Historical Capitals of China Online Quiz | Asia

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1. In 1267, Dadu was established as the imperial capital by the Mongols during the Yuan dynasty. What modern city was the imperial capital for a large period from the early 15th to 20th century?

Answer: Beijing

Dadu aka Khanbaliq in Mongolian was established as the imperial capital by Kublai Khan from 1267 to 1368. Dadu means big capital in Chinese.

Beijing was the seat of government during these periods in history:
State of Yan from 11th century BC to 222 BC in the Spring and Autumn period
Jin dynasty established by the Jurchen from 1160 to 1215; it was named Zhongdu (Central capital)
Ming dynasty from 1403 to 1644 when it was named Jingshi (Emperor's capital)
Qing dynasty from 1644 to 1912

On 1 October 1949, it was declared as capital by the People's Republic of China.

2. During the second Sino-Japanese war, from 1937 to 1945, where did the Nationalist government set up their capital in south west China?

Answer: Chongqing

In 1937, after the Nationalist army was defeated by the imperial Japanese forces, they moved the capital from Nanjing to Chongqing. Chongqing remained as the capital until the end of World War II.

In late 1935, after the Long March ended in Yan'an, it became the center of the Chinese Communist revolution till 1947. Yan'an is located in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province.

In May 1997, Chongqing, previously a province of Sichuan, was made the fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. It is located in the south west of China.

3. In 202 BC, it was made the imperial capital by the founder of Han dynasty. In which city, in Henan, can the famous Longman Grottoes be found?

Answer: Luoyang

The first Han emperor, Liu Bang aka Emperor Han Gaozu, established Luoyang as his capital. Luoyang is a major city in Henan province. Its name originated from the north or sunny side of the Luo river. The Longmen Grotto is one of the major attractions in this city.

It was the historical capital for several dynasties:
Eastern Zhou dynasty from 510 BC to 314 BC
Eastern Han dynasty from 25 to 194 AD
State of Wei during the Three Kingdom period from 220 to 265 AD
Western Jin dynasty from 265 to 311 AD
Northern Wei dynasty from 493 to 534 AD
Zhou Dynasty, during the brief era of the Tang Dynasty from 690 to 705 AD when the Emperor was the only female emperor in Chinese history
Later Liang dynasty from 907 to 913 AD
Later Tang dynasty from 923 to 936 AD

4. In 1368 after the fall of the Mongol's Yuan dynasty, the Ming dynasty established the capital in this present-day largest city in Jiangsu province. In what city is the mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen located?

Answer: Nanjing

Nanjing means southern capital. In 1368, it was officially designated as imperial capital by Zhu Yuanzhang(Emperor Hongwu) who renamed the city as Yingtian. In history, the city was also known as Jinling meaning gold hill. This old name was used since the Warring States period (476-221 BC).

It was also the historical capital during the following periods:
From 229 to 280 AD, it was the capital of State of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period
From 1851 to 1864 during the Qing dynasty, it was made the Heavenly City during the Taiping Rebellion after the rebels captured the city
From 1928 to 1937, it was the capital of the Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai Shek

From 1358 to 1425, Nanjing was possibly the biggest city in the world with a population of 487000 in 1400.

5. From 206 BC to 9 AD, it was the imperial capital of the Western Han dynasty. Which modern day city is the provincial capital of Shaanxi?

Answer: Xian

Xian was the ancient capital for more than ten Chinese dynasties, namely Sui and Tang dynasties. It was previously known as Chang-an meaning perpetual peace.

Xian means western peace. It is the capital of Shaanxi province, the site of the famous Terracotta army.

6. During the Northern Song dynasty from 960 to 1127 AD, this major city in Henan was named Donjing (Eastern capital), Bianlang and Bianjin. In which city are the historical sites of Dragon Pavilion, Iron Pagada and Xiangguo Temple located?

Answer: Kaifeng

Kaifeng is one of the eight ancient capitals of China established more than 2700 years ago. It is located along the southern bank of the Yellow River. It remained as the imperial capital of the Northern Song dynasty until it was captured by the Jurchen in 1127, who established the Jin kingdom.

7. On 18 September 1931, the Mukden incident was staged by the Japanese Kwantung Army in this city to start the invasion of Manchuria. What city in Liaoning was previously known as Mukden or Fengtian?

Answer: Shenyang

Shenyang is the capital and the largest city in Liaoning. In 1636, it was captured by the Manchu who established the Qing dynasty and was briefly named the capital from 1636 to 1644. The origin of its name is that the city is on the sunny, south side of the Shen River now known as Hun River.

The city was the capital of Manchukuo, a puppet state of Imperial Japan, from 1932 till the unconditional surrender of the Japanese in August 1945 at the end of World War II.

The main attractions in the city are Shenyang Imperial Palace and Botanical Garden. Shenyang International Ice and Snow Festival is a major event which is held annually from December to February.

8. During the Thee Kingdoms period (220-280 AD), the state of Shu-Han set up their capital at what present-day city which is famous for panda?

Answer: Chengdu

Liu Bei of Shu-Han established Chengdu as the capital in 221 AD until it was captured by the state of Wei in 263 AD.

Chengdu is the capital and largest city in Sichuan. One of the main attraction sites is the Chengdu Panda Base which was founded in 1987. Sichuan is located in the south west region of China.

9. Formerly known as Lin'an, what major city in Zhejiang province was the imperial capital of the Southern Song dynasty from 1130 to 1276?

Answer: Hangzhou

After the Jurchen conquered the capital city Kaifeng in 1127, the Song dynasty moved south to establish the capital at Hangzhou for 146 years till 1276 when it was captured by the Mongols.

It is the capital and most populated city in Zhejiang. The famous UNESCO Word Heritage Site, West Lake, is located in this city.

10. The Western Xia (Xixia) set up this capital city from 1038 to 1227. Where is this capital city in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region?

Answer: Yingchuan

The Tanguts established the Western Xia dynasty in 1038 until 1227 when it was captured by the Mongols. Yingchuan, meaning silver river, is a center for the Muslim Hui people. It is a permanent site for the China-Arab Expo and is the city for cultural and international exchange between China and the Arab nations.

Famous attraction sites in the city are: Nanquan Mosque, Jade Emperor Pavilion, Haibao Pagoda and Western Xia Imperial Tombs.

Source: Author sw11

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Historical Capitals of China Trivia Quiz

Since the founding of the first imperial dynasty in 2100 BC, the Xia dynasty, many Chinese cities were designated as the seat of authority and power.

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