Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 1.5
Plan of Khanbaliq of Yuan Dynasty
1
. Palaces,
2
. Imperial Ancestral Temple,
3
. Altar of Land and Grain,
4
. Heavenly Water Pond,
5
. Jade Flower Island,
6
. Round City,
7
. Imperial Garden,
8
. Jishui Tan (Waster Storing Pond),
9
. Central Platform,
10
. Corridor of a Thousand Steps,
11
. Confucian Temple,
12
. Imperial
College,
13
. Yamun,
14
. Barns,
15
. Temples,
16
. Bell Tower,
17
. Drum Tower (Reproduced on the
basis of Xu Pingfang's
Atlas of Dadu
)
Eight years after the construction of the large-scale well-planned city of Dadu
started, Marco Polo came here. He was thought highly of by Khublai and appointed
as an high offi cial in the imperial courts of Yuan Dynasty. In his famous travelling
notes, he made a detailed description of the city of Dadu. He called it “Khanbaliq”,
which meant “the city of the great Khan”. His topic was read by many people in the
