What was the name of the 2015 Chinese stock-market crash that began after major mainland indexes peaked in June?

The 2015 Chinese stock-market crash was the market collapse that followed mainland Chinese indexes’ June 2015 peaks.

The Shanghai Composite Index reached 5,178.19 on June 12, 2015, after a powerful rally that had begun in 2014. Many individual investors participated, and substantial buying occurred with borrowed money through margin financing. When prices turned lower, forced selling and fear accelerated the decline.

By August 26, 2015, the Shanghai Composite had fallen to 2,927.29, a drop of more than 40% from its June high. Global markets also reacted, especially during the sharp worldwide sell-off in August. Chinese authorities responded with measures including trading restrictions, intervention by state-linked funds, and changes affecting initial public offerings and short selling.

The episode is sometimes confused with China’s separate currency devaluation in August 2015 or with the market turbulence of early 2016. Those events were connected through investor confidence but were not identical. The crash exposed the risks of rapid retail speculation, leveraged trading, and a market heavily influenced by government policy.