In this article, we will explore the topic of Historical capitals of China in depth, examining its origins, its impact on contemporary society and its relevance in different areas of daily life. In order to better understand this phenomenon, we will delve into its history, analyze different perspectives and give a voice to experts in the field. Throughout these pages, I invite the reader to reflect on Historical capitals of China from various perspectives and to question their own preconceived ideas about it. I hope that this article proves to be a source of knowledge and inspiration, and that it contributes to enriching the dialogue around Historical capitals of China.
This is a list of historical capitals of China.
There are traditionally four major historical capitals of China referred to as the "Four Great Ancient Capitals of China" (simplified Chinese: 中国四大古都; traditional Chinese: 中國四大古都; pinyin: Zhōngguó Sì Dà Gǔ Dū). The four are Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang and Xi'an (Chang'an).
Dynasty / Government | Capital | Period | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors | Nüwa | |||
Youchao | ||||
Suiren | ||||
Zhurong | ||||
Fuxi | Chen 陳 |
c. 2852–2737 BC | ||
Shennong / Yan Emperor | Lu 魯 |
c. 2737–2699 BC | ||
Yellow Emperor | Xuanyuan 軒轅 |
c. 2699–2588 BC | ||
Taihao | Wanqiu 宛丘 |
|||
Shaohao | Qiongsang 窮桑 |
c. 2587–2491 BC | ||
Gonggong | ||||
Zhuanxu | Gaoyang 高陽 |
c. 2490 BC – 25th century BC | ||
Diqiu 帝丘 |
c. 25th century BC – 2413 BC | |||
Ku | Diqiu 帝丘 |
c. 2412 BC – 24th century BC | ||
Bo 亳 |
c. 24th century BC – 2343 BC | |||
Zhi | Qinghua 清化 |
c. 2343–2333 BC | ||
Yao | Pingyang 平陽 |
c. 2333–2234 BC | ||
Shun | Puban 蒲坂 |
c. 2233–2184 BC | ||
Xia dynasty | Daxia 大夏 |
Gun | ||
Song 崇 |
||||
Yangcheng 陽城 |
Yu | |||
Yangzhai 陽翟 |
Yu, Qi, Taikang | |||
Chu 鉏 |
Hou Yi | |||
Qiongshi 窮石 |
Hou Yi, Hanzhuo | |||
Zhen 斟 |
Taikang, Zhongkang | |||
Diqiu 帝丘 |
Xiang, Shaokang | |||
Yuan 原 |
Zhu | |||
Laoqiu 老丘 |
Zhu to Jiong | |||
Xihe 西河 |
Jin to Fa | |||
Zhen 斟 |
Jie | |||
Henan 河南 |
Jie | |||
Shang dynasty | Bo 亳 |
Tang | ||
Fan 蕃 |
Xie | |||
Dishi 砥石 |
Zhaoming | |||
Shang 商 |
Zhaoming | |||
Shangqiu 商邱 |
Xiangtu | |||
Foot of Mount Tai 泰山麓 |
Xiangtu | |||
Shangqiu 商邱 |
Xiangtu | |||
Yin 殷 |
Shanghou | |||
Shangqiu 商邱 |
Yinhou | |||
Bo "西"亳 |
Tang | |||
Xiao 囂 |
Zhongding | |||
Xiang 相 |
Hedanjia | |||
Xing 邢 |
Zuyi | |||
Bi 庇 |
Zuyi | |||
Yan 奄 |
Nangeng | |||
Yin 殷 |
Pangeng | |||
Zhou dynasty | Western Zhou | Zongzhou 宗周 |
1046 BC – 771 BC | Western capital |
Chengzhou 成周 |
1039 BC – 771 BC | Eastern capital(auxiliary capital) | ||
Eastern Zhou | Chengzhou 成周 |
770 BC – 367 BC | ||
Henan 河南 |
367 BC – 256 BC | capital of the Western Zhou State | ||
Gong 鞏 |
367 BC – 249 BC | capital of the Eastern Zhou State | ||
Qin dynasty | Xiquanqiu 西犬丘 |
