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Discovery and Preliminary Study of the Western Han Changle Palace

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Discovery and Preliminary Study of the Western Han Changle Palace Discovery and Preliminary Study of the Western Han Changle Palace 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 Han Dynasty 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 China 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 Shaanxi 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 Wang Mang 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 Western Wei and Northern Zhou 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).
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