🐉HistoryChinese History
🏠 Home🌐 中文
Chinese HistoryDYNASTIES

The Long River of Dynasties

55 figures · 7 eras · From Yu the Great taming the flood to the last emperor stepping down, fifty-five names that rewrote history, linked into one chain of cause and effect

🔍
📖First time here? Start with the guideHow to read it, what to read, where to find reliable sources — a two-minute primer before you browse the cards.→
Holders of the MandateEmperors & Kings26Founders, restorers, and the last of the line — the men on the dragon throne
🌊Yu the GreatSi WenmingTamer of the flood and founder of the Xia dynasty
🔥Cheng TangTian YiFounding king of Shang who overthrew the tyrant Jie by "revolution"
☯️King Wen of ZhouJi ChangFounder of the Western Zhou who laid the groundwork for conquering Shang, and the attributed author of the Book of Changes
🏹King Wu of ZhouJi FaFounding king who destroyed Shang and founded Zhou at the single Battle of Muye
🗡️GoujianJiuqianKing of Yue who slept on brushwood and tasted gall for twenty years to restore his state and destroy Wu
👑Qin Shi HuangYing ZhengThe first emperor, who unified the six states and created the imperial system
🐍Liu BangEmperor Gaozu of HanThe commoner who took the realm with a three-foot sword and founded the Han dynasty
🌅Emperor Wu of HanLiu CheThe mighty ruler who struck north against the Xiongnu and honored Confucianism alone
🎭Wang MangThe controversial reformer who usurped the Han, founded the Xin, and reformed in the name of antiquity
🌾Liu XiuEmperor Guangwu of HanEmperor Guangwu, who broke Wang Mang at Kunyang and restored the house of Han
🔗Emperor Wen of SuiYang JianThe reunifier who ended three centuries of division and created the germ of the examination system
🚢Emperor Yang of SuiYang GuangThe controversial tyrant who dug the Grand Canal and lost the dynasty over three campaigns against Goguryeo
🏇Emperor Taizong of TangLi ShiminThe Heavenly Khan who seized the throne at Xuanwu Gate and created the Zhenguan era of good rule
☀️Wu ZetianWu ZhaoThe only female emperor in Chinese history
🎭Emperor Xuanzong of TangLi LongjiThe same emperor of both the Kaiyuan golden age and the An Lushan Rebellion
🍶Zhao KuangyinEmperor Taizu of SongFounder of the Song who took the throne by the Chenqiao mutiny and released the generals over wine
🖌️Emperor Huizong of SongZhao JiThe painter-emperor of supreme artistry and the Humiliation of Jingkang in governance
🏹Genghis KhanTemüjinFounder of the Mongol Empire who united the steppe and conquered half of Eurasia
🌏Kublai KhanEmperor Shizu of YuanThe Khan-emperor who founded the Yuan and first unified all of China under a foreign house
🥣Zhu YuanzhangEmperor Taizu of MingFounder of the Ming who rose from beggar to emperor and abolished the chancellorship
🏯Zhu DiEmperor Chengzu of MingThe Yongle Emperor who seized the throne, moved the capital to Beijing, and sent Zheng He to sea
🌑The Chongzhen EmperorZhu YoujianThe last Ming emperor who ruled diligently for seventeen years yet watched the dynasty collapse
🌐The Kangxi EmperorAisin Gioro XuanyeThe Qing consolidator who took the throne at eight and reigned sixty-one years
🖼️The Qianlong EmperorAisin Gioro HongliThe emperor of the Ten Great Campaigns and the golden age’s peak — and the pivot from height to decline
👘Empress Dowager CixiOf the Yehe Nara clanThe real ruler of the late Qing who governed from behind the curtain for forty-seven years
🍂PuyiAisin Gioro PuyiThe last emperor, enthroned at three, thrice made emperor, and at last a commoner
Vessels of the CourtChancellors & Reformers13They wrote the institutions — and carried the blame for them
📜Duke of ZhouJi DanThe model regent who codified the rites and returned power to King Cheng
🎣Jiang ZiyaLü ShangThe prototype of the founding strategist, met by King Wen while fishing at the Wei River
⚖️Guan ZhongGuan YiwuThe first great chancellor of the Spring and Autumn era, who helped Duke Huan of Qi assemble the lords nine times
🏛️Shang YangGongsun YangThe Legalist reformer who strengthened Qin and was undone by his own law
🖋️Li SiThe Legalist chancellor who helped the First Emperor unify the institutions
📚Xiao HeThe foremost meritorious minister of the early Han, who secured the state and soothed the people
🪞Wei ZhengWei XuanchengThe "mirror of men" who remonstrated to the emperor’s face two hundred times
🌱Wang AnshiWang JiefuLeader of the Xining reforms, who held "Heaven’s portents are not to be feared"
🐍Qin HuiThe eternally condemned chancellor who steered the Shaoxing peace and framed Yue Fei
📏Zhang JuzhengZhang JianglingThe iron-handed reforming chief grand secretary who bought the Ming another lease of life single-handed
🔥Lin ZexuLin ShaomuThe imperial commissioner who destroyed the opium at Humen and opened his eyes to the world
📘Zeng GuofanZeng WenzhengThe restoration statesman who raised the Xiang Army to crush the Taiping and sounded the first note of the Self-Strengthening Movement
📜Li HongzhangLi ShaoquanThe "paperhanger" who ran the Self-Strengthening for thirty years and bore all the blame for signing the treaties
Souls of the BattlefieldGenerals & Commanders10Triumph on the northern steppe and death at Fengbo Pavilion — two ends of one road
⚔️Fu HaoMu XinA Shang woman general confirmed by both oracle bones and archaeology
🐎Xiang YuXiang JiThe Hegemon-King of Western Chu, who destroyed Qin by sinking his boats and cut his own throat at Gaixia
♟️Han XinThe "god of war" who could command a million men and win every battle
🛡️Wei QingThe grand general who struck the Xiongnu seven times undefeated, born a slave groom
⚡Huo QubingThe swift cavalry general who performed the sacrifice at Mount Langjuxu and died at twenty-four
🌪️An LushanThe barbarian warlord who held three military governorships and raised the An Lushan Rebellion
🛡️Yue FeiYue PengjuThe Jin-fighting general of "utmost loyalty" who died wronged at Fengbo Pavilion
⛵Zheng HeMa SanbaoThe commander of the great voyages, who sailed seven times to the Western Ocean and reached as far as Africa
🗡️Qi JiguangQi YuanjingThe pirate-fighting general who swept the coast clean and trained the Qi Family Army
🔥Li ZichengThe Dashing KingThe Dashing King who stormed Beijing to topple the Ming and fled the capital in forty-two days
Vessels of the CivilizationPathfinders & Historians6The ones who ventured out, and the ones who wrote it down
🐪Zhang QianThe envoy who opened up the Western Regions and walked out the Silk Road
📖Sima QianThe Grand HistorianThe father of Chinese historiography, who wrote the Records of the Grand Historian through disgrace
🌺Consort YangYang YuhuanThe tragic beauty of the high Tang who held all favor in one person
🙏XuanzangChen YiThe master translator who journeyed west for scriptures for seventeen years
🌙Su ShiSu DongpoThe all-round literary genius who, demoted again and again, made a poem of his life
🕯️Wen TianxiangWen WenshanThe Southern Song top graduate and chancellor who "left his loyal heart to shine in history"