Despite this longevity, during the second half of the Zhou period, China descended into centuries of political turmoil, with the feudal lords of numerous small fiefdoms vying for power during the Spring and Autumn Period, and later stabilized into seven large states in the Warring States period. It was also the longest-ruling dynasty in Chinese history, lasting about 800 years. The Zhou adopted a decentralized system of government, in which the feudal lords ruled over their respective territories with a high degree of autonomy, even maintaining their own armies, while at the same time paying tribute to the king and recognizing him as the symbolic ruler of China. The Shang Dynasty, China's first historically confirmed dynasty, and the Zhou Dynasty ruled across the Yellow River basin. Nevertheless, archaeological evidence has shown that at the very least, an early-bronze-age Chinese civilization had developed by the period described. The Xia Dynasty was the first dynasty to be described in ancient historical chronicles, though to date, no concrete proof of its existence has been found. The recorded history of Chinese civilization can be traced to the Yellow River valley, said to be the 'cradle of Chinese civilization'. The depth and complexity of the Chinese civilization, with its rich heritage, has fascinated Westerners such as Marco Polo and Gottfried Leibniz through the Silk Road and more ways of culture exchange in centuries past, and will continue to excite - and bewilder - the traveler today. Through the recent economic boom initiated by the reforms of Deng Xiaoping, China is once again one of the leading nations in the world, buoyed by its large, industrious population and abundant natural resources. The roughly 5000-year-old Chinese civilization has endured through millennia of tumultuous upheaval and revolutions, periods of golden ages and anarchy alike. I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there." - Confucius Understand "I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge. For Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, please see their respective articles. This number of neighboring states is equaled only by China's vast neighbor to the north, Russia. With coasts on the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, it borders 14 nations ( Afghanistan, Pakistan (through the disputed territory of Kashmir), India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam to the south Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to the west Russia and Mongolia to the north and North Korea to the east). Map of the People's Republic of China's territorial claimsĬhina (中国 Zhōngguó), officially known as the Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó) is a huge country in Eastern Asia (about the same size as the United States of America) with the world's largest population. 7.1 English and other foreign language speakers.5.1.1 Visa-free stopover via international airports.