The 6th Tank Division () was formed on 10 September 1968 from the 6th Independent Tank Regiment, the 392nd Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment of the 187th Army Division, the 393rd Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment of the 188th Army Division, and the 401st Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment of the 196th Army Division.
As of 2 September 1969, the division was composed of:
On 1 September 1971, the 23rd Tank Regiment was detached and redesignated as the tank regiment of the 81st Army Division.
In March 1983, an armored infantry regiment and an artillery regiment were activated. From 1983 to 1984, the division was classified as an army tank division, catalogue B.
On 25 March 1983, the division was assigned to the 38th Army.
In early 1984, the division was reorganized as one of two combined arms army tank divisions (the other being the 3rd Tank Division): the armored infantry regiment was redesignated the mechanized infantry regiment and received a tank battalion and an additional armored infantry battalion. An antiaircraft artillery regiment was also activated.
By 1984, the division was composed of:
In 1989, the division took part in the enforcement of martial law in Beijing along with the other units of the 38th Army.
In the early 1990s, the division re-equipped with Type 88B main battle tanks.
In 1998, the division was redesignated the 6th Armored Division (). The mechanized infantry regiment was disbanded and its personnel absorbed into the tank regiments, which became armored regiments.
The 6th Armored Division was not affected by the 2011 disbandment of armored divisions and was the only armored division in the People's Liberation Army Ground Force from 2011 to 2017.
From 1998, the division was composed of:
In April 2017, the division was split into two brigades during the 2015âÂÂ2016 PLA reorganization: the 6th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade () and the 189th Medium Combined Arms Brigade ().
The 6th Armored Division Band is a volunteer garrison military band that represents the 6th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade at official ceremonies. In October 2012, the United States Army Band took part in a goodwill tour of China with the PLA Band titled Friendship and Cooperation Through Music, during which the TUSAB provided a masterclass on music to members of the 6th Armored Division Band.