Historical capitals of China

China has had many important cities that were its capital over thousands of years. These cities were centers of power, culture, and trade for different ruling dynasties. Today, they help us learn about China’s rich history.

One of the most famous historical capitals is Xi'an. It was the capital for 13 different dynasties, including the important Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties. Xi'an was known by different names such as Chang'an, Fenghao, and Daxing during various times.

Traditionally, China has five major historical capitals, often linked to the cardinal directions. Besides Xi'an, these include Luoyang as the central capital, Nanjing as the southern capital, Kaifeng as the eastern capital, and Beijing as the northern capital. Each of these cities played an important role during different times in Chinese history.

List of historical capitals of China

Sorted in alphabetical order

• Acheng District of the city of Harbin was the capital of the Jin dynasty from 1115 to 1153. It was called Shangjing (上京; Shàngjīng; 'Upper Capital') or Huining Prefecture at the time.

• Anyang was the capital of the Shang dynasty (1600 BC – 1046 BC) at its peak.

• Balasagun in modern Kyrgyzstan was the capital of the Western Liao dynasty from 1134 to 1218.

• Beijing (also romanized Peking), literally meaning "Northern Capital", previously also known as Beiping, was the capital of various dynasties and regional regimes, including:

• The state of Yan (11th century BC – 222 BC) in the Zhou dynasty.

• The short-lived regional kingdom of Yan (911–914) established by Liu Shouguang during Five Dynasties period.

• The Liao dynasty (907–1125), when it was a secondary capital called Yanjing (燕京; Yānjīng; 'Capital of Yan').

• The Jurchen-led Jin dynasty, from the 1160s to 1215, when it was called Zhongdu (中都; Zhōngdū; 'Central Capital').

• The Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), when it was called Dadu (大都; Dàdū; 'Great Capital') in Chinese, Daidu in Mongolian, and Khanbaliq ("city of the Khan") in Mongolian and Turkic languages.

• The Ming dynasty, from 1403 to 1644.

• The Qing dynasty, from 1644 to 1912.

• The Beiyang government of the Republic of China, from 1912 to 1927.

• The People's Republic of China since 1949.

• Changchun was the capital of Japanese puppet state Manchukuo during the Japanese occupation, then named Xinjing (新京; Japanese: Shinkyō, Mandarin: Xīnjīng, literally "New Capital").

• Chengde was the summer residence and capital of the Qing dynasty from 1703 to 1820.

• Chengdu was the capital city of various regional kingdoms in ancient China:

• State of Shu in Warring States period

• Shu Han (AD 221–263) during the Three Kingdoms period

• Kingdom of Cheng-Han during Eastern Jin period

• Qiao Shu, a short-lived kingdom during Eastern Jin period

• The kingdom of Li Shu, a short-lived regime established by Wang Xiaobo and Li Shun during Song dynasty

• Former Shu, one of Ten Kingdoms between Tang and Song dynasties

• Later Shu, one of Ten Kingdoms between Tang and Song dynasties

• Da Xi established by Zhang Xianzhong during the transition between Ming and Qing dynasties

• It was also briefly the seat of the Nationalist government of the Republic of China in late 1949 towards the end of the Chinese Civil War.

• Chongqing was the capital city of Ba State during Warring States period. Chongqing was also the provisional capital of the Nationalist government of the Republic of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), and briefly the seat of the Nationalist government in late 1949 towards the end of the Chinese Civil War.

• Datong was the capital of the Northern Wei dynasty from 398 to 493.

• Emin was briefly the capital of the Western Liao dynasty from 1132 to 1134.

• Fenghao, comprising of the twin cities of Fengjing and Haojing, was the capital of the Western Zhou dynasty.

• Fuzhou was briefly the capital of the Southern Ming dynasty from 1645 to 1646.

• Guangzhou (also romanized Canton) was the capital of:

• Nanyue Kingdom (204–111 BC).

• Southern Ming dynasty from 1646 to 1647.

• Nationalist government of the Republic of China, before 1928 and in 1949 towards the end of the Chinese Civil War.

• Hangzhou was the capital of:

• Wuyue Kingdom (907–978) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

• Southern Song dynasty, from 1127^: 67  to 1276, when it was called Lin'an (临安; 臨安; Lín'ān).

• Kaifeng was the capital of various dynasties, including:

• The state of Wei (443 BC – 225 BC) in the Zhou dynasty, when it was called Daliang.

• Later Liang dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, from AD 913 to 923.

• Later Jin dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, in AD 937.

• Later Han dynasty (AD 947–951) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

• Later Zhou dynasty (AD 951–960) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

• Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), when it was called Bianjing (汴京; Biànjīng).

• Karakorum in modern Mongolia was the capital of the Northern Yuan dynasty from 1371 to 1388.

• Luoyang was the capital of various dynasties, including:

• The Eastern Zhou dynasty, from 510 BC to 314 BC.

• The Eastern Han dynasty from AD 25 to 190 and then briefly in AD 196.

