Discovery and Preliminary Study of the Western Han Changle

Liu Zhendong & Zhang Jianfeng

Key words: Western Han period (206 BCE–CE 9) Changle Palace site central palace area

The Changle Palace 长乐宫 (the Palace of Lasting Joy) was constructed on the site of an earlier palace, the was the earliest palace to be built in the Western Han Xingle 兴乐. Built on the southern bank of the Wei capital of Chang’an 长安. It was the residence of the River 渭河, the Xingle Palace was one of the travel founding emperor Gaozu (i.e. Liu Bang lodges of the Qin State. Some sources state that it al- 刘邦, r. 206–195 BCE), and, following his death, be- ready existed during the reign of King Zhao of the Qin came the residence of the Western Han empresses. No (255–250 BCE), others that it was constructed only af- surface traces of the palace buildings have survived. The ter the Qin unified in 220 BCE. After Qin was site, in the northwest sector, covers much of the Weiyang destroyed and Liu Bang gained the throne, in 202 BCE, 未央 and Hancheng 汉城 districts in modern Xi’an 西 “in the ninth month, he moved his nobles to the 安 [e.g., the Weiyang Palace (Everlasting Palace) and Guanzhong 关中 area [roughly the central area of mod- the Han city] that include the villages of Jiangwudian ern 陕西] and they began the construction of 讲武殿, Luojiazhai 罗家寨, Zhangjiaxiang 张家巷, the Changle Palace.” In 200 BCE, “in the second month, Lishanghao 李上壕, Tangzhai 唐寨, Chazhai 查寨, Gaozu, passing through Zhao 赵 and Luoyang 雒阳, Leijiazhai 雷家寨, Fanjiazhai 樊家寨, and Gelaomen returned to Chang’an from Pingcheng 平城. With the 阁老门 (Figure 1). completion of the Changle Palace, the prime minister and The wall that bordered the palace site was discovered other officials moved and took up office in Chang’an.” when archaeological excavations began in the early Some structures, for example, the Hongtai 鸿台 (Wild 1960s. In 1978, archaeologists excavated a building Goose Terrace) and Linhua Hall 临华殿 (Hall of Verg- foundation (No. 1), and in the 1980s, further drillings ing Brilliance), were later destroyed by fire. When the and test excavations were carried out at the site. The usurper 王莽 seized power (r. CE 9–23), tests revealed the locations of the palace gate, roads, and he changed the name of Changle Palace to Changle several structural foundations. In the beginning of the Mansion 常乐室. When he was overthrown, his year 2000, archaeologists excavated drainage pipes that successor, Gengshi 更始, moved his capital from had been exposed by construction work. Beginning in Luoyang to Chang’an, and the palace once again be- the spring of 2001, archaeologists conducted further came the Han imperial residence. In the third (and final) systematic drilling, test excavations, and strategic year of his reign (CE 25), during the turbulence of the excavations; by the end of 2005 most of the sites within agrarian uprising known as the Chimei (赤眉军 Red the palace walls had been tested. By this date as well, Eyebrow) rebellion, the city of Chang’an was set afire archaeologists had also partially excavated the remains and the palace destroyed. of building 3 and the entirety of the remains of build- The names of a number of structures erected on the ings 2, 4, 5, and 6. site are known from historical sources. They include the Front Hall 前殿, Linhua Hall 临华殿, Wenshi Hall (Chamber of Warmth), the Hongtai , etc. The Construction and Destruction of the 温室殿 鸿台 Still other halls mentioned in the texts are the Changding Changle Palace 长定 (Hall of Enduring Purpose), Changqiu 长秋 (Hall According to the historical sources, the Changle Palace of Enduring Autumn), Yongshou 永寿 (Hall of Eternal

158 Chinese Archaeology Leijiazhai kiln 2 1 Dongchazhai

4 Zhongchazhai northwestern building complex 6 kiln road kiln 5 road Fanjiazhai 3 Luojiazhai road

Zhangjiaxiang Jiangwudian Dongtangzhai Xitangzhai southeastern road road building complex

road road road road

southwestern building complex

Dongyezhai road Gelaomen

Lixiahao

Lishanghao Xiyezhai Dongyezhai

Figure 1. Schematic map of Changle Palace site by coring survey 1. Building No. 1 2. Building No. 2 3. Building No. 3 4. Building No. 4 5. Building No. 5 6. Building No. 6

