| Dynasty | Duration | Capital | Present Location | |
| Xia | circa 2146-1675 BC | Anyi | Shanxi Province, Xia County | |
| Shang① | circa 1675-1029 BC | Bo | Henan Province, Shangqiu | |
| Zhou | Western Zhou | circa 1029-771 BC② | Haojing | Shaanxi Province, Xi'an |
| Eastern Zhou | 770-256 BC | Luoyang | Henan Province, Luoyang | |
| Qin | 221-207 BC | Xianyang | Shaanxi Province, Xianyang | |
| Han | Western Han③ | 206 BC—25 AD | Chang'an | Shaanxi Province, Xi'an |
| Eastern Han | 25—220 AD | Luoyang | Henan Province, Luoyang | |
| Three Kingdoms | Wei | 220-265 AD | Luoyang | Henan Province, Luoyang |
| Shu | 221-263 AD | Chengdu | Sichuan Province, Chengdu | |
| Wu | 222-280 AD | Jianye | Jiangsu Province, Nanjing | |
| Western Jin | 265-317 AD | Luoyang | Henan Province, Luoyang | |
| Eastern Jin Sixteen Kingdoms | Eastern Jin | 317-420 AD | Jiankang | Jiangsu Province, Nanjing |
| Sixteen Kingdoms④ | 304-439 AD | — | — | |
| Southern Dynasties | Song | 420-479 AD | Jiankang | Jiangsu Province, Nanjing |
| Qi | 479-502 AD | Jiankang | Jiangsu Province, Nanjing | |
| Liang | 502-557 AD | Jiankang | Jiangsu Province, Nanjing | |
| Chen | 557-589 AD | Jiankang | Jiangsu Province, Nanjing | |
| Northern Dynasties | Northern Wei | 386-534 AD | Pingcheng | Shanxi Province, Datong |
| Luoyang | Henan Province, Luoyang | |||
| Eastern Wei | 534-550 AD | Ye | Hebei Province, Linzhang | |
| Northern Qi | 550-577 AD | Ye | Hebei Province, Linzhang | |
| Western Wei | 535-557 | Chang'an | Shaanxi Province, Xi'an | |
| Northern Zhou | 557-581 | Chang'an | Shaanxi Province, Xi'an | |
| Sui | 581-618 | Daxing | Shaanxi Province, Xi'an | |
| Tang | 618-907 | Chang'an | Shaanxi Province, Xi'an | |
| Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms | Later Liang | 907-923 | Bian | Henan Province, Kaifeng |
| Later Tang | 923-936 | Luoyang | Henan Province, Luoyang | |
| Later Jin | 936-946 | Bian | Henan Province, Kaifeng | |
| Later Han | 947-950 | Bian | Henan Province, Kaifeng | |
| Later Zhou | 951-960 | Bian | Henan Province, Kaifeng | |
| Ten Kingdoms⑤ | 902-979 | — | — | |
| Song | Northern Song | 960-1127 | Kaifeng | Henan Province, Kaifeng |
| Southern Song | 1127-1279 | Lin'an | Zhejiang Province, Lin'an | |
| Liao | 907-1125 | Huangdu (Shangjing) | Liaoning Province Balinzuoqi | |
| Western Xia | 1038-1227 | Xingqingfu | Ningxia, Yinchuan | |
| Jin | 1115-1234 | Huining | Acheng (Heilongjiang) | |
| Central Capital | Beijing | |||
| Kaifeng | Henan Province, Kaifeng | |||
| Yuan | 1206-1368 | Dadu | Beijing | |
| Ming | 1368-1644 | Beijing | Beijing | |
| Qing | 1616-1911 | Beijing | Beijing | |
| Republic of China | 1912-1949 | Nanjing | Jiangsu Province, Nanjing | |
| The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949, with Beijing as the capital. | ||||
Chinese historical dynasty time query table: the start and end time of Chinese dynasties, the location of the capital, and the corresponding place name of the capital today
① Around the 14th century BC, Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin, and thereafter Shang also became Yin
② 841 BC (the first year of the Western Zhou Gonghe period) is the beginning of the exact chronology of Chinese history
③ Including the "new" dynasty established by Wang Mang (8-23 AD). During Wang Mang's period, a large-scale peasant uprising broke out and a peasant regime was established. In 23 AD, the new Wang Mang regime perished. In 25 AD, the Eastern Han Dynasty was established.
④ During this period, in northern my country, there were several feudal regimes, including: Han (Former Zhao), Cheng (Chenghan), Former Liang, Later Zhao (Wei), Former Yan, Former Qin, Later Yan, Later Qin, Western Qin, Later Liang, Southern Liang, Northern Liang, Southern Yan, Western Liang, Northern Yan, Xia, etc., which were historically called the "Sixteen Kingdoms"
⑤ During this period, in addition to Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou, there were also several feudal regimes, including: Wu, Former Shu, Wuyue, Chu, Fujian, Southern Han, Jingnan (Nanping), Later Shu, Southern Tang, Northern Han, etc., which were historically called the "Ten Kingdoms"