Weiyang Palace
Weiyang Palace, completed in 200 B.C.E., was a significant architectural complex located in the southwest area of Chang'an (now known as Xi'an), the capital during the Western Han dynasty as well as nine subsequent dynasties. The palace was strategically built on the north slope of Mount Longshouyuan, enclosed by an impressive wall with a total circumference of 8.7 miles (14 kilometers). Within its expansive grounds, the palace featured over forty halls and pavilions designed for various functions, including an audience hall where the emperor conducted official business, halls for imperial ladies, and facilities for storage and armaments.
The audience hall itself was a grand structure, notable for its dimensions—38 feet high and 547 feet long—built on a terraced mound. Archaeological findings from excavations conducted between 1980 and 1987 reveal a rich assortment of artifacts, including ancient building materials, pottery, and bronze items, offering insights into the palace's historical significance. The remnants of Weiyang Palace underscore its role as a central hub of governance and culture during a pivotal era in Chinese history, making it a site of interest for those exploring the legacy of the Han dynasty and its architectural achievements.
Weiyang Palace
Related civilizations: Western Han, China.
Date: c. 206-200 b.c.e.
Locale: Five miles northwest of Xi’an
Weiyang Palace
Weiyang (way-YANG) palace, completed in 200 b.c.e., was a building complex situated in the southwest part of Chang’an (now Xi'an), the capital of the Western Han period of the Han dynasty (206 b.c.e.-23 c.e.) and of nine subsequent dynasties: Xinmong, Western Jin, Early Zhao, Early Qin, Later Qin, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang. Sanfu Huangtu (c. 380-580 c.e.; maps of imperial palaces in mid-Shanxi) and archaeological discoveries during 1980-1983 and 1986-1987 show that the palace was built on the north slope of Mount Longshouyuan, surrounded by walls with four gates on each side with a circumference of 8.7 miles (14 kilometers). The palace had more than forty halls and pavilions, including the audience hall, where the emperor summoned his subordinates, halls for decree announcement, imperial ladies, weaving and dyeing, and water storage, and halls that functioned as an armory and a granary. The halls were connected to emergency passages. The audience hall, 38 feet (11.6 meters) high, 164 feet (50 meters) wide, and 547 feet (166.7 meters) long, was a terraced three-story building sitting on a mound, most likely with three flights and a central ramp leading to the top story. Its foundation, 656 feet (200 meters) long, 328 feet (100 meters) wide, and 38 feet (11.6 meters) high at its very north end, supported by sizable columns, remains in Majiazhai village. Excavated items include ancient building material, earthen ware, jade ware, bronze ware, iron ware, coins, and writing carved on pieces of bones, most of which are 2.8 inches (7.1 centimeters) long, 1.3 inches (3.3 centimeters) wide, and 0.18 inch (0.5 centimeter) thick.
Bibliography
Ru Tighua and Peng Hualiang. Ancient Chinese Architecture: Palace Architecture. New York: Springer, 1998.
Scarpari, Maurizio. Splendours of Ancient China. London: Thames and Hudson, 2000.