<p>I don't believe there is any city officially named 西京, but that name has been used to refer to <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A5%BF%E4%BA%AC#.E4.B8.AD.E5.9C.8B" rel="nofollow">at least several cities</a>, including what is now 西安.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-31T20:09:33.967Z
The wiki link in your answer has shown that some cities did be called as 西京 officially in the history. Many of them were the **second capital** (陪都).
Stan
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2013-05-31T20:32:06.100Z
how about 中京？It is used in 《红楼梦》 as the pseudo name for the Capital.
孤影萍踪
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2013-05-31T21:06:00.663Z
@Stan I said there _isn't_ any city officially named 西京, not there has never been one.
Stumpy Joe Pete
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2013-06-01T04:31:12.030Z
@StumpyJoePete: oh ... I forget westerners are sensitive to the tense ...
Stan
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2017-09-04T04:36:58.513Z
东都 is use preferred than 东京.
Daniel Yang
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2013-05-31T20:01:45.970Z
2013-05-31T20:01:45.970Z
Stumpy Joe Pete
<p>Kaifen(开封） used to be the "Dongjing" of China during Song dynasty. Xi'an(西安) was the "Western capital" of China in many dynasties. However instead of “Xijing” (西京)， it was referred as "Xidu"(西都） in many ancient literature. For example: 
"望西都，意踌躇。" By 张养浩( Zhang yanghao ) Yuan Dynasty.
But Xidu and Xijing are basically same meanning.    </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-04T16:39:00.107Z
2013-07-04T16:39:00.107Z
Archeosudoerus
<p>There is a 西京 to Japan's 東京; you were just looking in the wrong country: it's Kyoto, which <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_%28city%29#Name" rel="nofollow">for a short time was named Saikyō</a>, just as Edo was renamed Tokyo when the capital moved from Kyoto to it.</p>

<p>This is similar to how Nanjing and Beijing got their names too, when <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%98%8E%E6%88%90%E7%A5%96%E8%BF%81%E9%83%BD%E5%8C%97%E4%BA%AC" rel="nofollow">the capital was moved during Ming</a> from then-金陵 to then-北平. In Japan's case only Tokyo's name stuck; in China's case both stuck (or rather, reverted a few times).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-05T04:51:40.650Z
2013-06-05T04:51:40.650Z
congusbongus
<p>"Beijing" means "northern capital," and "Nanjing" means "southern capital."</p>

<p>There is even a "Dongjing" or "eastern capital" that is WAY east of China. It's the city that the Japanese call "Tokyo."</p>

<p>Was there ever a "Xijing" or "western capital?" There is Chinese city called "Xi An" or "western peace" which may have been a capital of part of China at one time. Was this city, or any other city, Chinese or otherwise, ever referred to as "Xijing?" Put another way, did anyone ever name a western capital city Xijing just because of its relative importance to Beijing, Nangjing, and Dongjing?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-02T17:13:56.190Z
@going: I just realized that you had closed this question (which I rephrased somewhat). The original intent was not "where did it exist?" (geographical), but whether anyone had "bothered" to use this name/construct (linguistic). I originally thought that Xian was that city, then decided it wasn't. The question was asked in the spirit of this one https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3410/why-are-intermediate-cardinal-directions-read-differently-in-chinese
Tom Au
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2017-09-04T03:00:07.400Z
I agree with the answer of zyc. Tokyo means 'Dojing' in Chinese, but it has nothing to do with the real 'Dojing' in Chinese history.  Kyoto, is similar to Xi'an in Tang dynasty, But Xi'an has neven been called 'Dojing'.
Ran
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2017-09-04T03:10:28.927Z
@Ran: You meant Xijing, right? Because that's what I meant.
Tom Au
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-04T03:27:42.730Z
I mean, Tokyo in Chinese is called ‘东京’, It is called dojing because it's on the east of Kyoto. And Kyoto was once Japan's capital city. But 'Dojing' in Chinese history is city '开封'，it has no relation with Tokyo,  as zyc answered you. Kyoto, on the other hand, is now called '京都' in Chinese, in ancient time, it imitated 'Xi'an'(Xi'an sometimes called '西京' in Chinese history).
Ran
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-05T00:04:53.050Z
This question is not related to the Chinese language, it is more of a Chinese geography / history type of question.
going
<place-names>
Was there ever a "Xijing?" Could it have been "Xi An?"
# Was there ever a "Xijing?" Could it have been "Xi An?"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-05-31)

"Beijing" means "northern capital," and "Nanjing" means "southern capital."

