The system of dual capitals, which existed from time to time
over Chinese history, can be traced back to the time when King
Wu of the Zhou Dynasty established Luo Yi as the eastern capital
of his kingdom. The coexistence of the western and the eastern
capitals respectively in Chang’an and Luoyang, one primary and the
other secondary, had repeated for long durations in quite a few
dynasties. It had been the usual practice that, whereas the primary
capital was indisputably the political center with supreme authority,
the secondary capital was but honorary and complementary with
the purpose to extend and reinforce the royal reign. However, the
dual capitals of Ye and Jinyang during the Eastern Wei and the
Northern Qi dynasties was a different case. When the influential
courtier Gao Huan had the capital moved to Ye from Luoyang, the
original seat of power since the Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern
Wei Dynasty, and at the same time set up a parallel capital in
Jinyang, Jinyang became the center of power de facto of the
country in political, economical, and military terms. That the
system of dual capitals came into existence had much to do with
the peculiar geographical advantages of Jinyang. Since the Period
of the Sixteen Kingdoms the town of Jinyang had played a
prominent role in Chinese history, known as “a governmental
stronghold in a prosperous time and a source of trouble in a turbulent one.” It had happened time and again that, taking
advantage of its strategic position terrain and rich material
resources, the military leaders in control of Jinyang were tempted to
invade either westward into South Shannxi or southward into
Henan, becoming direct threats to the central imperial court and
succeeding on several occasions in hijacking or overthrowing it.
During this period, Jinyang had been a town highly crucial to the
national situation. Furthermore, the fact that it served as a
protective fortress to screen the six Xianbei (or Sienpi) prefectures
was another reason why Jinyang was chosen as the parallel capital.
Gao Huan drew a force mainly of Xianbei soldiers in Jinyang and
made the Xianbei prefectures his base area. It was this fierce
troop from Jinyang that enabled Gao to oust the Eastern Wei and
founded the Northern Qi Dynasty; and his successors and their
generals continued to regard Jinyang as the base of the Dynasty,
almost always setting out from their when they went on
expeditions. The Xianbei troop in Jinayng was the pillar of the
Northern Qi Dynasty. During the Eastern Wei and the Northern Qi
Dynasties, the Gao regime had been in war with enemies on three
sides. Jinyang provided the best possible military base in its
confrontation with the powerful state of Western Wei which
occupied south Shannxi. However, if a capital at that time should
have been a town that supported both expansion and control of the
territory, Jinyang was one strong in control but weak in expansion.
Therefore, a town which combined both and was complementary
with Jinyang was needed. In view of the situation, Gao Huan
selected Ye which was located at the foot of Taihang Mountain on
the border of the Hebei Plateau. Thus, by establishing the primary
capital in Ye, he joined Hebei and Sanxi into a strategic one via Shangdang (in southeast Shanxi bordering Hebei), putting the
country in a favorable position either to further expand or to
defense. Reversely, its strategically vulnerable location decided that
Ye relay much on Jinyang for its security, as it looked south to the
Yellow River, it could not expect geographical protection from the
Hebei Plateau north of it, and its lower position in relation to
Shanxi across Taihang Mountain rendered it almost impossible to
attack westward. In contrast, Jinyang occupied a strategically
advantageous position, threatening middle and south Hebei from a
commanding height. In short, Ye and Jinyang were mutually
supportive and complimentary one to another. To some extent, the
establishment of the dual capitals in Ye and Jinyang reflected the
policy which the Eastern Wei and the Northern Qi Dynasties had
successively adopted, i.e. to found the state with military force but
to rule it with civil measures. It also reflected the intricate process
of interracial assimilation between the Han people and the non-Han
nationalities from the north and the West.
The system of dual capitals, which existed from time to time
over Chinese history, can be traced back to the time when King
Wu of the Zhou Dynasty established Luo Yi as the eastern capital
of his kingdom. The coexistence of the western and the eastern
capitals respectively in Chang’an and Luoyang, one primary and the
other secondary, had repeated for long durations in quite a few
dynasties. It had been the usual practice that, whereas the primary
capital was indisputably the political center with supreme authority,
the secondary capital was but honorary and complementary with
the purpose to extend and reinforce the royal reign. However, the
dual capitals of Ye and Jinyang during the Eastern Wei and the
Northern Qi dynasties was a different case. When the influential
courtier Gao Huan had the capital moved to Ye from Luoyang, the
original seat of power since the Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern
Wei Dynasty, and at the same time set up a parallel capital in
Jinyang, Jinyang became the center of power de facto of the
country in political, economical, and military terms. That the
system of dual capitals came into existence had much to do with
the peculiar geographical advantages of Jinyang. Since the Period
of the Sixteen Kingdoms the town of Jinyang had played a
prominent role in Chinese history, known as “a governmental
stronghold in a prosperous time and a source of trouble in a turbulent one.” It had happened time and again that, taking
advantage of its strategic position terrain and rich material
resources, the military leaders in control of Jinyang were tempted to
invade either westward into South Shannxi or southward into
Henan, becoming direct threats to the central imperial court and
succeeding on several occasions in hijacking or overthrowing it.
During this period, Jinyang had been a town highly crucial to the
national situation. Furthermore, the fact that it served as a
protective fortress to screen the six Xianbei (or Sienpi) prefectures
was another reason why Jinyang was chosen as the parallel capital.
Gao Huan drew a force mainly of Xianbei soldiers in Jinyang and
made the Xianbei prefectures his base area. It was this fierce
troop from Jinyang that enabled Gao to oust the Eastern Wei and
founded the Northern Qi Dynasty; and his successors and their
generals continued to regard Jinyang as the base of the Dynasty,
almost always setting out from their when they went on
expeditions. The Xianbei troop in Jinayng was the pillar of the
Northern Qi Dynasty. During the Eastern Wei and the Northern Qi
Dynasties, the Gao regime had been in war with enemies on three
sides. Jinyang provided the best possible military base in its
confrontation with the powerful state of Western Wei which
occupied south Shannxi. However, if a capital at that time should
have been a town that supported both expansion and control of the
territory, Jinyang was one strong in control but weak in expansion.
Therefore, a town which combined both and was complementary
with Jinyang was needed. In view of the situation, Gao Huan
selected Ye which was located at the foot of Taihang Mountain on
the border of the Hebei Plateau. Thus, by establishing the primary
capital in Ye, he joined Hebei and Sanxi into a strategic one via Shangdang (in southeast Shanxi bordering Hebei), putting the
country in a favorable position either to further expand or to
defense. Reversely, its strategically vulnerable location decided that
Ye relay much on Jinyang for its security, as it looked south to the
Yellow River, it could not expect geographical protection from the
Hebei Plateau north of it, and its lower position in relation to
Shanxi across Taihang Mountain rendered it almost impossible to
attack westward. In contrast, Jinyang occupied a strategically
advantageous position, threatening middle and south Hebei from a
commanding height. In short, Ye and Jinyang were mutually
supportive and complimentary one to another. To some extent, the
establishment of the dual capitals in Ye and Jinyang reflected the
policy which the Eastern Wei and the Northern Qi Dynasties had
successively adopted, i.e. to found the state with military force but
to rule it with civil measures. It also reflected the intricate process
of interracial assimilation between the Han people and the non-Han
nationalities from the north and the West.