Life), and the Yongning 永宁 (Hall of Perpetual walls did not proceed in a straight line. The circumfer- Tranquility). ence was about 10,000m. The historical sources record Among the buildings excavated to date, several were that there were gates on all four sides, with watchtowers built in the early Western Han period and continued to at both the east and west gates. be in use until the Wang Mang usurpation. Although Two major roads running north-south and east-west traces of reconstruction were observed in a few buildings, respectively were discovered in the 1980s’ survey, while the majority was destroyed by fire. The archaeological the 2005 campaign determined that the east-west road record basically accords with the historical record. is located close to the northern end of the site. The re- mains of the east-west road measure approximately 30– 50m wide. This road connects the Donggong Men 东 The Plan of the Changle Palace 宫门 (Eastern Palace Gate) with the Bacheng Men 霸 The enclosure surrounding the site of the Changle Pal- 城门 (Ba City Gate) on the east and the Xigong Men 西 ace was made of ramped earth. Archaeological tests lo- 宫门 (West Palace Gate) with Anmen 安门 (Anmen cated sections of all four walls, of which only the foun- Gate) Avenue on the west. The north-south road is situ- dations are today extant. They range in width from 5m ated in the eastern sector of the site. Measuring today to 12m; most measure 5m to 9m. Based on the surveys, 30m in width, it connects the Nangong Men 南宫门 the reconstructed lengths of the enclosure measure ap- (South Palace Gate) with Fu’ang Men 覆盎门 (Fu’ang proximately 3,000m east to west, 2,044m north to south. Gate) on the south and runs into the main east-west road The 1960s’ campaign revealed that the north and south on the north. Beyond the point where the two roads

Volume 7 159 intersect, archaeologists found no other structural west area. It is likely that the central palace buildings remains. Roads of such widths have not been found in were near the Luojiazhai village. other palace areas inside the city of Chang’an. The roads unearthed in the Weiyang Palace site, for example, mea- The Central Structures of the Changle Palace sure between 8–12m wide, those of the Guigong 桂宫 Site (Cinnamon Palace) site from 10.3–13m. It is possible that the Changle Palace roads continued to be used even 1. Excavations. Among the twenty-some architectural after the site was abandoned. Archaeological excava- locations known to be in the northwest section, archae- tions at the site, for example, have found many pottery ologists have excavated six, numbered serially in the kilns and foundations of Buddhist temples dating from discussion below. All have foundations of ramped-earth. the and periods (535–557 As noted above, drainage pipes have also been found in and 557–581, respectively). These finds strongly sug- this area. gest that the later residents of the area used these West- Structure No. 1, excavated in 1978, lies about 300m ern Han gates to reach the temple and pottery sites. Such north of Luojiazhai Village. This large structure had a long term, consistent use of the roads would have led foundation that measures 76.2m east-west and 29.5m not only to their gradual enlargement, but would prob- north-south. ably also has established them as the main roads con- Structure No. 2 is about 360m northwest of the necting the city gates. In addition to the two main roads Luojiazhai Village and was excavated in 2002–2003. found inside the palace precinct, archaeologists also Another large building, its rectangular foundation mea- found several smaller intersecting roads that formed a sures 45.3m east-west and 96m north-south. Three sub- convenient traffic network. All are subjects for future terranean rooms were found in the foundation (F1–F3) excavations to determine their dates. (Figure 2). The current available data indicate that buildings in- Test excavations for Structure No. 3 were conducted side the Changle Palace precinct were concentrated in in 2002. It lies to the west of Luojiazhai Village and has three areas: the northwest, near today’s Luojiazhai a foundation measuring 45.3m east-west and 54.48–88. village; the southwest, between the Jiangwudian and 45m north-south. Two subterranean rooms were found Zhangjiaxiang villages, in the area south of the east-west in the foundation (F1 and F2). Structure No. 4, exca- road and east of the north-south road; and the southeast, vated in the winter campaign of 2003, is approxi- south of today’s Fanjiazhai Village. Most of the archi- mately120m north of Luojiazhai. Its foundation is 79. tectural remains are found in the northwest area, in some 4m east-west. Complete measurement of the north-south twenty locations, and comprise a concentrated distribu- transversal, however, was not possible, since part of the tion of relatively large-scale foundations. The other two foundation is buried under the modern village road. The areas are relatively smaller in size; each includes some excavated segment measures 27.4m long. Two subter- ten locations that are also smaller than those in the north- ranean rooms were found in the east and central part of the foundation (F1 and F2). Structure No. 5 is some 30m east N rammed of Luojiazhai and was excavated in earth the winter of 2004. It consists of a foundation rammed F1 corridor single large building (F1) and five earth smaller houses (F2–F6), all of which foundation were surrounded by a courtyard of yard F2 brick tiles. It was very likely a stor- age facility (Figure 3). apron corridor Structure No. 6 is very close to F3 Luojiazhai Village and approxi- rammed earth foundation F3 mately 40m south of the No. 4 Structure. The foundation of this

