Glossary

nianhao

年號

Term · calendar

The Chinese era name: years are counted within an era proclaimed by the emperor — under the Ming and Qing one era per reign, by which the emperor is known (the Qianlong Emperor). A nianhao (年號) names a span of years in China, from the reign of Emperor Wu of Han (140 BCE) to the end of the empire in 1912. Early emperors changed the era often; under the Ming (from 1368) and the Qing each emperor kept one, and is known by it: the Kangxi, Qianlong or Jiaqing Emperor. Reign marks on porcelain — “made in the Xuande reign of the Great Ming” — use these names. Japan (nengō) and Korea (reign years (Korea)) took the custom from China. On this site a Chinese date of the Ming or Qing is also given in its era.