Chinese History and Dynasties

Successive Chinese dynasties built frontier defenses, imperial burial complexes and religious foundations over more than two millennia. Their buildings used earth, brick, stone and timber in different combinations, from the tombs of the Han emperors to Tang temple halls and Ming fortifications. Port cities also preserve architecture associated with international trade and resident merchant communities.

The Yuan dynasty was ruled by Mongol emperors, connecting Chinese dynastic history with the wider Mongol political world. The combined sites map follows the surviving buildings of these dynasties and states, with individual articles identifying their particular rulers, communities and construction phases.