0 10m large building measures 120m east- Figure 2. Building No. 2 of Changle Palace west and more than 50m north-south

160 Chinese Archaeology (part of the southern end of the building lies under the village and was therefore not measured). In 2005, ar- F6 N chaeologists excavated sections of attached structures north of the ramped-earth foundation. Drainage pipes were found 100m north of the F5 F4 Jiangwudian Village in 2001. Of the four sets of pen- tagonal-shaped pottery drainage pipes, three were lo- F2 F3 court yard cated west of the village, one in the eastern sector. 2. The general plan of the central palace buildings. The archaeological evidence to date indicates that large water ditch structures with ramped-earth foundations were mostly court yard erected in the northwest section of the Changle Palace precinct. The largest found so far, No. 6, faces the ma- F1 drainage pipe jor east-west road. Structures 1 and 4 lie to the north of this building, while Structures 2 and 3 lie, respectively, court yard northwest and southwest of it. Structure No. 5 is situ- 0 5m ated east of No. 6. No buildings northeast of this largest structure have so far been unearthed. Figure 3. Building No. 5 of Changle Palace The largest building in the Changle Palace area should be the one the historical sources refer to as the Front of charred rubble was found–the burned ruins of an ear- Hall. Based on its location and scale, therefore, Struc- lier structure. Among them were flat and cylindrical tiles ture No. 6 is likely to be the remains of the Front Hall. dating from the late Western Han, the probable date for Li Daoyuan’s 郦道元 Shui Jing Zhu 水经注 (The River the fire, as well. Based on this evidence, Building No. 4 Classic Commentary) states that the Mingqu 明渠 wa- is perhaps the Linhua Hall mentioned in historical sources. ter channel of Chang’an city “passes Han Gaozu’s The layout indicates that the building was used as both Changle Palace on its east.... Bronze statues once stood an office and living quarters. The large scale of the sub- in front of the Hall. To its west were the Changxin, terranean room F1 and its elaborate layout, with a corri- Changqiu, Yongshou, and Yongchang Halls. Northeast dor on the north side opening into a reception room, sug- of the Hall was a pond.” gests that it might have served important administrative The five large foundations west of the No. 6 building functions. The plan of F2 is quite different; it is divided probably include those of the Changqiu and Changshou into several small rooms. Because they have few sup- Halls. That few architectural features have been found porting columns, however, they nevertheless appear northeast of Structure 6 suggests that the garden and the spacious. The earthen floor of the main room, espe- pond noted by Li Daoyuan may well have been in that cially the southern section of the largest, was daubed section. According to the sixth-century San Fu Huang with vermilion, and fragments of a painted ceiling were Tu 三辅黄图, “the Front Hall is 49 zhang 丈 [north- also found. The room opens on its north and east sides south] and 7 chi 尺 long in a west-east direction;” that to two more rooms, while a third room to the north is is, about 115m. This accords well with today’s mea- linked to it by a corridor. On the west side of the corri- surement of 120m. dor there was an interior staircase with steps crudely The San Fu Huang Tu is one source for names of colored in red. All these features indicate that this part many of the structures in the palace compound. An- of the building served as living quarters for important other source is the Han Shu 汉书 (History of the West- personages. The vivid red of the painted floor and steps ern Han Dynasty. The latter states that in BCE 13 is mentioned in historical sources as chichi 赤墀 (red (Yongshi 4), “Linhua Hall of the Changle Palace and step) and was reserved for the highest-ranked buildings. the Eastern Sima Gate 司马门 of the Weiyang Palace The Sanfu Huangtu tells us that “the Linhua Hall was suffered calamities.” Structure No. 4, as noted above, behind the Front Hall of the Changle Palace.” Thus, the showed signs of fire damage. The extant structure was two halls were parallel to each other, as are the sites of built over the foundations of a building that had also Buildings Nos. 4 and 6. Their positions vis-à-vis each been destroyed by fire. Beneath the floor of F1 a layer other are strong evidence that the two foundations are

