| Dynasty | Period | Capital | Present Location | |
| Xia | Approx. 2146-1675 BC | Anyi | Xia County, Shanxi | |
| Shang① | Approx. 1675-1029 BC | Bo | Shangqiu, Henan | |
| Zhou | Western Zhou | Approx. 1029-771 BC② | Haojing | Xi'an, Shaanxi |
| Eastern Zhou | 770-256 BC | Luoyi | Luoyang, Henan | |
| Qin | 221-207 BC | Xianyang | Xianyang, Shaanxi | |
| Han | Western Han③ | 206 BC — 25 AD | Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi |
| Eastern Han | 25—220 AD | Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |
| Three Kingdoms | Wei | 220-265 AD | Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan |
| Shu | 221-263 AD | Chengdu | Chengdu, Sichuan | |
| Wu | 222-280 AD | Jianye | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Western Jin | 265-317 AD | Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |
| Eastern Jin Sixteen Kingdoms | Eastern Jin | 317-420 AD | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu |
| Sixteen Kingdoms④ | 304-439 AD | — | — | |
| Southern Dynasties | Song | 420-479 AD | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu |
| Qi | 479-502 AD | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Liang | 502-557 AD | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Chen | 557-589 AD | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Northern Dynasties | Northern Wei | 386-534 AD | Pingcheng | Datong, Shanxi |
| Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |||
| Eastern Wei | 534-550 AD | Ye | Linzhang, Hebei | |
| Northern Qi | 550-577 AD | Ye | Linzhang, Hebei | |
| Western Wei | 535-557 AD | Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Northern Zhou | 557-581 AD | Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Sui | 581-618 AD | Daxing | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Tang | 618-907 AD | Chang'an | Xi'an, Shaanxi | |
| Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms | Later Liang | 907-923 AD | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan |
| Later Tang | 923-936 AD | Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |
| Later Jin | 936-946 AD | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan | |
| Later Han | 947-950 AD | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan | |
| Later Zhou | 951-960 AD | Bian | Kaifeng, Henan | |
| Ten Kingdoms⑤ | 902-979 AD | — | — | |
| Song | Northern Song | 960-1127 AD | Kaifeng | Kaifeng, Henan |
| Southern Song | 1127-1279 AD | Lin'an | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | |
| Liao | 907-1125 AD | Imperial Capital (Shangjing) | Bairin Right Banner, Liaoning | |
| Western Xia | 1038-1227 AD | Xingqing Prefecture | Yinchuan, Ningxia | |
| Jin | 1115-1234 AD | Huining | Acheng, Heilongjiang | |
| Zhongdu | Beijing | |||
| Kaifeng | Kaifeng, Henan | |||
| Yuan | 1206-1368 AD | Dadu | Beijing | |
| Ming | 1368-1644 AD | Beijing | Beijing | |
| Qing | 1616-1911 AD | Beijing | Beijing | |
| Republic of China | 1912-1949 AD | Nanjing | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949, with its capital in Beijing. | ||||
The Chinese Historical Dynasties Timeline provides the start and end periods of various dynasties in Chinese history, their capital locations, and their current corresponding city names.
① Around the 14th century BC, Pangeng moved the capital to Yin; thereafter, the Shang dynasty was also known as Yin.
② The year 841 BC (the first year of the Gonghe era in Western Zhou) marks the beginning of accurately recorded history in China.
③ Includes the "Xin" dynasty established by Wang Mang (8-23 AD). During Wang Mang's reign, large-scale peasant uprisings led to the establishment of a peasant regime. In 23 AD, Wang Mang's regime fell. The Eastern Han dynasty was established in 25 AD.
④ During this period, several feudal regimes existed in northern China, including Han (Former Zhao), Cheng (Cheng Han), 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, and Xia, collectively known as the "Sixteen Kingdoms."
⑤ In addition to the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou, several other feudal regimes also existed during this period, including Wu, Former Shu, Wuyue, Chu, Min, Southern Han, Jingnan (Southern Ping), Later Shu, Southern Tang, and Northern Han, collectively known as the "Ten Kingdoms."