Map Introduction

Xia Dynasty (c. 2033? – 1562? BCE) was the first dynasty in Chinese history.

Over four thousand years ago, Yu, leader of the Xia tribe, was entrusted by Emperor Shun due to his achievements in flood control. Shun eventually passed the leadership of the tribal alliance to him, marking the beginning of the Xia Dynasty. After Yu's death, his son, Qi, ascended the throne. This event, historically known as "Yu passing the throne to his son," signified the end of the "abdication system" of the tribal alliance and the beginning of the feudal hereditary system.

The Xia Dynasty dates back approximately four thousand years. The Erlitou culture, discovered in Erlitou Village, Yanshi County, Henan Province, represents the culture of the Xia Dynasty. Significant quantities of bronze ware, pottery, and large-scale palace ruins have been unearthed at the site. This evidence indicates that the Xia Dynasty had transitioned from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age and had mastered metallurgy and casting techniques. Compared to the Stone Age, the level of productive forces was greatly enhanced, providing favorable conditions for agricultural production. Furthermore, from classical texts, we can see that the Xia Dynasty already used the Chinese sexagenary cycle for recording years and developed the earliest "Xia Calendar" in Chinese history, both testaments to the scientific and cultural level of the time.

As the beginning of the Three Dynasties of antiquity, the Xia Dynasty laid a solid foundation for the development of Chinese civilization. It can be said that without the Xia Dynasty, there would not have been the subsequent over three thousand years of splendid civilized history of the Chinese nation.

The above map is a historical map from the period of the Xia Dynasty. It shows the distribution of place names, primarily located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River are demarcated by the old Mengjin area in present-day Henan Province.

Related Maps * Geographical Location Map of the Xia Dynasty * Capital Location Map of the Xia Dynasty * Geographical Location Map of Mongolia during the Xia Dynasty Period