Xian Wei Yang Palace Site
The name “Wei Yang” means “endless, unending”, thus the name of the palace literally means “the endless palace”. It was built in 200 BC at the require of Han Gaozu, under the supervision of his prime minister Xiao He. It was a meeting place for the emperor and minister in the Han Dynasty.
Located to the southwest of Han Chang’ an City, it is also called the Western Palace. The overall layout was quadrate and bounding walls surround the palace. It is a palace complex with a length of 2150 meters from east to west and 2250 meters from south to north. Each side of the walls has a single main gate, with the eastern and northern gates (facing the Chang’an city) built with gate tower. The whole palace had an area of about 5 square kilometers one, one seventh of the city’s total area.The major architecture within the palace include: the Front Hall, Xuanshi Hall, Wenshi Hall, Qingliang Hall, Qiling Hall, Jinhua Hall, Chengming Hall, Gaomen Hall, Baihu Hall, Yutang Hall, Xuande Hall, Jiaofang Hall, Shaoyang Hall, Bailiang Platform, Tianlu Platform and Shiju Pavilion and so on.. With its base altar spanning about 350 meters from north to south, 200 meters form east to west and 15 meters high at the north tiptop, the Front Hall is situated at the center of the whole palace. According to the historical record, Wei Yang Palace had a Sima Gate (gate for defense) at each of the four sides, a watchtower at each of the northern and eastern gates- the East Watchtower was for seigneurs to meet the emperor and the North Watchtower, for scholars and ordinary people to submit written statements.
The ruins of Wei Yang Palace offer valuable material for typological research on various types of relics belongs to the Western Han period. The remains also mirror the history of the Han Dynasty form many perspectives. Among these, of outstanding significance are bone slips, inscribed wooden slips, iron tools, weapons and eave-tles.
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