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Asummer capital is a city used as an administrativecapital during extended periods of particularly hot summer weather. The term is mostly of relevance in historical contexts ofpolitical systems with ruling classes that would migrate to a summer capital, making it less prevalent in modern times.[citation needed] The ubiquity ofair conditioning systems also reduces the imperative to periodically relocate to summer capitals.
Shangdu (Xanadu) was an "Upper Capital" duringKublai Khan's reign in the 13th century.[1]
In theQing dynasty,Chengde Mountain Resort inChengde was often being used by emperor to perform their official function during the summer months.
In the era of theRepublic of China, core members of theNationalist Party of China often held meetings atKuling,Jiujiang, in summer to make important internal decisions. Foreign businessmen and missionaries also spent their summertime in Kuling during Republic of China government rule.
In the era of thePeople's Republic of China, core members of theChinese Communist Party often held meetings atBeidaihe District in the summer to make important internal decisions.
During the reign ofMughal emperorBabur, the city ofKabul in the north-west of the Mughal Empire was used as a summer capital owing to its lower temperatures compared withAgra andDelhi. This practice ended during the reign of EmperorAurangzeb.[2]
In India, the government of theBritish Raj was annually transferred toShimla during the summer months.[3]
Presently, India has summer and winter capitals in three states and one union territory.
| State/UT | Summer capital | Winter capital |
|---|---|---|
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | Dharamshala |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Jammu |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | Nagpur |
| Uttarakhand | Bhararisain | Dehradun |
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Thehill station ofBaguio in the northern mountains ofLuzon was selected as the summer capital of the Philippines during theAmerican administration in the early 20th century. Its cool climate was a preferred alternative to the sweltering, humid climate of thede facto capital,Manila. While the present sovereign government has long stopped transferring thereen masse, the city still hosts the officialsummer residence of thepresident of the Philippines,[4] and theSupreme Court of the Philippines still maintains its "summer sessions" in the city. The city itself remains a popular holiday spot for tourists, especially aroundChristmas season and the hot dry season (colloquially known as "summer" in the country), when temperatures are considerably lower than in the rest of the archipelago.[citation needed]
Following Russia's loss of the traditionally popular resorts of theCrimea (transferred away from theRussian SFSR to theUkrainian SSR in 1954 byNikita Khrushchev),Sochi emerged as the unofficial summer capital of the country.[5] Additionally, Sochi has also served as the location for the signing of many treaties, especially those between theGeorgian, separatistAbkhazian, and separatistSouth Ossetian governing authorities.
The Saudi royal family has historically relocated to the mountainous city ofTaif, nearMecca, which is far cooler in the summer months than the official capital ofSaudi Arabia,Riyadh.
The location ofDonostia/San Sebastián in the cooler, northern seaside ofSpain close to the French border ideally placed it as a summer capital alternative toMadrid.Maria Christina of Austria, the queen consort of Spain, vacationed there from 1887 and was followed by the court.[6]The dictatorFrancisco Franco spent the summers between 1941 and 1975 at the Ayete Palace.[7]