Weiyang Palace

Weiyang Palace (simplified Chinese: 未央宫; traditional Chinese: 未央宮; pinyin: Wèiyāng Gōng) was a palace complex, located near the city of Chang'an (modern day Xi'an). Built in 200 BC at the request of Han Gaozu, under the supervision of his prime minister Xiao He, it served as the administrative centre and imperial residence of the Western Han Dynasty, as well as the Western Jin dynasty and several other regimes during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The palace survived until the Tang dynasty when it was burnt down by marauding invaders en route to Tang Chang'an. This is the largest palace ever built on Earth, covering 4.8 km² (1,200 acres), which is 6.7 times the size of the current Forbidden City, or 11 times the size of the Vatican City. Today it is located in an open field and nothing remains of the former palace.

Name

The name "Weiyang" (未央) means "endless; unending"; thus the name of the palace literally means "the endless palace".

Description

Weiyang palace is sited to the southwest of Han Dynasty Chang'an, and is therefore also called the Western Palace. Surrounded by walls, the palace complex is rectangular in shape, with a length of 2150 metres east-west and 2250 metres north-south. Each side of the walls has a single main gate, with the eastern and northern gates (facing Chang'an city) built with gate towers.