Introducing Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty, Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty Guide.
Article from China Culture
The luxurious Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty was one of the three large imperial architectural complexes inside Chang'an (today's Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907): the Daming Palace in the east, Taiji Palace in the west and Xingqing Palace in the south. Of the three, the Daming Palace has the largest scale.
The Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty is on the Longshou Plateau in the northeast of Xi'an. The palace was first constructed in the eighth year (634) of the Zhenguan reign in the Tang Dynasty. It was originally named Yong'an Palace and renamed Daming Palace in 635, then Penglai Palace after renovation in 662, Yuan Palace in 670 and Daming Palace again in 701. In the following 200-odd years to the end of the Tang Dynasty, emperors all lived in the Daming Palace (except Tang Emperor Xuanzong once lived in the Xingqing Palace), and the palace served as a place for emperors to handle state affairs, receive officials and hold big events such as dress parades. Thus it turned into the national political center.
The Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty covers 12 square kilometers and the city wall is 7.5 kilometers in girth. The city wall is built of rammed earth, the bottom is 10.5 meters wide and the wall foundation is 13.5 meters wide. The palace has nine city gates and within the palace city there are three parallel east-west city walls that divide the palace into three areas. The three areas fall into two parts: the front court and the inner court, according to their functions.
In the Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty there were and other great halls while the Hanyuan Hall in front of the palace was the main one. From the site of the Hanyuan Hall one could see its large scale with the Xiangluan Pavilion to its east and the Xifeng Pavilion to its west, both of which were linked to the hall with corridors. In front of the Hanyuan Hall was a wave-shaped "Dragon-tail Road".
Today, the Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty is opened as an important scenic spot for tourists from home and abroad, disseminating the long history and brilliant culture of the Chinese nation. The renovated palace site has many exhibition halls that display the cultural relics unearthed in the site. The State Council proclaimed the Daming Palace as a key cultural relics site under the state protection in 1961, and set up a special storage bureau to manage the cultural relics unearthed in the Daming Palace site.
Quick Facts on Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty
• Name: Daming Palace Ruins of Tang Dynasty
• Location: Downtown Xi'an
• Phone: +86-29-87630166
• Dates: Tang Dynasty (618-907)
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 Hours
• Opening Hours: 09:30-18:00
• Admission Fee: CNY 60