renminbi Yuan (1949-1955)
Second Renminbi Yuan (1955-present)
1 Yuan = 10 Jiao = 100 Fen
Coins from China in the collection
Xin Dynasty (9-23)
•5 Zhu, Emperor Wang Mang (9-23) (bronze, Hartill#9.1)
Eastern Han Dynasty (23-220)
•5 Zhu, 23-220 (bronze, Hartill#10.2)
Sui Dynasty (581-618)
•5 Zhu, 581-585 (Emperor Wen (581-604), bronze, Hartill#10.26)
Tang Dynasty (618-907)
•1 Wen, 621-907 (bronze, Hartill#14.1u-ag)
Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)
•1 Wen, 1078-1085 (Emperor Shenzong (1067-1085), bronze, Hartill#16.210) Yuanfeng Era
•1 Wen, 1111-1118 (Emperor Huizong (1100-1125), bronze, Hartill#16.441) Zhenghe Era
•1 Wen, 1119-1125 (Emperor Huizong (1100-1125), bronze, Hartill#16.482) Xuanhe Era
•10 Wen, 1103-1105 (Emperor Huizong (1100-1125), bronze, Hartill#16.407) Chongning Era
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
•1 Wen, 1368-1393 (Emperor Hongwu (1368-1398), bronze, Hartill#20.57)
Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)
•1 Wen, 1657-1661 (Emperor Shunzi (1643-1661), bronze, Ministry of Revenue mint (Beijing), Hartill#22.70)
•1 Wen, Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) (bronze, Ministry of Revenue mint (Beijing), Hartill#22.85)
•1 Wen, 1730-1733 (Emperor Yongzheng (1722-1735), bronze, Zhejiang mint (Hangzhou), Hartill#22.188)
•1 Wen, 1736-1738 (Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796), bronze, Jinan mint, Hartill#22.323)
•1 Wen, 1749-1760 (Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796), bronze, Taiyuan mint, Hartill#22.324)
•1 Wen, 1740-1751 (Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796), bronze, Zhejiang mint (Hangzhou), Hartill#22.349)
•1 Wen, 1796-1798 (Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820), bronze, Ministry of Revenue mint (Beijing), KM#440)
•1 Wen, 1796-1798 (Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820), bronze, Ministry of Public Works mint (Beijing), KM#440)
•1 Wen, 1821-1823 (Emperor Daoguang (1820-1850), bronze, Ministry of Public Works mint (Beijing), Hartill#22.590)
•1 Wen, 1862-1874 (Emperor Tongzhi (1861-1875), bronze, Yunnan-Fu mint (Kunming), Hartill#22.1171)
•1 Wen, 1875-1890 (Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908), bronze, Yunnan-Fu mint (Kunming), Hartill#22.1397)
•1 Wen, 1906-1908 (Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908), bronze, Guangdong mint (Guangzhou), Y#191)
•1 Wen, 1909-1911 (Emperor Xuantong (1908-1912), bronze, Yunnan-Fu mint (Kunming), Hartill#22.1519)
•5 Wen, 1851 (Emperor Xianfeng (1850-1861), bronze, Hartill#22.884)
•10 Wen, 1902 (Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908), copper, Y#150) Jiangxi Province
•10 Wen, 1903-1906 (Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908), brass, Y#49.1a) Zhejiang Province
•20 Wen, 1899 (Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908), silver, Y#143a.2) Jiangnan Region
Beiyang Republic (1912-1928)
•10 Wen, 1912 (brass, Y#399a) Hunan Province
•10 Wen, 1912 (copper, Y#399) Hunan Province
