Daming Palace

Daming Palace served as the principal imperial residence of the Tang Dynasty from 634 to 904 in Chang'an, then the largest city on Earth and today known as Xi'an. Covering over three square kilometers, it was roughly four times the size of Beijing's later Forbidden City and exceeded any contemporary palace in Europe, India or the Middle East. Tang emperors such as Xuanzong received envoys here from Korea, Japan, Persia and Byzantium - this was the political heart of the Silk Road. The complex burned to the ground in 881 during the Huang Chao rebellion. Systematic excavation began in the 1950s, and the site reopened as a heritage park in 2010 with full-scale outlines of the foundations. In 2014 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of the Silk Roads serial site. Visitors can explore the reconstructed Hanyuan throne hall and an onsite museum displaying Tang-era roof tiles and ceramics.