金代(1115~1234)早期的都城上京及其周邊地區，是女真完顏氏的興王之地，但是1153年海陵帝遷都燕京，並以其為中都之後，上京不復為國家統治的核心之地。世宗即位後，上京恢復其五京之一的地位，但是國家的腹心之地已然轉移到了中都所在的華北。這個轉變不只是統治核心內部權力鬥爭的結果，也是因應中央官制與統治地域變化的後續發展。而遷都之後，女真宗室諸王及其猛安謀克之移居華北，使得皇室與女真故地之間的緊密連結，出現斷層，其影響卻不是世宗於1184~1185年至上京的一次巡行能夠輕易解消。世宗朝上京的重要性，從政權的核心轉為邊防的重鎮，因為世宗種種針對女真族群與上京的政策，除了有意強化女真各階層對皇室的向心力，更是積極面對契丹叛亂與蒙古各部挑戰的邊防措施。而章宗朝對蒙古勢力採取了更為積極的鎮壓與防禦方式，邊防線向北方草原推移的結果，使得上京與上京地區的女真人不再是朝廷關注的焦點。金朝在1211年成吉思汗大舉攻擊之後，迅速失去對女真故地的控制，由上京地位的轉變過程，可以見到端倪。

Hui-ning (會寧)was made the Supreme Capital (Shang-jing,上京) of the Jurchen Jindynasty by the second emperor, Tai-zong (太宗, r.1123-1235). Along with the construction of the palaces and government buildings, was the establishment of the imperial institution. Shang-jing and the surrounding area was the heartland of the Jurchen Chin regime, until the fourth emperor, Hai-ling (海陵, r.1149-1161), moved the capital to Yan-jing (燕京) in North China in 1153. Yan-jing was named Central Capital (Zhong-du, 中都), and Shang-jing's status was downgraded. Hai-ling also forced many Jurchen princes and their meng-an mou-k'e (猛安謀克) to move to North China. It severed the close connection between the Jurchen polity and their native land. The fifth emperor, Shi-zong (世宗, r.1161-1189), chose to take control of the imperial seat in Zhong-du, but restored the status of Shang-jing for its significance to the Jurchen people and its pivotal location in the defense system in the border region. This pivotal status was lost in the reign of the sixth emperor, Zhang-zong (章宗, r.1189-1208), because a different strategy was adopted to confront the challenges of the Mongols. Shang-jing and the surrounding area fell into the hands of a Khitan rebel after Chinggis Khan's first attack in 1211. This made the Jurchens' retreat to their homeland impossible. When comparing the Jurchens to the Khitans and the Mongols, scholars tend to stress the impact of adopting Chinese political institutions on the later development of these three people after their regimes ended in China. A detailed account of the changing roles of Shang-jing should help to clarify how other aspects of the development of the Jurchen polity affected the history of the Chin dynasty.