Timeline of Major Historical Events in China: Ancient Era

Author: Shen Qiwei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-01-01
Features: This chronological record is divided into three volumes—Ancient, Modern, and Contemporary—this volume covering the Ancient period. The entries span from ancient times to the 19th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. During compilation, efforts were made to reflect aspects such as politics, military, economy, and culture, allowing readers to not only search for specific events but also gain a general overview of key highlights in ancient Chinese history through browsing the entire work. The treatment of years is handled with precision. For major events or figures with differing birth and death years, annotations are provided where appropriate; discrepancies arising from differences between the lunar and solar calendars are primarily based on feudal era dates, with corresponding Gregorian dates added as notes.
Three methods are employed for annual entries based on specific circumstances.
Starting from the Qin Dynasty, the months of calendar reforms are noted, each marked with a circular symbol.
Important historical figures are annotated with birth and death years, typically noted for death years.
Ancient place names are occasionally supplemented with modern equivalents.
Wherever possible, original historical text is retained, except for passages that are overly obscure. For some terms that are difficult to understand but may lose accuracy upon translation, annotations are provided.
An index of names is appended at the end of the volume for reference.