The Chinese Empire, also known as Imperial China, Empire of China, Celestial Empire, or simply China, was an imperial realm that spanned much of East, North, Central, South and Southeast Asia from the 3rd century BC to the 20th century.

The Qin dynasty was the first dynasty of Imperial China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, which was a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty which had endured for over five centuries—until 221 BC, when it assumed an imperial prerogative following its complete conquest of its rival states, a state of affairs that lasted until its collapse in 206 BC. It was formally established after the conquests in 221 BC, when Ying Zheng, who had become king of the Qin state in 246, declared himself to be "Shi Huangdi", the first emperor.