History books effuse about the sublime glory of the Han, Tang, Ming, <add your favorite here> and the visionary emperors who built incredible palaces. Let’s explore China’s historic capital proliferation and dig into what’s so unique about Beijing.

Chinese rulers come in many shapes and sizes, hailing from different regions and overcoming a myriad of challenges to consolidate power. Once in charge, it wasn’t uncommon for a new emperor to shift the imperial capital in order to: