Historical capitals of China
Encyclopedia : H : HI : HIS : Historical capitals of China
The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: }}}; pinyin: ) traditionally refers to Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Xi'an.
After the 1920s as more discoveries were made, other historical capitals were added to the list. The phrase Seven Ancient Capitals of China introduced later on, also include Kaifeng (added in the 1920s as the fifth ancient capital), Hangzhou (became the sixth ancient capital in the 1930s), and Anyang (after archaeologists' proposal in 1988, it became the seventh ancient capital); in 2004 the China Ancient Capital Society officially added Zhengzhou as an eighth thanks to archaeological finds there.
List of historical capitals of China
Numerous cities have been the capital of China during the course of history.
- Anyang was the capital during the Yin period of the Shang Dynasty: called Yin (殷 Yīn).
- Beijing (formerly Romanized as Peking, from Postal System Pinyin (PSP); briefly known as Peiping in Wade-Giles (WG) or Beiping in pinyin (py)) was and has been the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- :State of Yan (Yen in WG) in Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 BC): called Ji (薊 Jì).
- :Liao Dynasty (907-1125), as a secondary capital: called Yanjing (燕京 Yānjīng "capital of Yan").
- :Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) from Jin Shi Zong until 1220s (1217?): called Zhongdu (中都 Zhōngdū "central capital").
- :Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368): Khanbaliq (Mongolian: the Khan's city); translated to Chinese as Dàdū (大都 "great capital"). This was reported as Cambuluc by Marco Polo.
- :Ming Dynasty since Yongle Emperor of China (1402/1424-1644): called Jīngshī (京師 "capital").
- :Qing Dynasty since the fall of Ming in 1644 to the end of the Empire in 1912.
- :The Beiyang Government of the Republic of China.
- :The current capital of the People's Republic of China.
- Chengdu (WG: Ch'eng-tu) was the capital of the Shu Kingdom during the period of the Three Kingdoms. It was briefly the seat of Chiang's ROC government during the Chinese civil war with the Communist Party of China.
- Chongqing (PSP: Chungking) was the provisional capital of the government of Chiang Kai-shek during World War II (Second Chinese-Japanese War), and was briefly the seat of Chiang's ROC government during the Chinese civil war with the Communist Party of China.
- Datong (WG: Ta-t'ong) was the capital during Northern Wei Dynasty before moving to Luoyang in 493.
- Guangzhou (formerly Romanized Canton from PSP)
- : The Nanyue (207 BC - 110 BC): it was known as Pun Yue (番禺)
- : The Southern Han (917 - 971): it was known as Pun Yue (番禺)
- :Republic of China: it was the seat of the National Government before the Northern Expedition, and was briefly the seat of Chiang's ROC government during the Chinese civil war with the Communist Party of China.
- Hangzhou (also Hangchou or Hangchow) was the capital of:
- :The Wuyue Kingdom (904-978), during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.
- :China during the Southern Song Dynasty: called Lin'an (臨安 Lín'ān).
- Hao was the capital during Western Zhou Dynasty, located near present day Xi'an.
- Kaifeng was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- :Later Zhou Dynasty during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
- :Northern Song Dynasty: called Dongjing (東京 Dōngjīng).
- Luoyang was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- :Eastern Han Dynasty from 25 to 220
- :Kingdom of Wei during the Three Kingdoms.
- :Western Jin Dynasty
- :Northern Wei Dynasty since 493, moved its capital from Datong.
- Nanjing (formerly Romanized Nanking (PSP) or Nanching in WG) was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- :all of the Six Dynasties: called Jianye (建業 Jiànyè) or Jiankang (建康 Jiànkāng). The Six Dynasties are:
- ::Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms.
- ::Eastern Jin 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.
- :Wang Jingwei's pro-Japanese collaborationist government.
- Taipei has been the capital of the Republic of China (on Taiwan) since 1949.
- Wuhan was the capital of a leftist Kuomintang government led by Wang Jingwei in opposition to Chiang Kaishek during the 1920s.
- Xanadu (Shangdu) (上都) was the summer capital of Kublai Khan's empire.
- Xi'an (WG: Hsi'an; called Chang'an in ancient times) was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- :Western Zhou Dynasty, also see Hao.
- :State of Qin in Spring and Autumn Period and Qin Dynasty 221 BC-207 BC: Xi'an is located near the Qin capital which is called Xianyang (咸陽 Xiányáng).
- :Western Han Dynasty from 206 BC to 9 AD
- :Xin Dynasty from 8 AD to 23 AD
- :State of Former Zhao, a state in the Sixteen Kingdoms period during the chinese Jin Dynasty (265-420).
- :State of Former Qin from 351 to 394, from the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
- :State of Later Qin from 384 to 417, from the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
- :Sui Dynasty from 581 to 618
- :Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907
- Ye was the capital of Eastern Wei Dynasty and Northern Qi Dynasty.
Chronology
| Government | Capital | When |
|---|---|---|
| Western Zhou Dynasty | Hao (鎬) | 1122 BC?—771 BC |
| Eastern Zhou Dynasty | Luoyang (洛陽) | 770 BC—256 BC |
| Qin Dynasty | Xianyang (咸陽) | 221 BC—206 BC |
| Western Han Dynasty | Chang'an (長安) | 206 BC—AD 9 |
| Xin Dynasty | Chang'an (長安) | 8—23 |
| Eastern Han Dynasty | Luoyang (洛陽) | 25—220 |
| Western Jin Dynasty | Luoyang (洛陽) | 265—316 |
| Eastern Jin Dynasty | Jiankang (建康) | 317—420 |
| Sui Dynasty | Daxing (大興) | 581—618 |
| Tang Dynasty | Chang'an (長安) | 618—907 |
| Northern Song Dynasty | Kaifeng (開封) | 960—1127 |
| Southern Song Dynasty | Lin'an (臨安) | 1127—1279 |
| Yuan Dynasty | Khanbaliq (大都) | 1264—1368 |
| Ming Dynasty | Nanjing (南京) | 1368—1420 |
| Beijing (北京) | 1420—1644 | |
| Qing Dynasty | Beijing (北京) | 1644—1911 |
| Republic of China | Beijing (北京) | 1912—1928 |
| Nanjing (南京) | 1928—1937 | |
| Wuhan (武漢) | 1937 (wartime) | |
| Chongqing (重慶) | 1937—1945 (wartime) | |
| Nanjing (南京) | 1945—1949 | |
| Guangzhou (廣州) | 1949 (during Chinese Civil War) | |
| Chongqing (重慶) | 1949 (during Chinese Civil War) | |
| Taipei (臺北) | 1949—present | |
| People's Republic of China | Beijing (北京) | 1949—present |
See also
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