Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (traditional Chinese: 五代十國; simplified Chinese: 五代十国; pinyin: Wǔdài Shíguó, 907-960) was an era of political upheaval in China, beginning in the Tang Dynasty and ending in the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were established, mainly in the south. However, only ten are traditionally listed, hence the era's name, "Ten Kingdoms." Some historians, such as Bo Yang, count 11, including Yan and Qi, but not Northern Han, viewing it as simply a continuation of Later Han. Transitions between kingdoms Although more stable than northern China as a whole, southern China was also torn apart by warfare. Wu quarrelled with its neighbours, a trend that continued as Wu was replaced with Southern Tang. In the 940s Min and Chu underwent internal crises which Southern Tang handily took advantage of, destroying Min in 945 and Chu in 951. Remnants of Min and Chu, however, survived in the form of Qingyuan Jiedushi and Wuping Jiedushi for many years after. With this, Southern Tang became the undisputedly most powerful regime in southern China. However, it was unable to defeat incursions by the Later Zhou Dynasty between 956 and 958, and ceded all of its land north of the Yangtze River. The Northern Song Dynasty, established in 960, was determined to reunify China. Jingnan and Wuping were swept away in 963, Later Shu in 965, Southern Han in 971, and Southern Tang in 975. Finally, Wuyue and Qingyuan gave up their land to Northern Song in 978, bringing all of southern China under the control of the central government. ---------------------------------------- --------- XI,Tang Dynasty唐朝(618-907) XII,Five Dynasties五代 1,Later Liang后梁(907-923) 2,Later Tang后唐(923-936) 3,Later Jin后晋(936-946) 4,Later Han后汉(947-950) 5,Later Zhou后周(951-960)

Welcome to China's premier shopping street: the 3.4-mile long Nanjing Road. The shopping stretch begins at The Bund in the East and ends at the junction of Jingnan Temple and Yan'an West Street and lights up the sky at night with one of the most impressive neon light shows in the world. See the rest at www.silkroadinstitute.com!