Chinese Empire

The Chinese Empire, or the Empire of China, refers to the realm ruled by the Emperor of China during the era of Imperial China. The term was coined by western scholars to describe the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it may also refer to imperial Chinese dynasties in general. Another term was the "Celestial Empire", in reference to the status of the emperor as the Son of Heaven. In 221 BC, China was unified under an emperor for the first time, and various imperial dynasties ruled China for a total of two millennia since then, including the Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing, among others.