Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s3.t1.9

v2.c13.s3.t1.9

In the seventh year of the Western Han’s first emperor (200 BC), the Weiyang Palace was built and the capital was moved from Liyang to Chang’an. Emperor Wu further expanded the city. The character “长” was changed into “常” in the New Mang Period. In the Eastern Han, the capital was shifted to Luoyang but Chang’an remained the secondary western capital. Emperor Xian once again moved the capital to Chang’an. Under later dynasties, Chang’an’s old city was re-established as the capital. The Sui dynasty built a new city, Daxing, and the old Han Chang’an was abandoned. The new capital was about 3,000 metre northwest of today’s Xi’an City in Shaanxi Province.