Daming Palace in Xian

Daming Palace Heritage Museum locates at center of Daming Palace Heritage Park in northern part of downtown Xian. The heritage park is built on ruins site of Daming Palace, the imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty. Construction work of the palace was carried out in 635, the 9th year of Emperor Taizong’s Era as the summer palace of Li Yuan, father of Emperor Taizong who is also the founder of the Tang Dynasty. Later in the year 663 the Emperor Gaozong moved to Daming Palace to live and governed the nation here. Since that time Daming Palace functioned as imperial for about 200 years. In excavated area archaeologists found several independent palaces ruins like Qilin Palace in west part of Daming Palace where the Emperor offer banquet and received envoys of other states, Xuanwumen Gate ruins in north part of Daming Palace where Li Shimin, the later Emperor Taizong launched coup and killed his elder brother to force his father Emperor Gaozu give the emperor throne to him.

Daming Palace

Daming Palace Museum is built half under ground and half up ground. The relics and their explanatory note in museum comprehensively explain culture and history of Daming Palace. Though the relics are on display in five sections. Sections One is Preface Hall which gives a brief introduction of history and historical events related to Daming Palace. Section Two is the impacted model of palace complex of Daming Palace. The other three sections are: As promising as sun rise (Ru Ri Zhi Sheng), Paying Respects to the Emperor (Wan Guo Lai Chao), Defending Social Prosperity (Shouwang Huihuang). The five sections displays cultural relics unearthed in Daming Palace ruins, related historical document and the daily utensils of the imperial family in the Tang Dynasty. At entrance of the museum we could see the sand models of the area before and after construction of Daming Palace. The exhibits on display includes rectangular bricks carved with different patterns, stone animal figures, tri-colored glazed pottery, civil officers’ statues, etc. They are without dispute all the best of the kind in the Tang Dynasty because Daming Palace is the imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty where the Emperor and his family lived. As a newly built museum, Daming Palace Heritage Museum has not much items on display yet but each pieces there is of much high historical and aesthetic value. The museum is also working to enrich its collections to introduce more facts about Daming Palace to modern people.

After visiting in the museum take a walk in the park one will feel how grand the imperial palace is. Though the up ground buildings were destroyed, the palace building ruins survived is trying to show modern people the grand looking of the palace complex. The former imperial palace now is oped to common people for free. In the park there are some sports equipment where local people spend their leisurely afternoon time.

Daming Palace

Entrance fee: Free or the Park and RMB60 per person for museum

Opening hours: 09:30-18:00. Ticket issuing stops at 17:00.

Public transportation: Bus 2, 262, 528, 717, 723, 17, 22, 46, 209, 216, etc. Anyuan Men Station of Metro Line 2

Tips for Daming Palace Heritage Park &Museum visiting:

  • If you want to take a walk in the park, please avoid visiting there between 12:00to 16:00 in summer days. There are few trees in the park while the weather can be quite hot.
  • Battery cart available in the park. Visitors could take the cart to museum from entrance because it will take long time to walk to museum.