There is even a "Dongjing" or "eastern capital" that is WAY east of China. It's the city that the Japanese call "Tokyo."

Was there ever a "Xijing" or "western capital?" There is Chinese city called "Xi An" or "western peace" which may have been a capital of part of China at one time. Was this city, or any other city, Chinese or otherwise, ever referred to as "Xijing?" Put another way, did anyone ever name a western capital city Xijing just because of its relative importance to Beijing, Nangjing, and Dongjing?

**Tags:** place-names

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: This question is not related to the Chinese language, it is more of a Chinese geography / history type of question.  
> **username_0**: @username_2: I just realized that you had closed this question (which I rephrased somewhat). The original intent was not "where did it exist?" (geographical), but whether anyone had "bothered" to use this name/construct (linguistic). I originally thought that Xian was that city, then decided it wasn't. The question was asked in the spirit of this one https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3410/why-are-intermediate-cardinal-directions-read-differently-in-chinese  
> **username_1**: I agree with the answer of zyc. Tokyo means 'Dojing' in Chinese, but it has nothing to do with the real 'Dojing' in Chinese history.  Kyoto, is similar to Xi'an in Tang dynasty, But Xi'an has neven been called 'Dojing'.  
> **username_0**: @username_1: You meant Xijing, right? Because that's what I meant.  
> **username_1**: I mean, Tokyo in Chinese is called ‘东京’, It is called dojing because it's on the east of Kyoto. And Kyoto was once Japan's capital city. But 'Dojing' in Chinese history is city '开封'，it has no relation with Tokyo,  as zyc answered you. Kyoto, on the other hand, is now called '京都' in Chinese, in ancient time, it imitated 'Xi'an'(Xi'an sometimes called '西京' in Chinese history).  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-05-31. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I don't believe there is any city officially named 西京, but that name has been used to refer to [at least several cities](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A5%BF%E4%BA%AC#.E4.B8.AD.E5.9C.8B), including what is now 西安.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: The wiki link in your answer has shown that some cities did be called as 西京 officially in the history. Many of them were the **second capital** (陪都).  
> **username_5**: how about 中京？It is used in 《红楼梦》 as the pseudo name for the Capital.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 I said there _isn't_ any city officially named 西京, not there has never been one.  
> **username_4**: @username_3: oh ... I forget westerners are sensitive to the tense ...  
> **username_6**: 东都 is use preferred than 东京.  

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### Answer by username_7 on 2013-07-04. Score: 3

Kaifen(开封） used to be the "Dongjing" of China during Song dynasty. Xi'an(西安) was the "Western capital" of China in many dynasties. However instead of “Xijing” (西京)， it was referred as "Xidu"(西都） in many ancient literature. For example:
"望西都，意踌躇。" By 张养浩( Zhang yanghao ) Yuan Dynasty.
But Xidu and Xijing are basically same meanning.


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### Answer by username_8 on 2013-06-05. Score: 1

There is a 西京 to Japan's 東京; you were just looking in the wrong country: it's Kyoto, which [for a short time was named Saikyō](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_%28city%29#Name), just as Edo was renamed Tokyo when the capital moved from Kyoto to it.

This is similar to how Nanjing and Beijing got their names too, when [the capital was moved during Ming](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%98%8E%E6%88%90%E7%A5%96%E8%BF%81%E9%83%BD%E5%8C%97%E4%BA%AC) from then-金陵 to then-北平. In Japan's case only Tokyo's name stuck; in China's case both stuck (or rather, reverted a few times).


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