Region / World History
East Asia
Explore 27 selected events from East Asia across the six reading eras, with dates, complete stories, representative locations and bibliographies.
3500–801 BCE
Early Civilizations
800 BCE–499 CE
Classical World
500–1399 CE
Interwoven Worlds
Heian-kyo and Court Culture in Japan
Japan moved its capital to Heian-kyo, where court politics, Buddhism, and literature developed together, drawing on continental traditions while creating distinctive local cultural expression.
Chinggis Khan and Mongol Expansion
Temujin was acclaimed as Chinggis Khan; subsequent Mongol conquests reshaped Eurasian politics and altered the movement of people, technologies, and goods.
The Founding of Joseon and the Formation of a Confucian State
Yi Seong-gye replaced Goryeo and founded the Joseon dynasty; dynastic change, the later relocation of the capital, and institution-building together reshaped politics on the Korean Peninsula.
1400–1749 CE
Global Encounters
Zheng He's Fleets Sail into the Indian Ocean
The Ming dynasty sent Zheng He's fleets on long voyages, conducting diplomacy, exchange, and military activities along existing maritime networks and reaching as far as East Africa.
Hunminjeongum and the Korean Writing System
Sejong of the Joseon dynasty published Hunminjeongum, responding to difficulties in writing with a new script suited to the local language and broadening the possibilities for spreading knowledge.
The Founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate and Edo as a Political Center
Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the shogunate, making Edo a center of warrior government; the shogunate, daimyo, and imperial court still in Kyoto together formed the power structure of early modern Japan.
1750–1913 CE
Age of Revolutions
The Meiji Restoration and Japan's Transformation
After the shogunate collapsed, the new government pursued centralization and reforms in education and industry, rapidly changing Japanese society and its foreign relations.
The Republic of China Is Founded and Imperial Rule Ends
Sun Yat-sen took office as provisional president in Nanjing, and the Qing emperor subsequently abdicated; the establishment of a republic began a new phase of state-building while leaving problems of divided power and war.
1914–2024 CE
Modern World
The May Fourth Movement and New Culture Debates
The Paris Peace Conference's handling of rights in Shandong sparked student protests in Beijing that grew into a broader social movement, intertwining with New Culture, nationalism, and new political ideas.
The Communist Party of China Is Founded
The First National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened in Shanghai and later moved to Jiaxing, bringing early communist organizations together into a unified political party.
The September 18 Incident and Japan's Occupation of Northeast China
Japan's Kwantung Army used a railway explosion as a pretext to attack Shenyang, then expanded its occupation of Northeast China, marking an important beginning of Chinese resistance to Japan and the escalation of war in East Asia.
Full-Scale Resistance to Japan and Civilians at War
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Sino-Japanese War became a full-scale conflict; military and civilian resistance, urban relocation, and severe wartime atrocities profoundly changed Chinese society.
Victory over Japan and the Surrender in the China Theater
Japan signed the instrument of surrender, and the surrender ceremony for the China theater took place in Nanjing; after the war against Japan ended, peace and reconstruction were soon disrupted by the Chinese Civil War.
Japan's Postwar Constitution and Institutional Reconstruction
After its defeat, Japan rebuilt its institutions under occupation; the new constitution took effect in 1947, establishing popular sovereignty, fundamental rights, and the principle of renouncing war.
The People’s Republic of China Is Founded
On October 1, 1949, a founding ceremony was held in Beijing and the establishment of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed.
The Korean War and the Peninsula's Division after the Armistice
War on the Korean Peninsula drew in United Nations forces, the Chinese People's Volunteers, and other external powers; the 1953 armistice stopped the main fighting without establishing a peace treaty.
The Change in UN Representation and U.S.-China Rapprochement
The UN General Assembly changed the arrangements for China's representation, and representatives of the People's Republic of China entered the United Nations; Nixon's visit and the Shanghai Communiqué helped move U.S.-China relations from confrontation toward rapprochement.
Reform and Opening Up and Changes to the Economic System
The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee marked an important policy shift; rural reforms, special economic zones, and gradual marketization changed production, population mobility, and international connections.
Hong Kong's Handover and the Establishment of the Special Administrative Region
China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was established, and the Basic Law took effect, setting out its institutional and autonomy framework under one country, two systems.
Macao's Handover and the Establishment of the Special Administrative Region
China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao, the Macao Special Administrative Region was established, Portuguese administration in Macao ended, and new institutional arrangements began to be implemented.
China Joins the World Trade Organization
After lengthy negotiations, China became the World Trade Organization's 143rd member, integrating further into multilateral trade rules and global production networks.
Shenzhou 5: China's First Crewed Spaceflight
Yang Liwei entered Earth orbit aboard Shenzhou 5 and returned safely, completing China's first crewed space mission and opening a new phase of the country's human spaceflight.
Beijing Hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics
Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics for the first time, with athletes and audiences from around the world participating as sport, urban development, and international exchange met on the same stage.
Reports of the Wuhan Outbreak and a Global Health Alert
Cases of pneumonia of unknown cause appeared in Wuhan, and a novel coronavirus was subsequently identified; the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern, and the world began responding to a new outbreak.
Chang'e 6 Returns the First Samples from the Moon's Far Side
The Chang'e 6 return capsule landed safely carrying samples from the far side of the Moon, completing humanity's first sample return from the lunar far side and providing new physical material for comparing the Moon's near and far sides.