• The Cao Wei (AD 220–265) during the Three Kingdoms period.

• The Western Jin dynasty, from AD 265 to 311.

• The Northern Wei dynasty from AD 493 to 534.

• The Wu Zhou from AD 690 to 705.

• The Later Tang dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, from AD 923 to 936.

• The Later Liang dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, from AD 907 to 913.

• Nanjing (also romanized Nanking), literally meaning "Southern Capital", was the capital of various dynasties and governments, including:

• All the Six Dynasties from AD 220 to 589, when Nanjing was called Jianye (建業; Jiànyè) or Jiankang (建康; Jiànkāng).

• The Southern Tang dynasty (AD 937–976) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, when it was called Jiangning Prefecture (江宁府; 江寧府; Jiāngníng Fǔ)

• The Ming dynasty, from 1368 to 1644, when it was also called Yingtian Prefecture (应天府; 應天府; Yìngtiān Fǔ)

• The Southern Ming dynasty from 1644 to 1645.

• The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864) during the Taiping Rebellion in the Qing dynasty, when it was called Tianjing (天京; Tiānjīng; 'Heavenly Capital').

• The Nationalist government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1949.

• Ruijin in Jiangxi province was the capital of the self-declared Chinese Soviet Republic from 1931 to 1934.

• Shaoguan, then known in English as Kukong, was the temporary capital of Nationalist-controlled areas of Guangdong province during the Sino-Japanese war, after the fall of Guangzhou.

• Shenyang in the northeastern province of Liaoning, previously also known as Shengjing (盛京; Shèngjīng; 'Prosperous Capital') or Mukden, briefly served as the capital of the Manchu Later Jin, the predecessor of the Qing dynasty, from 1625 until Qing occupation of Beijing in 1644.

• Taipei in Taiwan has been the de facto capital and the seat of the Government of the Republic of China since the retreat of the Nationalist Government to the island in 1949 at the end of the Chinese Civil War.

• Tongwancheng was the capital of the Hu Xia dynasty from 419 to 427.

• Wuhan was the capital of a government formed in 1927 by Wang Jingwei and leftist members of the Kuomintang, who opposed the Nationalist government led by Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek.

• **Xanadu / Shangdu (上都; Shàngdū; 'Upper Capital'), located northwest of present-day Dolon Nor in Inner Mongolia, China, was the summer capital of the Yuan dynasty. After the fall of the Yuan dynasty, it briefly became the capital of the Northern Yuan dynasty between 1368 and 1369.

• Xi'an (also romanized Sian), previously usually called Chang'an, and including its surrounding areas in present-day Shaanxi Province, was the capital of various dynasties, including:

• The Western Zhou dynasty, from around 1046 BC to 771 BC. See also Fenghao.

• The state of Qin (9th century  BC – 221 BC) and the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). The Qin capital, called Xianyang (simplified Chinese: 咸阳; traditional Chinese: 咸陽; pinyin: Xiányáng), was located near present-day Xi'an.

• The Western Han dynasty, from 206 BC to AD 9.

• The Xin dynasty (AD 9–23), referred as Chang'an (常安; Cháng'ān; 'perpetually safe')

• The Eastern Han dynasty, from AD 190 to 195.

• The Western Jin dynasty, from AD 312 to 316.

• The state of Former Zhao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, from AD 318 to 329.

• The State of Former Qin during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, from AD 351 to 385.

• The State of Later Qin during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, from AD 384 to 417.

• The Western Wei dynasty (AD 535–557)

• The Northern Zhou dynasty (AD 557–581)

• The Sui dynasty, from AD 581 to 605, referred to as Daxing (大兴; 大興; Dàxīng; 'Great Prosperity')

• The Tang dynasty, from AD 618 to 684, and then from AD 705 to 904.

• Ye (邺; 鄴; Yè), located within the present-day city of Handan, was the capital city of several of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Eastern Jin period. It was also the capital of two major northern dynasties in Southern and Northern dynasties period: Eastern Wei dynasty (534–550), and the Northern Qi dynasty (550–577).

• Yinchuan was the capital of the Tangut Western Xia from 1038 to 1227, when it was called Xingqing (simplified Chinese: 兴庆; traditional Chinese: 興慶; pinyin: Xīngqìng).

• Yingchang was briefly the capital of the Northern Yuan dynasty from 1369 to 1370.

• Zhaoge was the secondary capital city during last years of Shang dynasty when it was ruled by the final monarch King Zhou. Later, it was the capital city of Wey state during the Eastern Zhou period.

• Zhaoqing was the capital of the Southern Ming dynasty from 1646 to 1662.

!Beijing

Beijing

!Nanjing

Nanjing

!Luoyang

Luoyang

!Chang'an

Chang'an

!Kaifeng

Kaifeng

!Hangzhou

Hangzhou

!Anyang

Anyang

!Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou

Legend: "Four Great Ancient Capitals", "Eight Great Ancient Capitals".

Chronology