China's history is immense. They have had over 20 dynasties, and each one unique for different reasons. They span from the ancient Xia dynasty, a couple thousand years before common era, to the Qing dynasty, which ended in the early 20th century and gave way to modern China. The dynasties are not as succinct and simple as one would hope, and depending on where you are the history will be different. For many years the South rivaled the North, and there were plenty of periods when one clear ruler was not established. However, the most notable dynasties were the Zhou, the Qin, the Han, the Tang, the Song, the Ming, and the Qing. These are the most distinguished because they lend something to China today. For instance, many Chinese people still call themselves "Han" people, or "Tang" people, and the the Great Wall, originally built in the Qin dynasty and rebuilt during the Ming dynasty, still stands and remains one of the worlds largest tourist attraction.