The so-called Peking Man, discovered in 1923-27 at Zhoukoudian, near Beijing, is perhaps the most famous specimen of Homo erectus found in China.

More recently, the finds have been dated from roughly five hundred thousand years ago, although a new ²⁶Al/¹⁰Be dating suggests the remains may be as much as six hundred and eighty thousand to seven hundred and eighty thousand years old.

Homo erectus, long settled in sparse communities throughout East Asia, probably becomes extinct in China before 200,000 BCE, evidently replaced by Homo sapiens.

Fully advanced humans, sometimes referred to as Upper Cave people, hunt, fish, and produce shell and bone artifacts near Beijing (Peking) by about 25,000 BCE.

Shang influence, though not political control, extends as far northeast as modern Beijing, where early pre-Yan culture shows evidence of Shang material culture.

At least one burial in this region during the Early Shang period contains both Shang-style bronzes and local-style gold jewelry.

The discovery of a Chenggu-style ge dagger-ax at Xiaohenan demonstrates that even at this early stage of Chinese history, there is some level of connection between the distant areas of north China.

Liu Xiu is forced to withdraw to the northern city of Jicheng (in modern Beijing).

Emperor Gengshi puts Liu Xiu in charge of the region north of the Yellow River and creates him the Prince of Xiao, but Liu Xiu, still aware that he is not truly trusted and secretly angry about his brother's death, secretly plans to depart from Emperor Gengshi's rule.

He begins to strip other Emperor Gengshi-commissioned generals of their powers and troops, and concentrates the troops under his own command.

Peng Chong, who had by this point been aggravated by Emperor Guangwu's official Zhu Fu into rebellion (in a rare case of a succession of wrong decisions by Emperor Guangwu—mistakes that he learns from and will not repeat), claims the title of the Prince of Yan and controls the modern Beijing region.

Peng's slaves assassinate him in CE 29, leading to a collapse of his regime.

The Xianbei people, a federation of sizable non-Han groups of which the most important is the Tuoba, had first become a significant part of Chinese culture during the Han Dynasty, during which they had occupied the steppes in Mongolia, Hebei and Liaodong.

After the fall of the Han dynasty in 220, the Xianbei had formed a number of empires of their own, including the Yan Dynasty, Western Qin, Southern Liang and most significantly, the Northern Wei.

The Sixteen Kingdoms, or less commonly the Sixteen States, refers to a collection of numerous short-lived sovereignties in China proper and neighboring areas from 304 to 439 after the retreat of the Jin Dynasty (265-420) to South China and before the establishment of the Northern Dynasties.

Almost all rulers of the kingdoms are part of the Wu Hu ethnicity and claim to be the emperors and wangs (kings).

The Han Chinese had founded four of these states: Northern Yan, Western Liang, Former Liang, and the state of Wei.

(The Northern Wei Dynasty is not counted as one of the Sixteen Kingdoms even though it is founded during the Period.)

Feng Ba, formally Wencheng, an emperor (but using the title "Heavenly Prince": Tian Wang) of the Chinese state Northern Yan, had become emperor after Gao Yun (Emperor Huiyi), whom he supported in a 407 coup that overthrew Murong Xi of Later Yan, was assassinated in 409.

During his reign, Northern Yan has largely maintained its territorial integrity but made no headway against the much stronger rival Northern Wei.

He is said to have had more than 100 sons.

In 426, Feng Ba's crown prince Feng Yong dies, and he creates another son, Feng Yi, crown prince.

Seriously ill in 430, Feng Ba issues an edict transferring authority to Feng Yi.

However, Feng Ba's favorite concubine Consort Song wants to have her son Feng Shouju inherit the throne, and therefore tells Feng Yi that Feng Ba will soon recover and that he should not be so anxious to take over authority; Feng Yi agrees and withdraws to his palace.

Consort Song then falsely issues orders in Feng Ba's name cutting off communications with the outside, and Feng Yi and Feng Ba's other sons, as well as imperial officials, are not allowed to see Feng Ba.

Only one of her trusted officials, Hu Fu, is able to enter the palace to be in charge of security.

However, Hu is secretly resentful of Consort Song's ambitions, and he informs Feng Ba’s brother Feng Hong, who is prime minister, of her intentions.

Feng Hong immediately attacks the palace and seizes control.

Feng Ba, hearing of this, dies in shock.

Feng Hong now takes the throne himself as Emperor Zhaocheng and, after defeating Feng Yi's troops, slaughters all of Feng Ba's sons.

The Northern Yan state is subject to incessant attacks by the neighboring rival Northern Wei, and becomes particularly true after Northern Wei annexes all of the territory of Xia in 431 and therefore no longer has a major western rival to deal with.

Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei makes periodic attacks to pillage Northern Yan territory and then withdraws, draining Northern Yan of food supplies and other resources and weakening it.

While Feng Hong had been the Duke of Zhongshan, his wife had been Lady Wang, who bore him at least three sons, Feng Chong, Feng Lang, and Feng Miao.

However, in 431, Feng Hong, now emperor, creates Lady Murong his princess instead.