The Northern and Southern Dynasties Era was a period in the history of China that lasted roughly from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous time of the Sixteen Kingdoms 十六国 and the Wu Hu 五胡 states. It is sometimes considered as the latter part of a longer period names the Six Dynasties 六朝 (c. 220 to c. 589 AD). Though an age of civil war and political chaos, it was also a time of flourishing arts and culture, advancement in technology, and the spreading of Mahayana Buddhism as well as religious Daoism. The period saw large-scale migrations of Han Chinese 汉族 to the lands south of the Yangtze. This period came to an end with the unification of all of China proper by Emperor Wen 隋文帝 of the Sui Dynasty 隋朝.