Four Great Ancient Capitals of China

As one of the four ancient civilizations, China experienced many replacements of dynasties and capitals in ancient times. The four ancient capitals of Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Xi'an are always shining in China's historical sky.

Beijing

  • Chinese: 北京(Běijīng); it was also previously known as Yandu(燕都, Yāndū) and Peping (北平, Bĕipíng)
  • Location: Beijing is located at the northern tip of the North China Plain, adjacent to Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province.

Fact:

Among the four ancient capitals, Beijing was more like a youth with its history of 800 years. There are some typical ancient Chinese architectural structures in Beijing: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven. In the 11th century, Beijing was chosen as the capital of China for the first time. Beijing was the ancient capital of six dynasties:

  • The State of Yan(11th century BC – 222 BC); it was called Ji(蓟, Jì) in the Spring and Autumn Period
  • The Liao Dynasty(907–1125), when it was called Yanjing(燕京, Yānjīng)
  • The Jin Dynasty(1115–1234), when it was called Zhongdu(中都, Zhōngdū)
  • The Yuan Dynasty(1271–1368), when it was called Dadu(大都, Dàdū)
  • The Ming Dynasty(1368–1644), when it was called Shuntian Prefecture(顺天府, Shùntiānfŭ)
  • The Qing Dynasty(1644–1912)
china The Tiananmen Square

Recommended Activities

  • Climbing the Great Wall. As Chairman Mao said, "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man". It's a must-see attraction in Beijing with majestic architecture, a colorful history, and a beautiful natural landscape.
  • Exploring the mysterious royal lifestyle by visiting the Forbidden City. It will be a busy day for dynastic enthusiasts to discover the largest imperial palace in the world.
  • Wandering through the old traditional hutongs and feeling the breath of old Beijing. The most authentic Beijing is hidden in the hutongs. Try to slow your pace and understand the city by following your heart.
  • Tasting the most popular food in Beijing. There are many famous foods in Beijing, such as Beijing Roast Duck, dumplings, Rolling Donkey, and instant boiled mutton.
  • Watching the flag-raising ceremony at Tian'anmen Square.

Recommended Beijing Tours

Luoyang

  • Chinese: 洛阳(Luòyáng); it was previously known as Luoyi and Luozhou
  • Location: Luoyang is located in the west of Henan Province, and is in the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River, which is known as the 'mother river of China'.

Fact

As one of the cradles of Chinese civilization, Luoyang has 1,500 years of historyand105 emperors chose it as their capital. Although it's a small city, the history goes back even further than that of Nanjing and Beijing. Luoyang was the ancient capital of 13 dynasties:

  • The Xia Dynasty(c. 2070–1600 BC)
  • The Shang Dynasty(c. 1600–1046 BC)
  • The Western Zhou Dynasty(1045–771 BC)
  • The Eastern Zhou Dynasty(770–256 BC)
  • The Eastern Han Dynasty(25–220)
  • The State of Cao Wei(220–266)
  • The Western Jin Dynasty(265–316 BC)
  • The Northern Wei Dynasty(386–534)
  • The Sui Dynasty(581–618)
  • The Tang Dynasty(618–907)
  • Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty(690–705)
  • The Later Liang Dynasty(907–923)
  • The Later Tang Dynasty(923–936)
china The Longmen Grottoes

Recommended Activities

  • Going to the Longmen Grottoes to admire the statues of Buddha. These statues represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.
  • Exploring a piece of history at White Horse Temple. The temple was constructed in 68 AD during the Eastern Han Dynasty(25–220). It has a history of thousands of years and it's a famous Buddhist temple in the world.
  • Admiring the peonies at Wangcheng Park. It covers an area of 39 hectares and there are more than 840 kinds of peonies in the park.
  • Our recommended One-day Luoyang Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple Tour.

Xi'an

  • Chinese: 西安(Xīān);it was also previously known as Changan and Fengyuan
  • Location: Xi'an is located in the west of China and the center of Guanzhong Plain.

Fact

Known as one of the most important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, Xi'an is also the original starting point of the Silk Road. The most glorious days in Chinese history occurred in the city and it was a home to emperors and poets. It was the capital of13 dynasties:

  • The Western Zhou Dynasty(1045–771 BC)
  • The Qin Dynasty(221–206 BC)
  • The Western Han Dynasty(206 BC –9 AD)
  • The Xin Dynasty(9–23)
  • The Eastern Han Dynasty(25–220)
  • The Western Jin Dynasty(266–316 BC)
  • The Former Zhao Dynasty(318–329)
  • The Former Qin Dynasty(351–394)
  • The Later Qin Dynasty(384–417)
  • The Western Wei Dynasty(535–557)
  • The Northern Zhou Dynasty(557–581)
  • The Sui Dynasty(581–618)
  • The Tang Dynasty(618–907)
china The Terracotta Army

Recommended Activities

  • Climbing Big Wild Goose Pagoda to view the city of Xi'an. It's a holy place for Buddhists and it attracts numerous visitors from all over the world.
  • Going to Shaanxi History Museum and exploring 10,000 years of history. It will always be regarded as "the pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures".
  • Visiting the magnificent Terracotta Army. It is the biggest ancient burial site in existence. Discover the hidden stories and ancient Chinese culture behind the statues.
  • Going to Muslim Street to enjoy the delicious food. Taste the popular local food, such as roujiamo(肉夹馍, ròujīamó).
  • Climbing Mount Huashan and watching the sunrise. Mount Huashan is famous for its natural scenery with steep and narrow paths and a high mountain range.

Recommended Xi'an Tours

  • This is a 1-day Xi'an tour to uncover the amazing history and vivid stories behind the terracotta figures

Nanjing

  • Chinese: 南京(Nánjīng); it was previously known as Jinling and Yingtian 
  • Location: Nanjing is located in the east of China, and it is in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Fact

Nanjing means "Southern Capital". For a long time in history, it was the political and cultural center in the south of China. Nanjing has 6,000 years of history and it was an important birthplace of Chinese civilization. Abundant historical records will certainly take you on an exciting journey. There were six dynasties at the time when it was known as Jianye (建业, Jiànyè) or Jiankang (建康,Jiànkāng):

  • The Eastern Wu Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms Period(229–265 and 266–280)
  • The Eastern Jin Dynasty(317–420)
  • The Liu Song Dynasty(420–479)
  • The Southern Qi Dynasty(479–502)
  • The Liang Dynasty(502–557)
  • The Chen Dynasty(557–589)
china The Qinhuai River

Recommended Activities

  • Enjoying a nighttime stroll by the side of the Qinhuai River. It's romantic to take an evening stroll by the side of the famous river, which is known as the 'life blood' of the city.
  • Walking around a famous Chinese educator's and philosopher's temple —the Confucius Temple(夫子庙, fūzĭmiào).
  • Visiting Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum. Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) was a great forerunner of the Chinese democratic revolution.
  • Visiting the Presidential Palace. It was built in the Ming Dynasty(1368–1644) as a royal residence, and it's used as a museum today.

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