The Western Zhou Period (1045–770)

the king of the Zhou tribe who was called Zhou Wu attacked the last king of the Shang Dynasty and became the first Zhou emperor.

The Zhou Dynasty is said to have been initially strong. The ruling clan's name was Ji. But over time, as the territory grew, local rulers became more powerful. It is thought that the Zhou Empire was initially politically centralized over a small territory around the Yellow River. But as the empire expanded in size, various strong clans emerged and expanded their territories over time.

In 771 BC, after King You replaced his wife with a concubine, the capital was attacked by his wife's father who ruled a region called Shen and by a nomadic tribe called the Quanrong. The rulers of several of the regions in the empire proclaimed the queen's son who was named Ji Yijiu to be the new king.

The capital was moved eastward in 770 BC from Haojing in Xi'an to Luoyang in present-day Henan Province. The sack of the king and the change of capital mark the end of the rule of the Ji clan over the whole region. After 771, the Zhou Dynasty became the nominal leading clan.

In the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an, vessels and tools from the Western Zhou era are displayed. China Highlight's Xi'an tours, almost without exception, include a visit to the museum.