1. Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC)
In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms to establish the first great unified dynasty, and in 210 BC, the Xiongnu Nanping Baiyue reached its peak in an area of 3.4 million square kilometers.
2. Western Han Dynasty (202-8 BC)
The Western Han defeated Xiang Yu in 202 BC to establish the Han Dynasty, but was besieged by the siege of Baideng and Liu Bang, and was forced to make peace with the Xiongnu in the decades that followed. During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, the Xiongnu broke and the Western Regions were included in the mainland territory for the first time, but the largest period of the Western Han Dynasty was in the Han Xuan Emperor Liu Xun (Liu Aiji), with an area of 6.09 million square kilometers.
3. Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220)
Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu successively defeated Wang Mang and Liu Yong to establish the Eastern Han Dynasty, and during the Han Ming Emperor's reign, he eliminated the Northern Xiongnu and Ban Chao restored the Western Regions Frontier Palace, covering an area of 5.8 million square kilometers.
4. Three Kingdoms (220-280)
The Three Kingdoms are composed of three countries and are not a unified whole. The wars that laid the foundation for the Three Kingdoms were important battles such as the Battle of Chibi, the Battle of Hanzhong, the Battle of Xiangfan, and the Battle of Yiling in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In the end, Cao Pi usurped the throne and established the Wei state, marking the beginning of the Three Kingdoms, and the elimination of Eastern Wu by the Western Jin Dynasty marked the end of the Three Kingdoms. The area of each country is: Cao Wei - 2.91 million square kilometers; Shuhan - 1.06 million square kilometers; Soochow - 1.45 million square kilometers.
5. Western Jin Dynasty (265-317) 5.43 million square kilometers
The Western Jin Dynasty was due to Sima Yi's loss of power from Cao Wei in the Gaopingling Revolution, and after the management of Sima Yi, Sima Shi, and Sima Zhao, Sima Yan usurped the throne in 265 to establish the Western Jin Dynasty, and in 280 the Western Jin Dynasty eliminated Eastern Wu and reached its peak - 5.43 million square kilometers.
6. Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420)
The Eastern Jin Dynasty was destroyed by the Xiongnu due to the Rebellion of the Eight Kings during the Western Jin Dynasty. Under the leadership of Sima Rui and Wang Dao, the Eastern Jin Dynasty was established, and during the Jin Dynasty, Liu Yu's Northern Expedition reached its peak - 3.02 million square kilometers.
7. Sui Dynasty (581-618)
The Sui Dynasty was established by Yang Jian, the Duke of Northern Zhou, in 581 and destroyed the southern state of Chen in 589. During the reign of Emperor Sui, Tuyuhun and Yiwu were annexed, and the area reached its peak - 4.67 million square kilometers.
8. Tang Dynasty (618-907)
In the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, established Yang You as Emperor after Jinyang raised troops to capture Chang'an, and later deposed Yang You and proclaimed himself emperor. In the Battle of Li Shimin and Hujiaoguan, Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande were eliminated, laying the foundation for the Tang Dynasty to unify the world. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin eliminated the Eastern Turks, Tuyuhun, Xueyantuo and other countries, and successively eliminated the Western Turks, Baekje, Goguryeo and other countries during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, with an area of 12.37 million square kilometers.
9. Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)
The Northern Song Dynasty was established by the Song emperor Zhao Kuangyin with the yellow robe, and ended the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms under the command of two emperors, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi. The peak period of the area was during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, when Song and Jin joined forces to eliminate the Liao state and restore the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, with an area of 2.8 million square kilometers.
10. Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)
The Southern Song Dynasty was established by Zhao the King of Kang after the shame of Jingkang, and Yue Fei and others recovered some lost territory, and in 1141 Shaoxing Huihe reached its peak - 2 million square kilometers.
11. Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)
The Yuan Dynasty was founded by Kublai Khan, originating from the Mongol Empire established by Genghis Khan, and later fought for the Great Khan in Kublai Khan and established the Yuan Dynasty, which eliminated the Southern Song Dynasty in 1279 and completed the unification of the country, reaching its peak - 1372 square kilometers.
12. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
The Ming Dynasty was founded by Zhu Yuanzhang, and after eliminating Chen Youcheng and Zhang Shicheng, he drove the Yuan Dynasty back to the desert and established the Ming Dynasty. During the Yongle period, Zhu Di's Northern Expedition brought the Ming Dynasty to its peak - 9.97 million square kilometers.
13. Qing Dynasty (1636-1912)
The Qing Dynasty was founded by Emperor Taiji, originating from the Houjin established by Nur Hachi, in 1636, Emperor Taiji became emperor, and during the Shunzhi period, the Qing army entered Guan to defeat Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong and other peasant rebels, and eliminated the Southern Ming. During the Kangxi Dynasty, Ping San Fan, destroyed Goldan, and recovered Taiwan. During the Qianlong period, wars such as the Great and Small Rebellions of Ding and Zhuo were quelled, and the area reached its peak - 13.16 million square kilometers.