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中國國都表
Table of Chinese Capitals

Notice: This page will get updated once the Table of Dynasties is reasonably complete. The goal is to have this happen by January 2004.

The Chinese phrase "Four Great Ancient Capitals of China (中國四大古都)" refers to Nanjing, Beijing, Xi'an and Luoyang. However, some sources refer to six classical capitals.

North-to-south capital movements
When the capital of a dynasty or state is threatened or conquered by invaders, the government nearly always moves the capital south. The only time in Chinese history that the imperial capital was moved from south to north during a time of peace for the same dynasty was when the 永樂 Yongle emperor of the 明 Ming dynasty moved from 南京 Nanjing to 北京 Beijing in 1421.


Present-day Capital City Dynasty/Kingdom Time Period Name at the Time Years
台北 Taipei,
province-level municipality of the ROC,
formerly the capital of 台灣省 Taiwan Province
中華民國(台灣) Republic of China (on Taiwan)


December 8, 1949 - present


台北 Taipei


53+

北京 Beijing,
province-level municipality of the PRC,
formerly part of 河北省 Hebei Province






燕 Yan (戰國時代 Warring States Period)
遼 Liao (Khitan)
金 Jin (Juchen)
元 Yuan (Mongol)
明 Ming
清 Qing (Manchu)
中華民國 Republic of China
中華人民共和國 People's Republic of China
until 222 BC
916 - 1125
11?? - 1214
1279 - 1368
1421 - 1644
1644 - 1912
1912 - 1928
October 1, 1949 - present
薊 Ji
燕京 Yanjing
中都 Zhongdu
大都 Dadu
京師 Jingshi
北京 Beijing
北京 Beijing
北京 Beijing
850+








Historical Capital City Dynasty/Kingdom Time Period Name at the Time Years
西安 Xi'an,
present-day capital of 陜西省 Shaanxi Province






西周 Western Zhou
西漢 Western Han
新 Xin
西魏 Western Wei (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
北周 Northern Zhou (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
隋 Sui
唐 Tang
1122 BC - 771 BC
206 BC - AD 9
AD 9 - AD 25
535 - 556
557 - 581
581 - 618
618 - 907
鎬京 Haojing
長安 Chang'an
長安 Chang'an
長安 Chang'an
長安 Chang'an
長安 Chang'an
長安 Chang'an
953





洛陽 Luoyang,
in 河南省 Henan Province





東周 Eastern Zhou
東漢 Eastern Han
魏 Wei (三國 Three Kingdoms)
西晉 Western Jin
北魏 Northern (Later) Wei (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
後唐 Later Tang (五代 Five Dynasties in the North)
771 BC - 255 BC
25 - 220?
220? - 265
265 - 316
493 - 534/535
923 - 936
Chengzhou
洛陽 Luoyang
洛陽 Luoyang
洛陽 Luoyang
洛陽 Luoyang
洛陽 Luoyang
862




南京 Nanjing,
present-day capital of 江蘇省 Jiangsu Province
Still the official capital of 中華民國 Republic of China







吳 Wu (三國 Three Kingdoms)
東晉 Eastern Jin
劉宋 Liu Song (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
南齊 Southern Qi (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
南梁 Southern Liang (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
南陳 Southern Chen (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
明 Ming
太平天國 Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
中華民國(國民政府) Republic of China (Nationalist Government)
222 - 280
317 - 420
420 - 479
479 - 502
502 - 557
557 - 589
1368 - 1421
1853 - 1864
1928 - 1937, 1945 - 1949
建業 Jianye
建康 Jiankang
建康 Jiankang
建康 Jiankang
建康 Jiankang
建康 Jiankang
Yingtian?
天京 Tianjing
南京 Nanjing
407







開封 Kaifeng,
in 河南省 Henan Province






魏 Wei (戰國時代 Warring States Period)
後梁 Later Liang (五代 Five Dynasties in the North)
後晉 Later Jin (五代 Five Dynasties in the North)
後漢 Later Han (五代 Five Dynasties in the North)
後周 Later Zhou (五代 Five Dynasties in the North)
北宋 Northern Song
金 Jin (Juchen)
364 BC - 225 BC
907 - 923
936 - 946/947
947 - 950/951
951 - 960
960 - 1127
1214 - 1234
大梁 Daliang
汴京 Bianjing
汴京 Bianjing
汴京 Bianjing
汴京 Bianjing
汴京 Bianjing
??
227+





杭州 Hangzhou,
present-day capital of 浙江省 Zhejiang Province
吳越 Wu Yue (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)
南宋 Southern Song
907 - 978
1127 - 1279
杭州 Hangzhou
臨安 Lin'an
223
重親 Chongqing,
province-level municipality of the PRC,
formerly part of 四川省 Sichuan Province
中華民國(國民政府) Republic of China (Nationalist Government)


1937 - 1945


重親 Chongqing


8


長春 Changchun,
present-day capital of 吉林省 Jilin Province
滿州國 Manchukuo

1931 - 1945

新京 Xinjing

14

瑞金 Ruijin,
in 江西省 Jiangxi Province
中華蘇維埃共和國 Chinese Soviet Republic

1931 - 1934

瑞金 Ruijin

3

瀋陽 Shenyang,
present-day capital of 遼寧省 Liaoning Province

後金 Later Jin (Manchu)

清 Qing (Manchu)
1625 - 1636

1636 - 1644
瀋陽 Shenyang, 1625 - 1634
盛京 Shengjing, 1634 - 1636
盛京 Shengjing
咸陽 Xianyang,
in 陜西省 Shaanxi Province
秦 Qin

221 BC - 206 BC

咸陽 Xianyang

成都 Chengdu,
present-day capital of 四川省 Sichuan Province

蜀漢 Shu Han (三國 Three Kingdoms)
前蜀 Former Shu (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)
後蜀 Later Shu (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)
221 - 263
907 - 925
934 - 965
成都 Chengdu
成都 Chengdu
成都 Chengdu
揚州 Yangzhou,
in 江蘇省 Jiangsu Province
吳 Wu (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)

902 - 937

江都 Jiangdu

南昌 Nanchang,
present-day capital of 江西省 Jiangxi Province
南唐 Southern Tang (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)

937 - 975/976

南昌 Nanchang

荊州 Jingzhou,
in 湖北省 Hubei Province
南平 Southern Ping (荊南 Jingnan) (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)

924/925 - 963

江陵 Jiangling

長沙 Changsha,
present-day capital of 湖南省 Hunan Province
楚 Chu (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)

927 - 951

長沙 Changsha

福州 Fuzhou,
present-day capital of 福建省 Fujian Province
閺 Min (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)

909 - 945/946

福州 Fuzhou

廣州 Guangzhou,
present-day capital of 廣東省 Guangdong Province
南漢 Southern Han (十國 Ten Kingdoms in the South)

917 - 971

興王 Xingwang

大同 Datong,
in 山西省 Shanxi Province
北魏 Northern (Later) Wei (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)

386 - 493

平城 Pingcheng

Ye,
in 河北省 Hebei Province
東魏 Eastern Wei (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
北齊 Northern Qi (南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties)
534 - 550
550 - 577
鄴 Ye
鄴 Ye
,
in









Last modified on June 1, 2004.