On October 1, Xian’s version of Beijing’s Forbidden City opens to the public. It’s the start of a massive government-backed Silk Road restoration project and is expected to become one of Xian’s big iconic sites like the Terracotta Warriors.
Daming Palace was the Imperial seat of the Tang Dynasty for 250 years (from 630 to 870 AD when it was destroyed by rebellion). This was the height of the Chinese empire and Xian (then Changan) was one of the world’s most glorious cities. The renovation of the Daming Palace is supposed to re-capture that era.
Xian’s Forbidden City covers 3.5 sq. kilometers. Beijing’s is just a fourth of that (0.75 sq. kilometers). An astounding RMB12 billion was spent retrofitting this Tang Dynasty fun park. Only the building foundations are original, everything else has been rebuilt in the Tang style. Most importantly, though, everything is to scale. A visit gives a sense of grandeur unrivaled by even Beijing’s collection of Ming-era Imperial buildings. Tickets are RMB60.
History enthusiasts will find some gems amidst the laser lights and gift shops. The Hanyuan Hall, for example, has been under restoration for a decade, led by UNESCO and funded by Chinese and Japanese money.
Beyond that though, Daming Palace looks set to become an amusement park of the ancient with movie-sized recreations of famous battles and an IMAX theater experience. It’s got kitsch value, but it’s not what you expect from what was once China’s capital for 1,000 years.
The Terracotta Warriors, the Han-era Hanyang tomb and the stunning collection of art and artifacts in the Shaanxi History Museum remain Xian’s main draws. But the refurbished Daming Palace is weird and ambitious enough to pencil in an extra day to your next visit to Xian.