The written history of China can be found as early as the Shang Dynasty (BC 1556 – BC 1046)
The Shang Dynasty (商朝) or Yin Dynasty (殷代) was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia Dynasty (夏朝). They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper", in the Yellow River (黃河) valley. According to the chronology based upon calculations by Liu Xin (劉歆), the Shang ruled between 1766 BC and 1122 BC, however according to the chronology based upon the Bamboo Annals (竹書紀年), it is between 1556 BC and 1046 BC.
商 [shāng]
约公元前1600ー公元前1046年，汤灭夏后所建，建都亳 (ｂó，今河南商丘)。后来盘庚又迁都到殷 (今河南安阳附近)。也说殷、殷商。
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_Dynasty
http://www.nciku.cn/search/cc/detail/%E5%95%86/6871
China | b1556-b1046 | Shang (商)
