What name is commonly given to the 2015–2016 collapse in Chinese share prices after a rapid market boom?

The 2015–2016 collapse in Chinese share prices after a rapid market boom is commonly called the 2015–2016 Chinese stock market crash.

China’s mainland stock markets rose dramatically from mid-2014 into June 2015, fueled partly by retail participation, margin borrowing, and expectations of continued economic growth. The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index reached 5,178.19 on June 12, 2015. It then fell sharply as leveraged investors sold and confidence weakened.

Authorities responded with trading restrictions, state-supported purchases, investigations, and limits on some forms of selling. On August 24 and 25, 2015, the Shanghai index fell especially heavily, while global markets also experienced turbulence. A renewed worldwide sell-off occurred in early 2016.

The episode is sometimes reduced to a single “Black Monday,” but it lasted many months. It also did not represent the collapse of China’s entire economy: official growth continued, even as financial-market volatility and concerns about debt became international issues.