|||
Pingyang 平陽 |
– 677 BC | |||
Yong 雍 |
677 BC – | |||
Jingyang 涇陽 |
– 383 BC | |||
Yueyang 櫟陽 |
383 BC – 250 BC | |||
Xianyang 咸陽 |
350 BC – 207 BC | |||
Han dynasty | Western Han | Luoyang 雒陽 |
202 BC | |
Yueyang 櫟陽 |
202 BC – 200 BC | |||
Chang'an 長安 |
200 BC – 8 BC | |||
Xin dynasty | Chang'an 常安 |
AD 8–23 | ||
Han dynasty | Eastern Han | Luoyang 雒陽 |
AD 25–190 | |
Chang'an 長安 |
191–195 | |||
Xu 許 |
196–220 | |||
Three Kingdoms period | Cao Wei | Luoyang 洛陽 |
220–265 | |
Shu Han | Chengdu 成都 |
221–263 | ||
Eastern Wu | Jianye 建業 |
227–279 | ||
Jin dynasty | Western Jin | Luoyang 洛陽 |
265–313 | |
Chang'an 長安 |
313–316 | |||
Eastern Jin | Jiankang 建康 |
317–420 | ||
Northern dynasties | Northern Wei | Pingcheng 平城 |
386–493 | |
Luoyang 洛陽 |
493–534 | |||
Eastern Wei | Ye 鄴 |
534–550 | ||
Western Wei | Chang'an 長安 |
535–557 | ||
Northern Qi | Ye 鄴 |
550–577 | ||
Northern Zhou | Chang'an 長安 |
557–581 | ||
Southern dynasties | Liu Song | Jiankang 建康 |
420–479 | |
Southern Qi | Jiankang 建康 |
479–502 | ||
Liang dynasty | Jiankang 建康 |
502–557 | ||
Chen dynasty | Jiankang 建康 |
557–589 | ||
Sui dynasty | Daxing 大興 |
581–618 | auxiliary capital (605-618) | |
Dongdu 東都 |
605–618 | |||
Tang dynasty | Chang'an 長安 |
618–690 | ||
Luoyang 洛陽 |
657–690 | auxiliary capital | ||
Wu Zhou | Luoyang 洛陽 |
690–705 | ||
Tang dynasty (restored) |
Chang'an 長安 |
705–904 | ||
Luoyang 洛陽 |
705–736 | auxiliary capital | ||
Luoyang 洛陽 |
904–907 | |||
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period | Later Liang | Dongdu 東都 |
907–923 | |
Later Tang | Dongdu 東都 |
923–936 | ||
Later Jin | Dongjing 東京 |
936–947 | ||
Later Han | Dongjing 東京 |
947–950 | ||
Later Zhou | Dongjing 東京 |
951–960 | ||
Song dynasty | Northern Song | Dongjing 東京 |
960–1127 | |
Southern Song | Nanjing 南京 |
1127–1129 | After the fall of Dongjing, Zhao Gou declares himself emperor in Henan | |
Yangzhou 楊州 |
1129–1130 | Flight of Emperor Gaozong during the Jin invasion of the Yangtze Delta in 1129–1130. | ||
Zhenjiang 鎮江 | ||||
Lin'an 臨安 | ||||
Yuezhou 越州 | ||||
Mingzhou 明州 | ||||
Dinghai 定海 | ||||
Off the coast Taizhou, Wenzhou "海上朝廷" | ||||
Zhang'an 章安 | ||||
Yuezhou 越州 | ||||
Lin'an 臨安 |
1130–1276 | Song court settles in Lin'an for 146 years | ||
Fuzhou 福州 |
1276–1277 | Flight of Emperor Duanzong along the southeast coast following the fall of Lin'an in 1276. | ||
Guangzhou 廣州 |
1277–1278 | |||
Guanfuchang 官富場 |
1278 | |||
Gangzhou 碙州 |
Emperor Bingzong succeeds Duanzong on Lantau Island in modern Hong Kong | |||
Yashan 涯山 |
1278–1279 | Song court makes last stand off the coast of Yashan | ||
Liao dynasty | Shangjing 上京 |
907–1120 | ||
Nanjing 南京 |
1122–1123 | |||
Western Liao | Emin 葉密立 |
1132–1134 | ||
Balasagun 虎思斡耳朵 |
1134–1218 | |||
Jin dynasty | Shangjing 上京 |
1115–1153 | ||
Zhongdu 中都 |
1153–1214 | |||
