551 BCE★★★★★
Birth of Confucius
Confucius, founder of Confucianism, is born in the state of Lu; his teachings shape East Asian culture for over two millennia.
BirthReligionCulture· China
Timeline
6 events6th century BCE
2nd century
- 184★★★★★
Yellow Turban Rebellion
A peasant uprising led by Zhang Jiao shakes the Eastern Han and paves the way for an era of rival warlords.
WarReligion· China
7th century
- 629 – 645★★★★★
Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India
The monk Xuanzang travels to India and brings back hundreds of Buddhist texts, which he translates into Chinese.
ReligionExploration· China, India
9th century
- 868★★★★★
The Diamond Sutra is printed
A copy of the Diamond Sutra found at Dunhuang is the oldest surviving dated printed book in the world.
TechnologyReligionCulture· China
17th century
- 1601★★★★★
Matteo Ricci arrives in Beijing
Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci is permitted to reside in Beijing, becoming a bridge of science and culture between Europe and China.
ReligionScience· China, Italy
19th century
- 1850 – 1864★★★★★
Taiping Rebellion
Hong Xiuquan's movement founds the 'Taiping Heavenly Kingdom'; the ensuing civil war causes tens of millions of deaths.
WarReligionRevolution· China