As the capital of thirteen dynasties in China, Xi’an is dotted with relics from ancient times. The Han Chang’an City site, located to the northwest of Weiyang District in Xi’an, covers an area of 36 square kilometers. It was once the eastern starting point of the Silk Road. The vast remains of this ancient capital have now become a desolate expanse, and it’s hard to imagine the grandeur it once held as the capital of the Western Han Dynasty two thousand years ago. However, the extensive landscape still evokes a sense of the former imperial city’s majestic splendor.
The Han Chang’an City site was the first international metropolis in Chinese history and the largest capital city in the world at that time. The three most famous palace complexes of Han Chang’an City are the Weiyang Palace, Chang Le Palace, and Jianzhang Palace. The city walls of Han Chang’an were made of rammed earth. Since the walls were constructed after the completion of Chang Le Palace and Weiyang Palace, their positions and orientations were adapted to fit around these two palaces. This resulted in the city walls forming shapes resembling the Southern Dipper in the south and the Northern Dipper in the north, commonly known as “Dipper City.”
Travel Information about Han Chang’an City Site
Tickets and Opening Hours
Tickets: Free.
Open all day; The Chang Le Palace No. 4 and No. 5 Ruins Museum is open from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
How to Get There
Location: Approximately 5 kilometers northwest of Xi’an city, in the Weiyang District, Shihua Avenue middle section.
Public Transport: Take bus No. 912 and get off at Shijiazai Station; it’s a short walk from there.
Attraction Ratings
Cultural: ★★★★★
Special Features: ★★★★
Leisure: ★★★
Beauty: ★★
Romantic: ★★
Excitement: ★
Highlights of Han Chang’an City Site
Weiyang Palace Site
The Weiyang Palace site is roughly square in shape and located at the southwest corner of the city, also known as the “Western Palace.” It served as the emperor’s audience hall. The palace complex had gates on all four sides and corner towers at each corner of the city. Inside the palace, there were both east-west and north-south main avenues. The palace walls had gates and side gates on all four sides, with gate towers at the northern and eastern gates. If princes visited the capital, they entered through the eastern gate; commoners submitting petitions approached the northern gate.
The main palace buildings were located in the eastern part of the central palace area, consisting of a group of high-platform structures built on the same base. To the west and south of the palace city were the western and southern city walls of Han Chang’an. Three city gates have been discovered: the Straight City Gate, the Zhang City Gate, and the Xi’an Gate.
According to historical records, the main buildings of Weiyang Palace included the Front Hall, Xuan Room, Warm Room, Cool Room, Qilin Room, and White Tiger Room. The Front Hall was the most significant building in the palace, located at the center of the complex. It was used for major ceremonies, including the emperor’s enthronement and important court meetings, and many significant historical events occurred there. The remains of the Front Hall’s platform now resemble a small earthen mound, measuring 400 meters north-south and 200 meters east-west. The site consists of three main halls that rise progressively from south to north, with the highest point reaching 15 meters. The total area of the rammed earth platform is 80,000 square meters, making it the largest, tallest, and best-preserved Han Dynasty rammed earth building site in China.
Related Details:
The Weiyang Palace is located in the present-day Weiyang District of Xi’an, situated in the southwestern part of Han Chang’an City, behind the Xi’an Gate. Also known as the Western Palace, it was established seven years after Liu Bang ascended to the throne (200 BCE). This palace served as the residence of the emperor during the Western Han period and was the most significant palace complex within Han Chang’an City. It was the political center of the Western Han Dynasty for over 200 years and is one of the largest ancient palace complexes in China. Its planning and design had a profound influence on the construction and layout of subsequent palaces and capitals.
Following the Western Han Dynasty, the Weiyang Palace continued to serve as the administrative center for seven other dynasties: Xin, Western Jin, Former Zhao, Former Qin, Later Qin, Western Wei, and Northern Zhou, spanning over 360 years of use. By the end of the Tang Dynasty, the political center shifted east, and the Weiyang Palace fell into ruins.