•10 Wen, 1920 (copper, Y#302)
•10 Wen, 1920 (copper, Y#302.1)
•1 Jiao, 1914 (silver (.700), Y#326) Hunan Province
Nationalist Republic (1928-1949)
•1 Fen, 1936 (copper, Y#347)
•50 Wen, 1912 (brass, Y#449a) Sichuan Province
•5 Fen, 1936 (nickel, Y#348)
•5 Fen, 1938 (nickel, Y#348)
•5 Fen, 1940 (aluminum, Y#356)
•200 Wen, 1928 (copper, Y#396) Henan Province
•2 Jiao, 1929 (silver, Y#426) Guangdong Province
Communist Republic (1949-present)
•1 Fen, 1986 (aluminum-magnesium, KM#1)
•2 Fen, 1976 (aluminum-magnesium, KM#2)
•2 Fen, 1984 (aluminum-magnesium, KM#2)
•2 Fen, 1989 (aluminum-magnesium, KM#2)
•5 Fen, 1984 (aluminum-magnesium, KM#3)
•5 Fen, 1986 (aluminum-magnesium, KM#3)
•5 Fen, 1991 (aluminum-magnesium, KM#3)
•1 Jiao, 1993 (aluminum, KM#335)
•1 Jiao, 1996 (aluminum, KM#335)
•1 Jiao, 2003 (aluminum, KM#1210)
•1 Jiao, 2007 (stainless steel, KM#1210b)
•1 Jiao, 2008 (stainless steel, KM#1210b)
•1 Jiao, 2009 (stainless steel, KM#1210b)
•1 Jiao, 2010 (stainless steel, KM#1210b)
•1 Jiao, 2019 (stainless steel, KM#2445)
•5 Jiao, 2001 (brass, KM#336)
•5 Jiao, 2009 (brass-plated steel, KM#1411)
•5 Jiao, 2010 (brass-plated steel, KM#1411)
•5 Jiao, 2019 (nickel-plated steel, KM#2446)
•1 Yuan, 1993 (nickel-plated steel, KM#471) Commemorative: 100th Birthday of Mao Zedong
•1 Yuan, 1995 (nickel-plated steel, KM#337)
•1 Yuan, 1997 (nickel-plated steel, KM#337)
•1 Yuan, 1998 (nickel-plated steel, KM#1120) Commemorative: 100th Birthday of Zhou Enlai
•1 Yuan, 2002 (nickel-plated steel, KM#1212)
•1 Yuan, 2005 (nickel-plated steel, KM#1212)
•1 Yuan, 2010 (nickel-plated steel, KM#1212)
•1 Yuan, 2011 (nickel-plated steel, KM#1212)
•1 Yuan, 2015 (nickel-plated steel, KM#1212)
•1 Yuan, 2019 (nickel-plated steel, KM#2477)
•5 Yuan, 2002 (brass, Shenyang mint, KM#1412) Commemorative: Famous Sights of China (Great Wall of China)
•5 Yuan, 2002 (brass, KM#1413) Commemorative: Famous Sights of China (Terracotta Army)
•5 Yuan, 2006 (brass, KM#1713) Commemorative: UNESCO Sites in China (Lomngmen Grottoes)
•10 Yuan, 1997 (brass in cupronickel, KM#983) Commemorative: Retrocession of Hong Kong
•10 Yuan, 1999 (cupronickel in brass, KM#1279) Commemorative: Retrocession of Macau
Banknotes from China in the collection
Beiyang Republic (1912-1928)
•5 Jiao, 1920 Guangxi Province
•5 Yuan, 1918 (P#S2402) Guangdong Province
Nationalist Republic (1928-1949)
•2 Fen, 1949 (P#S1452) Hainan Province
•1 Yuan, 1935 (P#76) Bank of China
•5 Yuan, 1936 (P#213) Central Bank of China
•5 Yuan, 1937 (P#80) Bank of China
•10 Yuan, 1928 (P#197) Central Bank of China
•10 Yuan, 1937 (P#81) Bank of China
•10 Yuan, 1940 (P#85) Bank of China
•100 Yuan, 1941 (P#243) Central Bank of China
Communist Republic (1949-present)
•1 Fen, 1953 (P#860)
•2 Fen, 1953 (P#861)
•5 Fen, 1953 (P#862)
•1 Jiao, 1962 (P#877)
•1 Jiao, 1980 (P#881)
•2 Jiao, 1962 (P#878)
•2 Jiao, 1980 (P#882)
•5 Jiao, 1980 (P#883)
•1 Yuan, 1996 (P#884)
•1 Yuan, 1999 (P#895)
•2 Yuan, 1980 (P#885)
•5 Yuan, 1980 (P#886)
•5 Yuan, 2005 (P#903)
•10 Yuan, 1980 (P#887)