Table of the Principal Chinese Dynasties
Legendary Chinese history extends from the twenty-ninth to the tenth century B.C., the first dynasty emerging from the mists being the
| Chow dynasty | 1122 to 249 B.C. |
| Han dynasty | 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. |
| Tang dynasty | 618 A.D. to 906 A.D. |
| Sung dynasty | 960 A.D. to 1279 A.D. |
| Yuan (the Mongol) | 1280 A.D. to 1367 A.D. |
| Ming | 1368 A.D. to 1643 A.D. |
| Ching, or Ts’ing (Manchu) | 1643 to the present day. |
Footnotes
1 The legend of the Willow Pattern (introduced into England by Minton in 1780) is as follows:—Koong-Shee, the daughter of a wealthy mandarin, fell in love with her father’s secretary, Chang. She had been already affianced to a wealthy suitor, so her father shut her up in his house close by the tea-garden. Koong-Shee begged Chang to help her to escape before the peach came into blossom, and he succeeded in doing so. In the willow pattern they are seen escaping across the bridge. They were followed, alas! by the irate suitor to a distant island, where he set fire to their house. The spirits of the lovers were transmuted into doves, which are seen hovering over their old haunts.
2 A society has been formed in China this year (1908) for the purpose of preserving ancient monuments, as they are suffering not only at the hands of travellers, but of native officials.
3 The first Chinese settlers are said to have come from the shores of the Caspian Sea, bringing with them the silkworm and the mulberry.
4 Five missionary societies have combined to provide a good teaching staff. It is to be hoped that several other such union colleges may be established in different parts of the Empire.
5 H. E. is a nephew of the late Li Hung Chang, and was adopted by him.
6 For these details I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Ivan Chen, of the Imperial Chinese Legation.
7 The late Dowager Empress conferred on him the title of “Sincere and loyal Spreader of Civilization,” in addition to his old title of “The great, righteous, and complacent Buddha of Western Heavens.”
8 Hankow is six hundred miles from the sea-coast, but ocean-going ships can come right up the river to that point, and smaller steamers go yet another four hundred miles to Ichang.
9 Extract from Sir John Jordan’s correspondence with the Foreign Office—Paper China, No. 1, 1908, page 36. For full details of this matter, see Arnold-Forster’s “International Commission for the Investigation of the Opium Trade” (Hodder & Stoughton).
10 See Count Okuma’s article in “The Far East.”