| c. 2070–1600 BCE | Xia · 夏 | Traditionally regarded as the earliest dynasty. |
| c. 1600–1046 BCE | Shang · 商 | Bronze Age dynasty documented by oracle bones. |
| 1046–256 BCE | Zhou · 周 | Includes Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou. |
| 770–476 BCE | Spring and Autumn · 春秋 | Early Eastern Zhou period. |
| 475–221 BCE | Warring States · 战国 | Competing states before Qin unification. |
| 221–206 BCE | Qin · 秦 | First unified imperial dynasty. |
| 206 BCE–220 CE | Han · 汉 | Includes Western Han and Eastern Han. |
| 220–280 | Three Kingdoms · 三国 | Wei, Shu, and Wu states. |
| 265–420 | Jin · 晋 | Western Jin and Eastern Jin. |
| 420–589 | Northern and Southern Dynasties · 南北朝 | Parallel northern and southern regimes. |
| 581–618 | Sui · 隋 | Reunified China before Tang. |
| 618–907 | Tang · 唐 | Major cosmopolitan imperial dynasty. |
| 907–960 | Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms · 五代十国 | Period of political division. |
| 960–1279 | Song · 宋 | Northern Song and Southern Song. |
| 1271–1368 | Yuan · 元 | Mongol-led imperial dynasty. |
| 1368–1644 | Ming · 明 | Imperial dynasty following Yuan. |
| 1636–1912 | Qing · 清 | Last imperial dynasty of China. |
| 1912–1949 | Republic of China period · 民国时期 | Republican period on mainland China. |
| 1949–present | People’s Republic of China · 中华人民共和国 | Founded on October 1, 1949. |
