The Six Dynasties period (222-589), specifically referring to the series of dynasties that had their capital at Jiankang (modern-day Nanjing): Wu, Eastern Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Southern Liang, and Southern Chen.

A collective name for a series of northern dynasties: Wei, Jin, Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, and Sui.

The historical period from the Three Kingdoms to the Sui unification, spanning roughly three hundred years