In ancient China, large canals for river transport were established as far back as the Warring States ( 481 – 221 BC ), the longest one of that period being the Hong Gou ( Canal of the Wild Geese ), which according to the ancient historian Sima Qian connected the old states of Song, Zhang, Chen, Cai, Cao, and Wei.

Wang Lequan, Wang Zhaoguo, Hui Liangyu, Liu Qi, Liu Yunshan, Li Changchun, Wu Yi, Wu Bangguo, Wu Guanzheng, Zhang Lichang, Zhang Dejiang, Luo Gan, Zhou Yongkang, Hu Jintao, Yu Zhengsheng, He Guoqiang, Jia Qinglin, Guo Boxiong, Cao Gangchuan, Zeng Qinghong, Zeng Peiyan, Wen Jiabao.

* Zhang Miao ( defeated by Cao Cao )

* Cao Zhang, Chinese general, son of Cao Cao ( d. 223 )

* Zhang He, general under Cao Cao ( d. 231 )

In 194, Cao Cao went to war with Tao Qian of Xu Province, because Tao's subordinate Zhang Kai had murdered Cao Cao's father Cao Song.

Liu Bei, together with his followers Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, fled to Cao Cao, who accepted him.

* Zhang He, military leader under Cao Cao ( b. 167 )

* Zhang Xiu, minor warlord who later served Cao Cao

Zhang Hong, whom Sun Ce had earlier sent as a liaison to the warlord Cao Cao, also returned from Cao's domain to assist Sun Quan.

After Cao Cao reunified the north in 208, his son proclaimed the Wei dynasty in 220.

* 226 – Cao Pi dies after an illness ; his son Cao Rui succeeds him as emperor of the Kingdom of Wei.

* Cao Ang, eldest son of Cao Cao ( d. 197 )

After Cao Cao's death in AD 220, his son Cao Pi became emperor of Wei.

After Yuan died, Cao killed Yuan Shao's son Yuan Tan ( 173 – 205 CE ), who had fought with his brothers over the family inheritance.

By December his son Cao Pi ( 187 – 226 CE ) had Emperor Xian relinquish the throne to him and is known posthumously as Emperor Wen of Wei.

* Cao Zhi, Chinese poet, also younger brother of Cao Pi and son of the powerful warlord Cao Cao.

Since he was the son of Cao Cao, he was often forced to kill and go to battle.

* Cao Chong, favorite son of the warlord Cao Cao ( d. 208 )

* Cao Ang, first son of Cao Cao ( b. 175 )

* 1461 – The Ming Dynasty Chinese military general Cao Qin stages a coup against the Tianshun Emperor.

* Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, general and prime minister of South Vietnam

* August 7 – The Ming Dynasty Chinese military general Cao Qin stages a coup against the Tianshun Emperor ; after setting fire to the eastern and western gates of the Imperial City ( Beijing ) ( which are doused by pouring rains during the day-long uprising ), Cao Qin finds himself hemmed in on all sides by imperial forces, loses three of his own brothers in the fight, and instead of facing execution he flees to his home in the city and commits suicide by jumping down a well located within his walled compound.

** Cao Qin, Chinese general and rebel of the Ming Dynasty

* Ling Cao, general under Sun Ce and father of Ling Tong ( killed by pirate Gan Ning )

* Cao Shuang, general of Wei

* The Cao Wei general Sima Yi destroys the outlying northeastern Chinese warlord Gongsun Yuan in his Liaodong campaign.

* Cao Hong, general of the Kingdom of Wei during the Three Kingdoms era

* Cao Hong, general of Cao Wei

* Deng Ai, general of the Cao Wei

* Cao Bao, general under Tao Qian of the Han Dynasty

* Cao Zhen, general of Kingdom of Wei ( b. 185 )

* Zang Ba, general of Tao Qian, Lü Bu, and Cao Cao

* Cao Chun, general under Cao Cao ( b. 170 )

* Han Hao, general under Cao Cao

Capitals: of Cao Wei and Western Jin, Luoyang ; of Shu Han, Chengdu ; of Eastern Wu and Eastern Jin, Jiankang ; of Western Jin, Chang ' an

The Cao Wei empire is established.

* 265 – Sima Yan, the successor to his father Sima Zhao as the Cao Wei regent, forces Cao Huan to abdicated the throne and establishes the Jin Dynasty.

* 265: The Jin Dynasty is founded when the overthow of the Cao Wei Dynasty by Sima Yan.

* Cao Cao, founding emperor of the Kingdom of Wei

* Wang Can, Chinese poet, scholar, and statesman of Cao Wei ( b. 177 )

* Wu Zhi, adviser under Cao Pi of the Kingdom of Wei

* Future Emperor of Cao Wei, Cao Fang, is instated as the Prince of Qi.

* Empress Wende, empress of Cao Wei ( b. 184 )

It began when the ruler of Wei, Cao Cao, was defeated by Liu Bei and Sun Quan at the Battle of Red Cliffs.

* Ma Jun, a Chinese mechanical engineer from Cao Wei, invents the South Pointing Chariot, a path-finding directional compass vehicle that uses a differential gear, not magnetics.

* Cao Rui, emperor of the Kingdom of Wei ( approximate date ) ( d. 239 )

* Guanqiu Jian of Cao Wei invades Goguryeo, devastating their capital.

* Cao Huan, last emperor of the Kingdom of Wei ( possible date ) ( d. 302 )