Rise and Fall: A History of 3,000 Years of Imperial Capitals

This accessible introduction to culture, history, and civilization explores seven ancient capitals of successive Chinese dynasties: Xianyang, Xi’an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Beijing. Over the past three thousand years, what traditions and secrets have shaped the choice of each capital? How have these seven cities developed in their location, layout, administration, architecture, and culture? Using individual examples to illuminate the bigger picture, the book clearly traces how China’s great ancient capitals moved from closed to open, from uniform to diverse, and from exclusive to equal. It also recounts each city’s distinctive culture and spirit, along with the many stories of the rise and fall, continuity, and transformation of Chinese civilization that these capitals embody. Beautifully written and wide-ranging in its insights, this book is both a “historical guide” to the seven cities and a “calling card” for each.