Historic capitals of China
China has had many capital cities throughout its history. In particular, some of the Shang and all of the Xia dynasties are not yet clearly identifiable. In fact, they only exist in literature. On the other hand, there are also archaeological sites that must have been capital cities, such as Erlitou , but where it cannot be determined what exactly they are in the history of China.
Map with the presumed Xia capitals 
Map of some capital cities before the 20th century 
Map of capitals in the 20th century
The four great historical capitals of China
Among the many capitals of China, however, four main cities stand out, which are referred to as the four Great Historical Capitals of China (中国 四大 古都; 中國 四大 古都; Zhōngguó Sì Dà Gǔ Dū). These are:
- Beijing (Peking), in German: "Northern Capital"
- Nanjing (Nanking), in German: "Southern Capital"
- Luoyang , in German: "North of the Luo in Shaanxi "
- Chang'an (Xi'an), in German: "Everlasting Peace"
Chronological list of capitals of China
See also
literature
- Alfred Schinz: The Magic Square - Cities in Ancient China. Edition Axel Menges , Stuttgart / London 1996, ISBN 3-930698-02-1 .
Map with all linked sites: