Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
aqueduct had been constructed to divert the water of the Yongding River (then called
the Lu-gou River) eastward, following the natural topography, to the north moat of
Zhongdu City. From there a canal continued eastward to Tong-zhou (east of present-
day Beijing). The plan was to bring together river shipments of grain and other
material at Tong-zhou for transshipment to Zhongdu. But when the Yongding River
fl ooded, however, it could not be effectively controlled, and the scheme proved to be
unworkable.
Kublai Khan therefore decided to abandon old Zhongdu City and commissioned
the Han scholar Liu Bing-zhong, who was acquainted with the ancient classics as
well as experienced in city construction, to draw up plans for a new city centered on
the lake by Tai-ning Palace. Liu Bing-zhong and his student Guo Shou-jing, an
expert astronomer and hydraulic engineer, began directing the construction of the
new city and its canal system in 1267, but the work was not completed until 1285.
What they created was the historically renowned Dadu City. It was during the con-
struction of Dadu that Marco Polo visited China and became an offi cial of the Yuan
Dynasty. Later, after his return to Italy, he recalled the grandeur of Dadu and the
splendor of the palace in his account of “Khanbaliq” in Marco Polo's Journal.
This account of the founding and initial construction of Dadu City is well enough
documented, but the decisions concerning planning and design of the city are more
obscure since no offi cial papers or other accounts have been passed down. The only
direct evidence for the city's internal organization consists of a restored map of
Dadu City and some incomplete historical records. My own reconstruction of the
city's plan development is as follows.
First, it was decided that the north-south axis of the city would be located close
by the east bank of the northern part of the lake, which at that time was called Ji-shui
Tan (see Fig. 2.1 ). The north end of this axis was set at the northeast bank of Ji-shui
Tan. The emperor's palace, surrounded on four sides by a palace wall (which
became known much later as the “Forbidden City”), was located on the east bank of
the southern part of the lake and centered on the city's north-south axis.
On the west bank were two palace complexes, the southerly one being the
palace of the crown prince and the northerly one the palace of the emperor's
mother, or “empress dowager.” These two complexes were also surrounded each
on four sides by a palace wall, and faced the emperor's palace from afar across
the lake. In the middle of the lake, equidistant from the three palaces, was a small
island, which remained from the old Tai-ning Palace complex, called Ying-zhou.
Bridges extending from Ying-zhou Island to the east and west shores of the lake
connected the three palaces together. North of Ying-zhou Island was a larger
island, called Qiong-hua Island, upon which was the main concentration of
buildings of the Tai-ning Palace. Surrounding the three palace complexes was a
city wall, which defi ned what was known as the “Royal City.” Henceforth the
south lake was surrounded by the Royal City, and according to tradition, was
given the name “Tai-ye Chi” (Supreme Liquid Lake). Around the shore of Tai-ye
Chi an imperial park was planned.
Since the northern part of the lake now lay outside the Royal City, and being
separated from the southern part, a canal was constructed to divert its outfl ow
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