Volume 7 161 very likely those of the Linhua and Front Halls. the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, for build- From its plan and convenient proximity to the Front ing where the preceding dynasty’s Xingle Palace struc- Hall (No. 6), we assume that Structure No. 5 was the tures had been erected, especially if any were still “Ice Storage Room” referred to in the literature. The standing. The site was not far from the Weiyang Palace smaller buildings may have been administrative offices. and thus allowed for easy commuting by the imperial All the several sites found to the west of the Front Hall family. The location also provided easy access to main have relatively large ramped-earth foundations. The thoroughfares. layout of these buildings, however, shows considerable division and sub-division of the spaces without much discernible order. The subterranean structures discov- Reference Works ered in the foundations of Buildings Nos. 2 and 3 were Liu, Zhendong 刘振东, Zhang, Jianfeng 张建锋, and Xu, further divisions of the structures into small, seemingly Longguo 徐龙国 (2006). “Xi’an Han Chang’an Cheng random sections. This suggests that these sites may Changle Gong Yizhi Fajue Yizu Wanzheng de Paishui Sheshi have served informal functions. Because they are all 西安汉长安城长乐宫遗址发掘一组完整的排水设施 ” in the vicinity of the Front Hall, it is reasonable to con- (An Almost Completed Drainage System of Western Han clude that these were residential and (private) enter- Chang’an’s Palace Was Found). Zhongguo Wenwu Bao 中 (China Cultural Relics News) February 22. tainment areas. 国文物报 Zhongguo Shehui Kexueyuan Kaogu Yanjiusuo Han Chang’an Cheng Gongzuodui 中国社会科学院考古研究所汉长安城 Conclusion 工作队 (Han Chang’an City Archaeological Team, Insti- tute of Archaeology, CASS (2003). “Han Chang’an Cheng The northwest sector of the Changle Palace compound Changle Gong Paishui Guandao Yizhi Fajue Jianbao 汉长 was the central area of the site, and Building No. 6, the 安城长乐宫排水管道遗址发掘简报” (Excavation of Han Front Hall, its most important palace structure. North Period Drains of the Changle Palace in Chang’an City). of Building No. 6 are the remains of the Linhua Hall. Kaogu 考古 (Archaeology) 9: 33–38. Although a wall was found between Buildings 4 and 6, Zhongguo Shehui Kexueyuan Kaogu Yanjiusuo Han Chang’an the intimate connection between the two buildings is Cheng Gongzuodui (2004). “Han Chang’an Cheng Changle attested by the discovery, north of the Front Hall, of at- Gong Erhao Jianzhu Yizhi Fajue Baogao 汉长安城长乐宫 tached structures that linked the two buildings. The Front 二号建筑遗址发掘报告 ” (Report on Structure No. 2 of Han Chang’an City’s Changle Palace). Kaogu Xuebao Hall was the political center, where emperors, empresses 考 古学报 (Acta Archaeologica Sinica) 1: 56–86. and dowager empresses dealt with important matters of Zhongguo Shehui Kexueyuan Kaogu Yanjiusuo Han Chang’an state. The small rooms in the structures north of the Cheng Gongzuodui (2005). “Han Chang’an Cheng Changle building were probably rest areas. The Linhua Hall was Gong Faxian Lingshi Yizhi 汉长安城长乐宫发现凌室遗 used for both formal (administrative, F1) and informal 址” (Unearthing the Ice House of Han Chang’an’s Changle (residential, F2) purposes. The relationship between the Palace). Kaogu 9: 3–6. Front and Linhua Halls is compatible with Western Han Zhongguo Shehui Kexueyuan Kaogu Yanjiusuo Han Chang’an regulations for palace layout of administration in the Cheng Gongzuodui (2006). “Xi’an Shi Han Chang’an Cheng front, residence in the back. Changle Gong Sihao Jianzhu Yizhi 西安市汉长安城长乐 There were probably several reasons for selecting the 宫四号建筑遗址 ” (The Foundation of Building No. 4 of northwest sector as the site of the central palace area. Han Chang’an’s Changle Palace in Xi’an). Kaogu 10: 30–39. There were both political and practical advantages, in

Note: The original paper, published in Kaogu 2006.10: 22–29 with three illustrations, is written by Liu Zhendong and Zhang Jianfeng. This summary is prepared by the first author and English-translated by Audrey Spiro.

162 Chinese Archaeology