The decline of Pingcheng: climate change impact, vulnerability and adaptation in the Northern Wei dynasty, China

As a powerful dynasty ruling northern China from 386 to 534 CE, the Northern Wei dynasty unexpectedly moved its capital from Pingcheng to Luoyang in 494 CE. This move has great significance in Chinese history, and the reasons for it have aroused intense and long-lasting controversy. To explore the environmental factors underlying this event, this study focuses on the impact of natural disasters on Pingcheng in the fifth century based on continuous high-resolution paleoclimatic data combined with extensive historical records. It finds that Pingcheng experienced a significant decline in the late 470s CE as a result of continuous droughts and a low-temperature environment. Moreover, it is argued that the rapid growth of the population in Pingcheng might have increased its societal vulnerability to natural disasters. By comparing the food systems and geographical locations of Pingcheng and Luoyang, this study suggests that the relocation of the capital should be considered as an adaptation to climate change and a mitigation of its effects by the Northern Wei dynasty. In addition, the paper shows that other important cities along latitude 40° N in East Asia also stopped growing during this period of rapid climate change.