How Far Are We Away from the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties

The remote Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties were often referred to as the Three Dynasties in historical documents. The demise of the Zhou Dynasty was 2,250 years away before the present; the Shang Dynasty came to its end about 3,000 years ago, according to the general chronicle; the Xia Dynasty perished about 3,600 years ago. And the establishment of the Xia Dynasty was 4,100 to 4,200 years earlier than the present. As individuals, we cannot even recall the experiences in our childhood, not to mention the names of our ancestors before the generation of great-grandfather. The Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties are too far away from us, just like the nebulae beyond the galaxy.