As the beating heart of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), Chang’an stood as the world’s most populous and meticulously planned city, embodying an era when over 1 million residents from across Asia converged along the Silk Road. Its grid-like layout – with the imperial palace complex at its northern apex – exemplified China’s ancient cosmological harmony, blending administrative precision with thriving multicultural markets.
The city’s 108 walled residential wards and twin commercial districts hosted Persian merchants, Central Asian musicians, and Korean scholars, while its 150-meter-wide central boulevard symbolically linked the human realm to celestial order. This unparalleled urban design, preserved through historical records, continues to inform modern archaeological studies of trade networks and cultural diplomacy.
A new digital exhibition hosted by CGTN offers interactive insights into Chang’an’s architectural innovations, featuring rare artifacts and 3D reconstructions of its iconic drum towers, temple complexes, and the Western Market’s bustling trade stalls. Visitors can explore how the city’s infrastructure supported tax administration, foreign embassies, and religious diversity at <a href='\
