No. 89
Xanadu (Shangdu)
- Where
- China
- Built by
- Kublai Khan
- Era
- 1256
- Known for
- The summer capital of the Mongol emperors.
- How it ended
- Burned by the Ming army in 1369.
Lyra Kael can take you here on the globe, tell you the story out loud and answer your questions. Start the time jump.
Background
Shangdu (Chinese: 上都; pinyin: Shàngdū; lit. "Upper Capital"; Mongolian: Шанду), known in the West as Xanadu, was the summer capital of the Yuan dynasty. Located in what is now Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia, it was designed by Chinese architect Liu Bingzhong and served as a seasonal retreat blending Mongolian steppe traditions with Chinese urban planning. The site gained legendary status after it was visited by Marco Polo and later inspired the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
In 2012, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural and historical significance. A railway is under construction from Beijing to Zhenglan Banner and will open in 2026.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.