Nanjing 南京 |
1214–1234 | |||
Western Xia | Xingqing 興慶 |
1038–1227 | ||
Yuan dynasty | Shangdu 上都 |
May 1264 – 1267 | ||
Dadu 大都 |
1267 – August 1368 | |||
Northern Yuan | Shangdu 上都 |
August 1368 – 1369 | ||
Yingchang 應昌 |
1369–1370 | |||
Karakorum 哈拉和林 |
1371–1388 | |||
Ming dynasty | Nanjing 南京 |
23 January 1368 – 2 February 1421 | ||
Beijing 北京 |
2 February 1421 – 25 April 1644 | |||
Southern Ming | Nanjing 南京 |
1644 – 1645 | ||
Fuzhou 福州 |
1645 – 1646 | |||
Guangzhou 廣州 |
1646 – 1647 | |||
Zhaoqing 肇慶 |
1646 – 25 April 1662 | |||
Later Jin | Fe Ala 費阿拉 |
1587–1603 | ||
Hetu Ala 赫圖阿拉 |
1603–1619 | |||
Jiefan 界凡 |
1619 – September 1620 | |||
Sarhu 薩爾滸 |
September 1620 – April 1621 | |||
Dongjing 東京 |
April 1621 – 11 April 1625 | |||
Shengjing 盛京 |
11 April 1625 – 1636 | |||
Qing dynasty | Shengjing 盛京 |
1636 – 30 October 1644 | ||
Beijing 北京 |
30 October 1644 – 12 February 1912 | |||
Republic of China | Nanjing 南京 |
1 January 1912 – 2 April 1912 | Provisional Government | |
Beijing 北京 |
2 April 1912 – 30 May 1928 | Beiyang government | ||
Fengtian 奉天 |
30 May 1928 – 29 December 1928 | Beiyang government | ||
Guangzhou 廣州 |
1 July 1925 – 21 February 1927 | Guangzhou Nationalist Government | ||
Wuhan 武漢 |
21 February 1927 – 19 August 1927 | Wuhan Nationalist Government | ||
Nanjing 南京 |
18 April 1927 – 20 November 1937 | the Nanjing decade | ||
Luoyang 洛陽 |
29 Jan 1932 – 1 December 1932 | |||
Beijing 北平 |
9 September 1930 – 23 September 1930 | Beiping Nationalist Government | ||
Taiyuan 太原 |
23 September 1930 – 4 November 1930 | Beiping Nationalist Government | ||
Guangzhou 廣州 |
28 May 1931 – 22 December 1931 | Guangzhou Nationalist Government | ||
Chongqing 重慶 |
21 November 1937 – 5 May 1946 | during the Second Sino-Japanese War | ||
Nanjing 南京 |
30 March 1940 – 10 August 1945 | Wang Jingwei Government | ||
Nanjing 南京 |
5 May 1946 – 1 May 1991 | From 23 April 1949 to 1 May 1991, Nanjing was the claimed capital of the Republic of China | ||
Guangzhou 廣州 |
23 April 1949 – 14 October 1949 | during the Chinese Civil War | ||
Chongqing 重慶 |
14 October 1949 – 30 November 1949 | during the Chinese Civil War | ||
Chengdu 成都 |
30 November 1949 – 27 December 1949 | during the Chinese Civil War | ||
Xichang 西昌 |
27 December 1949 – 27 March 1950 | during the Chinese Civil War | ||
Taipei 台北 |
10 December 1949 – Present | Established as capital following the Republic of China retreat to Taiwan | ||
Chinese Soviet Republic People's Republic of China |
Ruijin 瑞金 |
7 November 1931 – 10 October 1934 | Establishments of the Chinese Soviet Republic | |
Bao'an 保安 |
July 1936 – January 1937 | From 1934 to 1936, the Long March occurred. | ||
Yan'an 延安 |
January 1937 – 22 September 1937 | CSR dissolves in the midst of the formation of the Second United Front | ||
Beijing 北京 |
1 October 1949 – Present |