Global InformationList of historical capitals of Vietnam information
This list of historical capitals of Vietnam includes former capital cities as well as the current capital of Vietnam which is Hanoi in time order. The capitals in bold indicate those of independent periods while the capitals in italic indicate those of occupied or invaded periods.
| Capital | Period | Nation | Era | Palace | Current location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ngàn Hống | 2879 – ? BC | Xích Quỷ | Hồng Bàng dynasty - Kinh Duong Vuong | unknown | Hồng Lĩnh mountain, Hà Tĩnh Province |
| Nghĩa Lĩnh | ? – 2524 BC | Xích Quỷ | Hồng Bàng dynasty - Lac Long Quan | unknown | Nghĩa Lĩnh mountain, Phú Thọ Province |
| Phong Châu | 2524–258 BC | Văn Lang | Hồng Bàng dynasty - Hùng Kings | unknown | Phú Thọ Province |
| Cổ Loa | 257–208 BC | Âu Lạc | Thục dynasty | Cổ Loa Citadel | Đông Anh District, Hanoi |
| Panyu | 207–111 BC | Nanyue | Zhao Dynasty | Nanyue Palace | Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China |
| Leilou | 111-106 BC | First Era of Chinese Domination | unknown | Bắc Ninh Province | |
| Guangxin | 106 BC-40 AD | unknown | Wuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China | ||
| Mê Linh | 40–43 AD | Lingnan | Trưng Sisters | unknown | Mê Linh District, Hanoi |
| Guangxin | 43-210 | Second Era of Chinese Domination | unknown | Wuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China | |
| Panyu | 210-226? | Nanyue Palace | Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China | ||
| Longyuan | 226?-544 | Long Biên Palace | Long Biên District, Hanoi or Bắc Ninh Province (uncertain) | ||
| Long Uyên | 544–602 | Vạn Xuân | Early Lý dynasty | ||
| Jiaozhi (district) | 602-607? | Third Era of Chinese Domination | unknown | between Đuống River and Thái Bình River | |
| Songping | 607?-713 | unknown | Hanoi | ||
| Vạn An | 713–722 | Annam (under Tang domination) | Mai Hắc Đế | unknown | Nam Đàn District, Nghệ An Province |
| Songping | 722-779 | Third Era of Chinese Domination | unknown | Hanoi | |
| Tống Bình | 779-791 | Annam (under Tang domination) | Phùng Hưng | unknown | |
| Songping | 791-866 | Third Era of Chinese Domination | unknown | ||
| Dalou | 866-905 | Đại La Citadel | Ba Đình District, Hanoi | ||
| Đại La | 905–938 | Jinghai | Khúc clan and Dương clan | ||
| Cổ Loa | 939–968 | Ngô dynasty | Cổ Loa Citadel | Đông Anh District, Hanoi | |
| Hoa Lư | 968–980 | Đại Cồ Việt | Đinh dynasty | Hoa Lư Citadel | Ninh Bình Province |
| 980–1009 | Early Lê dynasty | ||||
| 1009 – 1010 | Later Lý dynasty | ||||
| Thăng Long | 1010 – 1225 | Đại Việt | Later Lý dynasty | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi |
| 1226–1440 | Trần dynasty | ||||
| Tây Đô | 1400–1407 | Đại Ngu | Hồ dynasty | Ho Citadel | Vĩnh Lộc District, Thanh Hóa Province |
| Mô Độ | 1407–1409 | Jiaozhi (under Ming domination) | Later Trần dynasty | unknown | Yên Mô District, Ninh Bình Province |
| Dongguan | 1407-1427 | Fourth Era of Chinese Domination | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi | |
| Đông Kinh | 1428–1527 | Đại Việt | Later Lê dynasty – early period | ||
| 1527–1592 | Mạc dynasty | ||||
| Vạn Lại | 1533–1597 | Đại Việt – southern region | Later Lê dynasty – warlord period | Van Lai Citadel | Thọ Xuân District, Thanh Hóa Province |
| Cao Bình | 1592–1677 | Đại Việt – northern region | Mạc dynasty | Ban Phu Citadel | Cao Bằng City, Cao Bằng Province |
| Đông Kinh | 1597–1789 | Đại Việt | Later Lê dynasty – warlord period | Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | Hanoi |
| 1597–1787 | Đại Việt – Outer Region | Trịnh lords | Palace of Trịnh Lords | ||
| Phú Xuân | 1678–1777 | Đại Việt – Inner Region | Nguyễn lords | Palace of Nguyễn Lords | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province |
| Qui Nhơn | 1778–1793 | Đại Việt | Tây Sơn dynasty | Emperor Citadel | An Nhơn Town, Bình Định Province |
| Phú Xuân | 1786–1802 | unknown | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province | ||
| Huế | 1802–1945 | Viet Nam, later Dai Nam | Nguyễn dynasty | Imperial City of Huế | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province |
| Saigon | 1887–1901 | French Colonial Era | Indochinese Federation | Governor-General Palace | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Hanoi | 1902–1954 | Indochinese Governor-General Palace | Hanoi | ||
| Saigon | 1945 | Indochina under Japanese Occupation | Governor-General Palace | Ho Chi Minh City | |
| Huế | 1945 | Vietnam | Empire of Vietnam | Imperial City of Huế | Huế City, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province |
| Hanoi | 1945–1976 | Vietnam, later North Vietnam | Democratic Republic of Vietnam | Presidential Palace | Hanoi |
| Saigon | 1945-1954 | French Occupation | Indochinese Federation | Governor-General Palace | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 1946–1949 | Cochinchina (under French Occupation) | Autonomous Republic of Cochinchina | Gia Long Palace | ||
| 1949–1955 | South Vietnam | State of Vietnam under French military presence | Norodom Palace | ||
| 1955–1975 | Republic of Vietnam under U.S. military presence | Independence Palace | |||
| Tây Ninh | 1969-1972 | South Vietnam | Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam | none | Tây Ninh Province |
| Lộc Ninh | 1972–1973 | none | Lộc Ninh District, Bình Phước Province | ||
| Cam Lộ | 1973-1975 | none | Cam Lộ District, Quảng Trị Province | ||
| Saigon | 1975-1976 | Independence Palace | Ho Chi Minh City | ||
| Hanoi | 1976 – present | Vietnam | Socialist Republic of Vietnam | Presidential Palace | current capital |
Some secondary unofficial capitals also existed throughout Vietnamese history. These secondary capitals were established by dynasty founders merely as symbolic capitals to pay tribute to their ancestors.
- Thiên Trường at Nam Định Province during Trần dynasty, existed along with Thăng Long capital
- Lam Kinh at Thanh Hóa Province during Later Lê dynasty, existed along with Đông Kinh capital
- Dương Kinh at Hải Phòng City during Mạc dynasty, existed along with Đông Kinh capital
- Phượng Hoàng Trung Đô at Nghệ An Province during Tây Sơn dynasty, although only in planning and was never completed, existed along with Phú Xuân capital
- Đà Lạt at Lâm Đồng Province during French colonial era as summer capital of Indochinese Federation, existed along with Hanoi capital
- Việt Bắc at northern Vietnam during First Indochina War as Việt Minh's headquarter and de facto capital of Democratic Republic of Vietnam, existed along with de jure Hanoi capital