Historical capitals of China

China History Maps - BC 221-206 Qin / Ch'in

src: www.globalsecurity.org

There are traditionally four historical capitals of China, collectively referred to as the "Four Great Ancient Capitals of China" (??????; ??????; Zh?ngguó Sì Dà G? D?). The four are Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang and Xi'an (Chang'an).

Video Historical capitals of China

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 (??; Shàngj?ng; "Upper Capital") or Huining Prefecture at the time. It was destroyed in 1157 and reestablished as a secondary capital in 1173.
Anyang was the capital of the Shang dynasty (1600 BC - 1046 BC) at its peak. It was called Yin (?; Y?n).
Beijing (also romanised 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 Spring and Autumn period, when it was called Ji (?; ?; Jì).
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 (??; Y?nj?ng; "Capital of Yan").
The Jurchen Jin dynasty, from the 1160s to 1215, when it was called Zhongdu ("Central Capital").
The Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), when it was called Dadu (??; Dàd?; "Great Capital") in Chinese, Daidu (direct translation from Chinese) in Mongolian, and Khanbaliq ("city of the Khan") in the Turkic languages. Marco Polo called it Cambuluc.
The Ming dynasty, from 1403 to 1644, when it was called Shuntian Prefecture (???; ???; Shùnti?n F?) and then later simply as Jingshi (??; ??; J?ngsh?; "Capital").
The Qing dynasty, from 1644 to 1912.
The Beiyang government of the Republic of China, from 1912 to 1927.
The capital of the People's Republic of China since 1949.

Changchun or (Shinjin) was the capital of Manchuria during the Japanese occupation in WWII.
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 (The Great West kingdom) established by Zhang Xianzhong during the transition time 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 (also romanised Chungking) was the capital city of Ba State during Warring States period. Ming Yuzhen, the rebellion leader during the transition time between Yuan and Ming dynasties, established the Xia kingdom and set the capital city in Chongqing. 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 AD 398 to 493.
Guangzhou (also romanised Canton) was the capital of:

The Nanyue Kingdom (204-111 BC). More specifically, the Nanyue capital was in Guangzhou's Panyu District.
The Nationalist government of the Republic of China, before 1928, and in 1949 towards the end of the Chinese Civil War.

Hangzhou (also romanised Hangchou or Hangchow) was the capital of:

The Wuyue Kingdom (907-978) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
The Southern Song dynasty, from 1127 to 1276, when it was called Lin'an (??; ??; Lín'?n).

Fenghao, located near present-day Xi'an, was the capital of the Western Zhou dynasty from 1046 BC to 771 BC.
Kaifeng was the capital of various dynasties, including:

The Later Liang dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, from AD 913 to 923.
The Later Jin dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, in AD 937.
The Later Han dynasty (AD 947-951) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
The Later Zhou dynasty (AD 951-960) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
The Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), when it was called Bianjing (??; Biànj?ng).

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 state of 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.
Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty 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 romanised Nanking), literally meaning "Southern Capital", was the capital of various dynasties and governments, including:

All the Six Dynasties from AD 220 to 589, when it was called Jianye (??; Jiànyè) or Jiankang (??; Jiànk?ng). The Six Dynasties were:

Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, from AD 229 to 265, and then from AD 266 to 280.
Eastern Jin dynasty, from AD 317 to 420.
Liu Song dynasty (AD 420-479)
Southern Qi dynasty (AD 479-502)
Liang dynasty, from AD 502 to 552, and then from AD 555 to 557.
Chen dynasty (AD 557-589)

The Southern Tang dynasty (AD 937-976) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
The Ming dynasty, from 1368 to 1644, when it was called Yingtian Prefecture (???; ???; Yìngti?n F?)
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851-1864) during the Taiping Rebellion in the Qing dynasty, when it was called Tianjing (??; Ti?nj?ng; "Heavenly Capital").
The Nationalist government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1937, and then de jure from 1946 to 1991 (de facto from 1946 to 1949).
The Reorganised National Government of the Republic of China (1940-1945), a pro-Japanese collaborationist government headed by Wang Jingwei during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Taipei in Taiwan has been the de facto capital of the Republic of China since 1949.
Wuhan was the capital of a government formed by Wang Jingwei and leftist members of the Kuomintang in 1927. It opposed the Nationalist government led by Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek.
Xanadu/Shangdu (??; Shàngd?; "Upper Capital"), located northwest of present-day Dolon Nor in Inner Mongolia, was the summer capital of the Yuan dynasty. It was destroyed in 1369.
Xi'an (also romanised Sian), previously 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: ??; traditional Chinese: ??; pinyin: Xiányáng), was located near present-day Xi'an. It was destroyed in 206 BC.
The Western Han dynasty, from 206 BC to AD 9.
The Xin dynasty (AD 9-23)
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.
The Tang dynasty, from AD 618 to 684, and then from AD 705 to 904.

Ye, located within the present-day city of Handan, was one of secondary capital cities of Cao Wei (220-265), and the capital city of several regional kingdoms during Eastern Jin period: Later Zhao (319-351), Ran Wei (350-352) and Former Yan (337-370). It was also the capital city of two major 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 Western Xia from 1038 to 1227, when it was called Xingqing (simplified Chinese: ??; traditional Chinese: ??; pinyin: X?ngqìng).
Zhaoge was the secondary capital city during last years of Shang dynasty when it was ruled by King Zhou. Later, it was the capital city of Wey during the Eastern Zhou period.