Ruins of the Southern Tang Palace City and Hulong River

Ruins of the Southern Tang Palace City and Hulong River

The ruins of the Southern Tang Palace City and Hulong River are a protected cultural heritage site of Nanjing.

The ruins of the Southern Tang Palace City and Hulong River are located in Zhangfuyuan and Hongwu Road, Qinhuai District, dating back to the Southern Tang Dynasty.

The ruins of the Southern Tang Palace City and Hulong River are situated south of Zhangfuyuan and north of Jianye Road in Qinhuai District, Nanjing. This site is a protected cultural heritage unit of Nanjing. The Southern Tang Palace City extended southeast to Shengping Bridge, south to today’s Neiqiao, southwest to Yangshi Bridge, and north to Beihong Bridge on Hongwu Road. The palace city was square-shaped, with a perimeter of about 2.7 kilometers, a height of approximately 7.9 meters, and a base width of about 4.74 meters.

The approximate location of the imperial palace at the time: “north of Neiqiao, east to Shengping Bridge, west to Dashi Bridge, and north to Xiaohong Bridge.” The Southern Tang palace was square-shaped, with city gates on the eastern, western, and southern sides, but none on the northern side.

According to today’s maps, the specific location of the Southern Tang palace can be outlined as follows: its northern boundary was along Yangpixin Lane and Hubu Street; the southern boundary followed Jianye Road and Baixia Road north of Neiqiao; the western edge was along the stone-lined waterway in Zhangfuyuan residential area; the roads of Muliushi, Daxianglu, and Mingwalang formed the outer western street of the palace; the eastern boundary was roughly along Huowuxiang. The central axis of the palace city was approximately along today’s Hongwu Road. The overall layout was close to a square, slightly longer from north to south and slightly shorter from east to west.

The Southern Tang Palace City was originally reconstructed from the Jinling Prefecture government offices of the Yang Wu period. It underwent five major renovations. Emperor Liezu Li Bian initiated large-scale construction, during which many workers perished. After Li Jing ascended the throne, the palace became even more luxurious. Later, Emperor Li Yu, known for his indulgence, further expanded the palace complex. There were many halls in the Southern Tang palace, such as 0-Hall, Qinzhen Hall, and Rouyi Hall, reflecting the interests of the three rulers. Since Li Yu was a devout Buddhist, several temples were built within the palace grounds.

The Hulong River refers to the moat that encircled the eastern, northern, and western sides of the palace city. Most of the waterways were newly dug, running from north to south, with a depth of 2–2.4 meters and a width of 5.6–6 meters. Historical records state, “The Hulong River diverted water from Qingxi, flowing in from under Donghong Bridge, circling the eastern, northern, and western sides of the imperial city, and merging back with Qingxi under Xihong Bridge.” The Zhizheng Jinling Xinzhi (Records of New Jinling) describes it as “twelve zhang wide.” The Hulong River was referred to as the “Dragon River,” associated with Yuan Emperor Wenzong. After ascending the throne, Yuan Wenzong converted his former residence by the Hulong River into the Dalongxiang Jiqing Temple, hence it was commonly called the “Dragon River” in the late Yuan and early Ming periods. The Da Ming Taizu Gaohuangdi Shilu (Veritable Records of the Great Ming’s Taizu, the August Emperor) recorded: “In the first year of the Tianshi era under Yuan Wenzong, construction began on the Dalongxiang Jiqing Temple, located by the Dragon River in today’s capital.” In the sixteenth year of the Zhizheng era, Zhu Yuanzhang captured Jinling; the following year, he renamed the temple to Datianjie Temple. In the spring of the first year of the Hongwu era, Zhu Yuanzhang opened the Shan Shi Yuan (Goodwill Monastery) inside the temple and inscribed the plaque “The World’s Foremost Zen Forest” on its outer gate. In the twelfth month of the fourteenth year of Hongwu, the Shan Shi Yuan was abolished, and in the fifteenth year, it was replaced with the Senglu Si (Monk Registration Office), which oversaw all monks and nuns across the empire. Thus, the “Dragon River” referred to by Zongle actually meant the Tianjie Temple by the Dragon River.

The ruins of the Southern Tang Palace City and Hulong River are a protected cultural heritage site of Nanjing.