| Dynasty | Beginning and End | Capital | Present Day | |
| Xia | ca. 2146-1675 BC | Anyi | Xia County, Shanxi | |
| Shang① | ca. 1675-1029 BC | Bo | Shangqiu, Henan | |
| Zhou | Western Zhou | ca. 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 Dynasty | 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 | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu |
| Sixteen Kingdoms④ | 304-439 | — | — | |
| Southern Dynasties | Song Dynasty | 420-479 | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu |
| Qi | 479-502 | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Liang | 502-557 | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Chen | 557-589 | Jiankang | Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
| Northern Dynasties | Northern Wei | 386-534 | Pingcheng | Datong, Shanxi |
| Luoyang | Luoyang, Henan | |||
| Eastern Wei | 534-550 | Ye | Linzhang, Hebei | |
| Northern Qi | 550-577 | Ye | Hebei Linzhang | |
| 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 Dynasty | 923-936 | Luoyang | Henan Luoyang | |
| Later Jin | 936-946 | Bian | Henan Kaifeng | |
| Later Han | 947-950 | Bian | Henan Kaifeng | |
| Later Zhou | 951-960 | Bian | Henan Kaifeng | |
| Ten Kingdoms⑤ | 902-979 | — | — | |
| Song | Northern Song | 960-1127 | Kaifeng | Henan Kaifeng |
| Southern Song | 1127-1279 | Lin'an | Zhejiang Lin'an | |
| Liao | 907-1125 | Imperial Capital (Shangjing) | Liaoning Right Banner of Bahrain | |
| Xixia | 1038-1227 | Xingqingfu | Ningxia Yinchuan | |
| Jin | 1115-1234 | Huining | Acheng (Heilongjiang) | |
| Zhongdu | Beijing | |||
| Kaifeng | Kaifeng (Henan) | |||
| Yuan | 1206-1368 | Metropolis | Beijing | |
| Ming | 1368-1644 | Beijing | Beijing | |
| Qing Dynasty | 1616-1911 | Peking | Beijing | |
| Republic of China | 1912-1949 | Nanjing | Nanjing, Jiangsu Province | |
| The People's Republic of China was founded on 1 October 1949, with Beijing as its capital. | ||||
Chinese history dynasty time query table: China's dynasties in the beginning and end of the time, the capital city is located, as well as the capital city now corresponding to the name of the place
① about 14th century B.C. Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin, after the Shang also became Yin
② 841 B.C. (the first year of the Western Zhou Dynasty) is the beginning of the exact chronology of Chinese history.
(iii) Includes the "new" dynasty established by Wang Mang (8-23 AD). During Wang Mang's time, a large-scale peasant revolt broke out and a peasant regime was established. In 23 A.D., the new Wang Mang regime fell. In 25 AD, the Eastern Han Dynasty was established
④ During this period, some feudal regimes existed in the north of China, including Han (former Zhao), Cheng (Cheng Han), Qianliang, Houzhao (Wei), Qianyan, Qianqin, Houyan, Houqin, Westqin, Houliang, Nanliang, Northliang, Southliang, Westliang, Northliang, Xia, etc., which are called the "Sixteen Kingdoms" in history.
⑤ During this period, in addition to the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han and Later Zhou, there also existed a number of feudal regimes, among which there were the following: Wu, Former Shu, Wu-Yue, Chu, Min, Southern Han, Jingnan (Nanping), Later Shu, Southern Tang, and Northern Han, which are historically known as the "Ten Kingdoms".