Silk Road gateway and Tang dynasty showpiece. Today’s Xi’an keeps the grid of Chang’an, the Muslim Quarter, and emperor mausoleums within day-trip range.
China Ancient Capital Society · 1988 designation
China’s Ten Great Ancient Capitals
Xi’an, Luoyang, Beijing, Nanjing, Kaifeng, Hangzhou, Anyang, Zhengzhou, Datong, and Chengdu are officially recognised as China’s “十大古都”. Each city anchored a different era—from Shang bronze foundries to the cosmopolitan Tang empire. Use this cheat sheet to understand why they matter and jump straight into our modern travel playbooks.
City gallery
From Imperial Axes to Digital Skylines
Birthplace of paper and home to the Longmen Grottoes. Luoyang cycled through 13 dynastic courts and still stages the Peony Festival each April.
Imperial city of the Forbidden City and Great Wall passes. Modern Beijing blends hutong heritage with Olympic-era infrastructure.
“Stone City” on the Yangtze, capital for Wu, Eastern Jin, Southern dynasties, early Ming, and the ROC. City walls and presidential palace anchor the story.
Known as Bianjing, Kaifeng reinvented urban nightlife and restaurant culture. The Song dynasty scroll “Along the River During Qingming Festival” captures its bustle.
West Lake diplomacy hub where the Southern Song court retreated. Tea terraces, canals, and digital economy HQs make Hangzhou a hybrid of old and new.
Archaeology reveals massive bronze casting workshops and city walls. Today Zhengzhou anchors Henan’s high-speed rail starburst.
Steppe court fused with Han artisans to carve the Yungang Grottoes. Datong today is a base for coal-belt heritage and hanging temples.
A 2,300-year-old grid that powered Shu Han’s salt and silk. Chengdu continues to lead Sichuan cuisine, teahouse culture, and tech migration.
Oracle bones, bronze ritual sets, and the earliest verified Chinese writing systems come from Anyang’s Yinxu site.
City guide coming soon
Read the UNESCO profile →
Interactive Map
Plot the Ten Ancient Capitals on Today’s China
Zoom or pan to see how the dynastic powerhouses cluster along the Yellow River plain and the Yangtze Delta. Tap a marker to jump into our modern city guide—perfect for stitching multi-city heritage routes.
Legend
- Ancient capital marker
- Modern national capital spotlight
Dynasties at a glance
Use this table to brief clients, pitch culture-led itineraries, or position event launches around the right historic narrative.
| City | Dynasties / States | Signature heritage | Modern travel hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xi’an | Zhou · Qin · Han · Sui · Tang | Terracotta Army, Daming Palace, Silk Road origins | HSR gateway to northwest deserts, Muslim Quarter food tours |
| Luoyang | Eastern Han · Cao Wei · Jin · Northern Wei · Sui | Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, peony gardens | Easy split-trip with Zhengzhou or Xi’an |
| Beijing | Yuan · Ming · Qing | Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, imperial canals | Capital events, Winter Olympics legacies, Michelin boom |
| Nanjing | Eastern Wu · Eastern Jin · Southern Dynasties · Early Ming · ROC | City Wall, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Qinhuai nightlife | Yangtze Delta layovers, cultural festivals, university conferences |
| Kaifeng | Later Liang–Later Zhou · Northern Song | Iron Pagoda, Dragon Pavilion, Song Dynasty theme park | Henan heritage loops with Shaolin and Luoyang |
| Hangzhou | Wuyue · Southern Song | West Lake, Grand Canal terminus, silk workshops | Digital economy HQ, G20 legacy venues, tea trails |
| Zhengzhou | Erligang Shang · State of Zheng/Han | Shang city walls, bronze foundries, Yellow River museum | Rail hub for Shaolin, Luoyang, Kaifeng triangle |
| Datong | Northern Wei (Pingcheng) | Yungang Grottoes, Nine-Dragon Screen, Shanxi fortifications | Coal arts regeneration, Great Wall frontier trekking |
| Chengdu | Shu Han · Later Shu · Mengchang | Dujiangyan Irrigation, Wuhou Shrine, Jinsha Sun Bird | Gourmet capital, panda research base, tech migration |
| Anyang | Late Shang (Yin) | Oracle bones, Fu Hao tomb, UNESCO-listed Yinxu | Pair with Zhengzhou for Bronze Age focus; city guide in production |
Turn history into itineraries
Build themed trips that pair museum stops with food and nightlife. Our city pages track visas, transport, and booking apps in real time.
Heads-up: Anyang’s dedicated city page is underway. Until it launches, use Zhengzhou as your logistics base for site inspections at Yinxu.