Numerous cities have been the capital of China during the course of history.
- Anyang was the capital during the Yin period of Shang Dynasty
- Beijing was and has been the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Chang'an (modern day Xi'an) was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Changchun was the capital of the Manchukuo, a nominally independent puppet state set up by the Japanese in Manchuria from 1931 to 1945: called Xingjing or Tsinking (新京; xing1 jing1 "new capital")
- Chongqing City was the provisonal capital of the government of Chiang Kaishek during World War II (Second Chinese-Japanese War).
- Datong was the capital during Northern Wei Dynasty before moving to Luoyang in 493 AD.
- Hangzhou was the capital of:
- Hao was the capital during Western Zhou Dynasty.
- Jiankang (formerly Jianye) was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Kaifeng was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Luoyang was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Nanjing was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):
- Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms
- Eastern Jin Dynasty
- Song Dynasty
- Qi Dynasty,
- Liang Dynasty
- Chen Dynasty
- Taipei has been the provisional capital of the Republic of China (on Taiwan) since 1949
- Wuhan was the capital of a leftist Kuomintang government led by Wang Jingwei in opposition to Chiang Kaishek during the 1920s.
- Xi'an (see Chang'an)
- Ye was the capital of Eastern Wei Dynasty and Northern Qi Dynasty.