Numerous cities have been the
capital of China during the course of history.
- Beijing was and has been the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- State of Yan[?] in Spring and Autumn Period: called Ji (薊 ji4)
- Liao Dynasty, as a secondary capital: called Yanjing (燕京 yan4 jing1 "city of Yan")
- Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) from Jin Shi Zong[?] until 1220s (1217?): called Zhongdu (中都 zhong1 du1 "central city")
- Yuan Dynasty: called Dadu (大都 da4 du1 "great city")
- Ming Dynasty since Yongle Emperor of China: called Jingshi (京師 jing1 shi1 "metropolis")
- Qing Dynasty since the fall of Ming in 1644.
- the current capital of the People's Republic of China
- Chang'an (modern day Xi'an) was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Western Han Dynasty, from 206 BC to AD 9.
- Western Wei Dynasty[?] and Northern Zhou Dynasty[?]
- Sui Dynasty
- Tang Dynasty
- capital of the Wu Yue Kingdom[?] (904-978), during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
- China during the Southern Song[?]
- Jiankang (formerly Jianye) was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Three Kingdoms
- Six Dynasty
- Kaifeng was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Later Liang Dynasty[?] during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- Later Jin Dynasty[?] during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- Later Han Dynasty[?] during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- Later Zhou Dynasty[?] during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- Northern Song Dynasty
- Luoyang was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Eastern Zhou Dynasty
- Eastern Han Dynasty from AD 25 to AD 220.
- Kingdom of Wei[?] during the Three Kingdoms.
- Western Jin Dynasty
- Northern Wei Dynasty since 493 AD, moved its capital from Datong.
- Later Tang Dynasty[?] during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- Nanjing was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- all of the Six Dynasties:
- Kingdom of Wu[?] during the Three Kingdoms
- Eastern Jin Dynasty
- Song Dynasty
- Qi Dynasty,
- Liang Dynasty[?]
- Chen Dynasty[?]
- Ming Dynasty before Yongle Emperor moved the capital to Beijing.
- Republic of China after the Northern Expedition until the Japanese invasion in 1937 of WWII, and after the war until Chiang Kai-Shek retreated to Taiwan in 1949.
- collaborationist government of Wang Jingwei
The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China (中国四大古都 pinyin zhong1 guo2 si4 da4 gu3 du1) refers to Nanjing, Beijing, Xi'an, and Luoyang.