The Weiyang Palace ruins of Han Chang’an City, covering an impressive 4.8 square kilometers, exhibit the grandeur and hierarchical architectural system of the time. As the power center of the Han Empire, the Weiyang Palace was pivotal in the administration of the Western Regions and played a crucial role in the development of the Silk Road. It stands as a testament to the Han Empire’s efforts to seek dialogue and exchange, marking an important historical achievement and demonstrating its dual significance as both a temporal and spatial starting point in the Silk Road’s history.
Changle Palace
The Changle Palace is located in the southeastern corner of the city, also known as the Eastern Palace. Initially, it served as the place where the early Han emperors conducted court affairs. After Emperor Hui, it was converted into the residence of the empress dowager.
The palace complex is irregular in shape, surrounded by walls with a perimeter of over 10,000 meters and covering an area of 6 square kilometers, approximately one-sixth of the total city area. Within the palace grounds, notable architectural ruins include the Front Hall, the Linhua Palace, the Changxin Palace, the Changqiu Palace, the Yongshou Palace, the Shenxian Palace, the Yongchang Palace, and the Bell Tower.
Jianzhang Palace
The Jianzhang Palace is located within the Shanglin Garden, which extends over 100 kilometers in circumference. The palace complex, known for its vast number of buildings, was reputedly called the “Palace of a Thousand Doors and Ten Thousand Households.”
The Front Hall of Jianzhang Palace was situated higher than that of the Weiyang Palace. To the east, there stood the Phoenix Tower, which was 20 zhang (about 66 meters) high, and remnants of this structure still exist today.
To the north, the Taiye Pool featured several islands such as Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. These islands were adorned with pavilions, terraces, and towers arranged harmoniously amidst the landscape, creating a picturesque and almost otherworldly scene. To the south, there were additional structures like the Shiming Tower and the Binggan Tower.
Han City Wall Ruins Park
The Han City Wall Ruins Park is located within the planning area of the Han Chang’an City site, bounded by the northern section of the Ring Expressway to the south, Mingguang Road to the west, Daxing Road to the north, and the Third Ring Road to the east, covering a total area of 54.81 square kilometers.
The Han Chang’an City ruins are the largest, longest-used, and relatively well-preserved ancient city ruins in China. They represent a historical symbol and emblem of the unified, multi-ethnic Chinese nation and played a central role in the formation of Han cultural identity. As the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, the Han City Wall Ruins embody the core significance of major historical and cultural heritage from China’s brilliant historical period.
Archaeological Discoveries
Existing Ruins: The existing ruins within the city primarily include the city wall, the front hall of Weiyang Palace, the Jiaofang Palace site, government office ruins, the Shaofu site, Tianlu Pavilion site, Shiqu Pavilion site, arsenal ruins, Gui Palace Hongning Hall site, Luozhai site, Fanzhai site, Jiangwu Palace site, tower ruins, and the rammed earth platform of Weiyang Palace. Outside the west wall of the city are the remains of Jianzhang Palace, and to the south, there is a ceremonial architectural complex.
Unearthed Artifacts: A large number of valuable artifacts have been unearthed from the Han Chang’an City and its palace ruins, including building materials, currency, bone inscriptions, Han figurines, bamboo slips, and Qin-Han sealing clay. These artifacts are crucial physical evidence for studying Han Dynasty history.
Street Layout: The ancient description of Han Chang’an City’s street layout is known as “eight streets and nine alleys.” Although the exact details are not fully restored, it is known that the street layout, like the palace layout, was not very regular. On the east and west sides of the Hengmen gate in the northern part of Chang’an, there were nine markets for trade. Additionally, outside the Fu’ang Gate, there was another market, and to the south, there was a specialized “Huai Market” for trading books.
Temples and Daoist Temples: The Sui and Tang dynasties were periods of flourishing for both Buddhism and Daoism, with more than 100 temples and Daoist temples established in Chang’an. Additionally, there were dedicated Buddhist halls and Daoist altars within the palace precincts. The eastern and western markets each had ponds for releasing live animals, called “Fangsheng Pond,” with Buddhist halls for worshipping Buddha statues located by the ponds. Some famous temples were also located outside the city walls.