Pre-1600 BC, China is charted mainly by legends and prehistoric evidence. The ancient China era was c. 1600–221 BC. The imperial era was 221 BC – 1912 AD, from China's unification under Qin rule until the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China era was from 1912 until 1949, and the modern China era from 1949 until the present day.

20 Interesting Facts from Chinese History. 1. China's earliest archeological records date back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), over 3,000 years ago. Before then, there were almost 2,000 years of prehistoric times, without written history. People remember them mainly via legend and prehistoric evidence.