The once magnificent Daming Palace was the imperial court compound of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Situated at the dynastic capital of Changa’an the site functioned as the residence of the Tang monarchs for a period of more than two centuries. Located to the northeast of where the city of Xi’an stands today, this remarkable complex has been designated as one of China’s national heritage sites.
Like many other Chinese palace complexes, this once splendid compound has been thoughtfully and meticulously laid out. Most visitors will enter the complex through the southern Dangfeng Gate; after entering the compound you will see a large square with the Hanyuan Hall at one extremity. At one time this site was attached to handsome pavilions through corridors, namely the Qifeng Pavilion and the Xiangluan Pavilion. The Hanyuan Hall was used for many kinds of official ceremonies and served as the principal venue for receiving ambassadors from foreign countries in diplomatic functions.
In the Middle Court of the complex you will find the large Xuanzheng Hall which was the location used for important state affairs. In the heyday of the site the secretariat as well as the chancellery of the imperial state were located in proximity to the hall. From this headquarter’s the royal state controlled and administered the vast nation under its command.
The Inner Court is another interesting section of the palace compound. Here the splendid Zichen Hall takes pride of place, having housed the offices of central government. For civil officials it was held to be a great honour to be invited to the hall. Nearby is the Linde Hall which was employed for performances, banquets and religious ceremonies.
To the north of the compound is an imperial park which is a leisure site for visitors. The Sanqing Hall situated to the northeast of the complex functioned as a Taoist shrine for the royal family. With all of these impressive features the Daming Palace site is sure to captivate the visitor.
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Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+
