The Northern and Southern dynasties was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589 AD, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered to be the latter part of a longer period known as the Six Dynasties. The period featured civil war and political chaos. However, it was also a time of flourishing arts and culture, advancement in technology, and the spread of Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. The period saw large-scale migration of Han Chinese people to lands south of the Yangtze. It came to an end with the unification of China proper by Emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty in 589 AD.