The Change Dynasty is English-language nomenclature referring to the first decade of the new millennium (2000-
2010) in China, which was the nation’
s most rapid period of progress and development in 5,000 years of
history.
The term is a homage to dynastic imperial eras, i.e. Qing Dynasty, but is not derived from the name of any ruling class, but rather from the
dramatic modernization and hyper urbanization that occurred throughout China after the new millennium, reaching its zenith in 2008 before finally slowing down again.
The term "Change Dynasty" is a neologism directly attributable to, and first seen in print in, the book CHINA: Portrait of a People (
Tom Carter, 2008), which features in part a series of contrasting photographs of ancient tenements juxtaposed against modern steel-and-
glass skyscrapers.
