Chinese archaeologists sketch out layout of KublaiKhan's capital

Xinhua ^ | Wednesday, July 8, 2009 | Fang Yang (editor)

[SunkenCiv]

Chinese archaeologists said here on Wednesday that they have sketched out the layout of the first capital of Kublai Khan's empire, known as Xanadu in Marco Polo's Travel Notes, through a large-scale excavation... The capital Shangdu was built in 1256 under the command of Kublai Khan, the first emperor of Yuan Dynasty, who was enthroned there four years later. It became a summer resort after the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) moved its capital to present-day Beijing in 1276, and was destroyed during a peasant war at the end of the dynasty... the excavation program, the largest of its kind on the ruins, is expected to take three years to unearth and restore some of the ancient structures in Shangdu in an area of 1,500 square meters... Italian traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324) once described the prosperity of Yuan Shangdu in his book, which aroused great interest from many overseas archaeologists, historians and travelers... The ruins of Shangdu in the Zuolan Banner in north China's Inner Mongolia have been overgrown. The regional government has submitted an application for World Cultural Heritage status for the site to the state department for the preservation of cultural and historical relics and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Web site of the World Heritage Site showed the historical remains at Yuan Shangdu has been part of China's tentative list.

[SunkenCiv]

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[DannyTN]

If there is a layout of Olivia Newton John in Xanadu, please post it.

[JoeProBono]

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea. So twice five miles of fertile ground With walls and towers were girdled round: And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree; And here were forests ancient as the hills, Enfolding sunny spots of greenery..... It was a miracle of rare device, A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

[PzLdr]

Qublai Quan was proclaimed QuaQuan at a quriltai held in China, as opposed to doing it in Mongolia. That action led to a schism not only in the ruling families of the various Quanates, but in his family as well.

He was challenged by his brother, Ariq Boqua, for the supreme Quanate, resulting in a civil war, which Qublai won. He was recognized by his brother Hulegu, Il-Quan of Persia, and by Berke and the Quans of the Golden and White Hordes. But he was not recognized by the Uggedids, led by Quaidu Quan, and largely ignored by the Chaggadids. His ascension to the supreme Quanate was the first major step in the eventual disintegration of the Mongol Empire.

[Joe 6-pack]

Coleridge wasn’t much of a poet...he couldn’t even spell “Rime” correctly ;-)

[Red_Devil 232]

What is the deal? A big announcement about a sketch of the first capital of Kublai Kahn being produced ... and not one of the articles I googled actually had the sketch! Just Damn!

[SunkenCiv]

[Red_Devil 232]

I was looking for something along the lines of this type of layout.

[wildbill]

Quy was the location of the quriltai so important. Quat’s up with that?

[pappyone]

Don’t know.

[PzLdr]

The Mongol homeland was northwest of China, on the steppes. The quriltai that acclaimed Temujin as Chinnghis QuaQuan took place along the Onon River. The one that proclaimed Uggedai, Guyuk and Mongke took place in the vicinity of Karakorum. China was not considered art of that. It was [at the time] part province, part battlefield. While China was part of the Toluid Ulus, igt was viewed separately from the home range, which was also part of Tolui’s inheritance. BUT the two QuaQuans before Mongke were Uggedids, and they were acclaimed in the homeland.

Ariq Boka’s challenge to his brother raised the issue from the point of view of the legitimacy of the kuriltai proclaiming Qublai in a place other than Mongolia. And as a Toluid, Ariq Boka’s contention had more gravitas than from someone in the Uggedid, Chagatid or Jochid line.

[wildbill]

Have you heard anything on the search for Ghengis Khan’s burial place. I remember there was a archeological team that had an idea about the lost location a year or so ago.

Any truth to the legend that after his death the mongols rode their horses over the site to obliterate it—and then those guys were killed to keep the location secret?

[PzLdr]

Chinnghis Quan was reputed to be buried either near where he was born, or on the sacred mountain of Burkan Kaldun. Nobody has found the site, which is interesting since at least Mongke and Qublai are also supposed to be buried near him.

According to the sources I've read, horses, and slave girls were sacrificed to accompany him in the afterlife, and treasure may also have been buried with him. The area of the site was then allegedly ridden over to prevent its location being discovered, and the burial detail/honor guard was killed. Supposedly a specific clan was exempted from military service and left to guard the area until surrounding forest covered the area.