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.

CapitalPeriodNationEraPalaceCurrent location Ngàn Hống 2879 – ? BC Xích Quỷ Hồng Bàng dynasty - Kinh Dương Vương unknown Hồng Lĩnh mountain, Hà Tĩnh province Nghĩa Lĩnh ? – 2524 BC Hồng Bàng dynasty - Lạc Long Quân unknown Nghĩa Lĩnh mountain, Phú Thọ province Phong Châu 2524–258 BC Văn Lang Hồng Bàng dynasty - Hùng king unknown Phú Thọ province Cổ Loa 257–208 BC Âu Lạc Thục dynasty Cổ Loa Citadel Đông Anh commune, Hanoi Panyu 207–111 BC Nanyue Triệu dynasty Nanyue Palace Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Leilou 111-106 BC First Era of Northern Domination unknown Bắc Ninh province Guangxin 106 BC-40 AD unknown Wuzhou, Guangxi, China Mê Linh 40–43 AD Lingnan Trưng sisters unknown Mê Linh commune, Hanoi Guangxin 43-210 Second Era of Northern Domination unknown Wuzhou, Guangxi, China Panyu 210-226? Nanyue Palace Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Longyuan 226?-544 Long Biên Palace Long Biên ward, Hanoi or Bắc Ninh province (uncertain) Long Uyên 544–602 Vạn Xuân Early Lý dynasty Jiaozhi (district) 602-607? Third Era of Northern 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 commune, Nghệ An province Songping 722-779 Third Era of Northern Domination unknown Hanoi Tống Bình 779-791 Annam (under Tang domination) Phùng Hưng unknown Songping 791-866 Third Era of Northern Domination unknown Dalou 866-905 Đại La Citadel Ba Đình ward, Hanoi Đại La 905–938 Jinghai Khúc clan and Dương clan Cổ Loa 939–968 Ngô dynasty Cổ Loa Citadel Đông Anh commune, Hanoi Hoa Lư 968–980 Đại Cồ Việt Đinh dynasty Hoa Lư Citadel Tây Hoa Lư ward, 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 Tây Đô commune, Thanh Hóa province Mô Độ 1407–1409 Jiaozhi (under Ming domination) Later Trần dynasty unknown Yên Mô commune, Ninh Bình province Dongguan 1407-1427 Fourth Era of Northern Domination Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long Hanoi Đông Kinh 1428–1527 Đại Việt Lê dynasty – early period 1527–1592 Mạc dynasty Vạn Lại 1533–1597 Đại Việt – southern region Lê dynasty – warlord period Van Lai Citadel Thọ Xuân commune, Thanh Hóa province Cao Bình 1592–1677 Đại Việt – northern region Mạc dynasty Ban Phu Citadel Thục Phán ward, Cao Bằng province Đông Kinh 1597–1789 Đại Việt 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 Phú Xuân ward, Huế Qui Nhơn 1778–1793 Đại Việt Tây Sơn dynasty Emperor Citadel Bình Định ward, Gia Lai province Phú Xuân 1786–1802 unknown Phú Xuân ward, Huế Huế 1802–1945 Viet Nam, later Dai Nam Nguyễn dynasty Imperial City of Huế Phú Xuân ward, Huế 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 Phú Xuân ward, Huế Hanoi 1945–1976 DRV, later North Vietnam Aftermath of World War II, Cold War Presidential Palace Hanoi Saigon 1946–1954 Indochina Aftermath of World War II Governor-General Palace Ho Chi Minh City 1946–1949 Cochinchina Aftermath of World War II Gia Long Palace 1949–1955 State of Vietnam Cold War Norodom Palace 1955–1975 Republic of Vietnam Independence Palace Tây Ninh 1969-1972 Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam Cold War none Tây Ninh province Lộc Ninh 1972–1973 none Lộc Ninh commune, Đồng Nai province Cam Lộ 1973-1975 none Cam Lộ commune, Quảng Trị province Saigon 1975-1976 Independence Palace Ho Chi Minh City Hanoi 1976 – present Socialist Republic of Vietnam Contemporary history 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

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