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The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China (traditional Chinese: 中國四大古都; simplified Chinese: 中国四大古都; pinyin: Zhōngguó Sì Dà Gǔdū) traditionally refers to Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an (Xi'an).

After the 1920s as more discoveries were made, other historical capitals were added to the list. The later phrase Seven Ancient Capitals of China included Kaifeng (added in the 1920s as the fifth ancient capital), Hangzhou (the sixth, added in the 1930s), and Anyang (after a proposal by archaeologists 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

Historical capitals in use prior to the 20th century.

Historical capitals in use from the 20th century onwards.

In alphabetical order:

• Anyang was the capital during the Yin period of the Shang Dynasty: called Yin (殷 Yīn).

• Beijing (formerly Romanized as Peking, from Chinese Postal Map Romanization (CPMR); 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): called Dàdū (大都 "great capital") in Chinese and Khanbaliq ("great residence of the Khan") in Mongolian. 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 (CPMR: 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 CPMR)

Republic of China: it was 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 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: called Dongjing (東京 Dōngjīng).

• Luoyang was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):

Eastern Zhou Dynasty

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.

Later Tang Dynasty during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

• Nanjing (formerly Romanized Nanking (CPMR) 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

Liu Song Dynasty

Southern Qi Dynasty

Liang Dynasty

Chen Dynasty

Ming Dynasty before Yongle Emperor moved the capital to Beijing.

Taiping Tianguo (Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace and Prosperity) during the Taiping Rebellion. Known as Tianjing (天京，literally 'Heavenly Capital') between 1853 and its fall in 1864.

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 de-facto capital of the Republic of China (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 AD 9

Xin Dynasty from 8 to 23

Eastern Han Dynasty

Western Jin Dynasty

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.

Western Wei Dynasty

Northern Zhou Dynasty

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

Controversy

Choosing the capital of China has always been a matter of politics over logistics. Historians have questioned why Beijing should have ever been chosen as a capital at all, even in the present day. Throughout most of China's history, the geography of the far northeastern corner of the country, with its long, harsh winters with limited agricultural possibilities, has posed serious water and food supply problems. Even with the water supply now coming from the Yangtze River--an accomplishment that has required major construction due to the river's great distance from the area--these problems remain unresolved.^[3] Furthermore, Beijing's location near China's northern frontier has also posed historical tactical disadvantages. Had the capital of the Ming Dynasty not been located there in the 17th century, the Manchu could not have attacked it so easily, taking over and establishing the last Chinese dynasty.^[3] China's main food source has always been in the southern region of the country. Therefore, due to its smaller distance from the main food source, the preferred capital has always been Nanjing.^[3]

References

See also

List of current and former capitals of subnational entities of China