Compiled by The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and The Office of Chinese Language Council International, Common Knowledge about Chinese History is an impressive introduction to China's long history beginning around Primitive Society till Opium War and up to the rise of Modern China. The book falls into three parts: Period before the Opium War of 1840, Modern Period and Contemporary Period. The whole book is strung together with abundant interesting historical stories about different dynasties, historical events and figures in ancient and modern China. It is a valuable primer in Chinese history, serving also as a useful Chinese textbook for overseas Chinese and foreign friends.
This is an intermediate/advanced reader on China's history.
This book is part of a series, the others are: 'Common Knowledge About Chinese Geography' and 'Common Knowledge about Chinese Culture'. Together all three books will cover essential knowledge about China.
The chapters are as follows (my own edit of the content):
1. Ancient history (the "Peking Man", Confucious,...)
2. the Qin and Han Dynasties (the Great Wall, the First Emperor,...)
3. the Division of China (the Red Cliff battle, the Ballad of Mulan,...)
4. the Sui and Tang Dynasties (the Grand Canal, the Great Poets,...)
5. the Five Dynasties (Bao, Genghis Khan, Marco Polo in China,...)
6. the Ming and Ching Dynasties (Zheng He's voyages, Japanese pirates,...)
7. Modern China (the Opium Wars, May 4th Movement, the Nanchang Uprising, the Nanjing Massacre,...)
8. Contemporary China (Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Hong Kong handover,...)
The book tries to cover as much as possible, so do not expect in-depth coverage.
