| Dynasty | Years | Capital | Present location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xia | c. 2146–1675 BCE | Anyì | Xiàn, Shanxi | |
| Shang | c. 1675–1029 BCE | Yin | Anyang, Henan | |
| Zhou | Western Zhou c. 1029–771 BCE | Haojing | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Eastern Zhou 770–256 BCE | Luoyi | Luoyang, Henan | ||
| Spring and Autumn 770–476 BCE | - | - | ||
| Warring States 475–221 BCE | - | - | ||
| Qin | 221–207 BCE | Xianyang | Xianyang, Shaanxi | |
| Han | Western Han ⊕ 206 BCE–25 CE |
Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Eastern Han 25–220 |
Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | ||
| Three Kingdoms | Wei 220–265 |
Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |
| Shu 221–263 |
Chengdu | Chengdu, Sichuan | ||
| Wu 222–280 |
Jianye | Nanjing, Jiangsu | ||
| Western Jin | 265-317 | Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |
| Eastern Jin Sixteen Kingdoms |
Eastern Jin 317-420 |
Jianye | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Sixteen Kingdoms ⊕ 304-439 |
— | — | ||
| Southern Dynasties | Song 420-479 |
Jianye | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Qi 479-502 |
Jianye | Nanjing, Jiangsu | ||
| Liang 502-557 |
Jianye | Nanjing, Jiangsu | ||
| Chen 557-589 |
Jianye | Nanjing, Jiangsu | ||
| Northern Dynasties | Northern Wei | 386-534 | Pingcheng Luoyang |
Datong, Shanxi Luoyang, Henan |
| Eastern Wei | 534-550 | Ye | Linzhang, Hebei | |
| Northern Qi | 550-577 | Ye | Linzhang, Hebei | |
| Western Wei | 535-557 | Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Northern Zhou | 557-581 | Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Sui | 581-618 | Daxing | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Tang | 618-907 | Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms |
Later Liang | 907-923 | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan |
| Later Tang | 923-936 | Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |
| Later Jin | 936-946 | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan | |
| Later Han | 947-950 | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan | |
| Later Zhou | 951-960 | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan | |
| Ten Kingdoms ⊕ | 902-979 | — | — | |
| Song | Northern Song | 960-1127 | Kaifeng | Kaifeng, Henan |
| Southern Song | 1127-1279 | Lin'an | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | |
| Liao | 907-1125 | Dongjing (Shenyang) |
Liaoning Baolin Youqi |
|
| Western Xia | 1038-1227 | Xingqingfu | Yinchuan, Ningxia | |
| Jin | 1115-1234 | Huining | Acheng (Heilongjiang) | |
| Zhongdu | Beijing | |||
| Kaifeng | Kaifeng, Henan | |||
| Ming | 1368-1644 | Beijing | Beijing | |
| Qing | 1616-1911 | Beijing | Beijing | |
| Republic of China | 1912-1949 | Nanking | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| People's Republic of China established on October 1, 1949, with Beijing as its capital. | ||||