The article provides a historical overview of Chinese civilization, divided into different periods. It covers ancient times, classical thought, the early imperial period, China during the period of disunity, the cosmopolitan civilization of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Song dynasty, the Mongol Empire, the Ming dynasty, encounters with modern Europe, the Qing dynasty, internal crises, Western intrusion, the Nationalist era, Mao's rule, and developments since Mao.