Xi'an, the ancient capital of the thirteen dynasties, can never bypass the word "Tang". The prosperity, openness and winding of the Tang Dynasty have flowed on this land for thousands of years with its unique charm.
As the most magnificent building of the Tang Empire, Daming Palace was the largest palace in the world at that time, 4.5 times the size of the Forbidden City of Beijing’s Ming and Qing Dynasties. This world-class site has the Danfeng Gate , which is known as the "first gate of the prosperous Tang Dynasty" by the cultural relics and archaeology community. Its high regulations and large scale are the largest cities in ancient capitals.
The towering Danfeng Gate, based on the protection and display of cultural relics, assumes the responsibility of communicating history and the future and enhancing the integration of Tang Dynasty ruins and modern cities through the shaping of typical architectural artistic images.
Nine Heavens Changhe, the magnificent door head inherits the legacy of the prosperous Tang Dynasty
In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, Taizong Li Shimin built a summer palace for the Emperor Li Yuan on Longshouyuan . While craftsmen were digging the foundation, they unearthed a Qin Dynasty mirror. It is said that this mirror can reflect who is a loyal minister and who is a treacherous minister. Emperor Taizong of Tang disagreed and said that Minister Wei Zheng is my mirror. He can point out my faults. Since the mirror was dug out, this palace is called the Daming Palace.
The palace has not been completed yet, and Li Yuan passed away, so the construction project stagnated for a while. After Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty Li Zhi ascended the throne, it was rebuilt on a large scale. For more than two hundred years since then, the Daming Palace has been the political center and national symbol of the Tang Dynasty.
0Daming Palace Miniature Landscape
662, Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty Li Zhi ordered people to open a new city gate - Danfeng Gate on the southern wall of the Daming Palace. There is a Danfeng Tower built on the gate of Danfeng City , which echoes the north with Hanyuan Hall , Xuanzheng Hall, and Zichen Hall , forming the central axis of the Daming Palace.
The word "danfeng" comes from " Book of Songs·Daya ". The ancients called the phoenix mainly green as the phoenix, and the phoenix mainly red as the phoenix. This name shows the unique and important position of Danfeng Gate among the various gates of the Daming Palace.
As the south gate of the Daming Palace, Danfeng Gate makes full use of the terrain of Longshouyuan, it is conspicuous and majestic, with a wide view, overlooking the entire Chang'an City . Wang Wei has a poem saying: "The palace is opened in the nine heavens, and the clothes and crowns of all nations are worshipping the crowns and slaughterings", which expresses its majestic momentum.
Danfeng Gate is not only the gate for the emperor and court officials to enter and exit the Daming Palace, but also an important place for various activities and ceremonies to be held in the Tang Dynasty. One of the most important functions is to promulgate. After Emperor Suzong of Tang Dynasty, any amnesty was mostly held in Danfeng Tower with a grand "Golden Rooster Release Prison" ceremony.
At the same time, the emperor often met with envoys from various countries and tribute envoys from all ethnic groups here. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang once had a banquet at Danfeng Tower twice. In the 18th year of Kaiyuan (730), he met the Western Turkic cavalry and the Eastern Turkic envoy at Danfeng Tower at the same time. Danfeng Gate, which has five trajectories, is known as the "first door of the prosperous Tang Dynasty" because of its majestic and broad regulations.
After the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang army recovered Chang'an and changed Danfeng Gate to Mingfeng Gate. During the reign of Emperor Daizong of Tang Dynasty, the original name was restored.
After the fall of the Tang Empire, the Daming Palace was reduced to a ruin, and the Danfengmen ruins were exposed to the suburbs for a long time. Han Jian, the governor of the Youguo Army who was stationed in Chang'an, rebuilt Chang'an City, abandoned the outer city and palace city of Chang'an City, closed the three gates of Zhuque, Anfu and Yanxi of the imperial city, and opened Xuanwu Gate in the north for defense.
From then on, Danfeng Sect was completely abandoned.
Danfeng transforms, showing China's confidence in the ancient style
After experiencing the brilliant light, Chang'an City gradually returned to silence, and the remains of Danfeng Gate are also hidden in the war of history. In the 1950s and 1960s, archaeologists conducted investigations and explorations on the Danfengmen site. In 2010, Danfeng Gate held a protective display at the original site.
This building designed by the famous architect and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Mr. Zhang Jinqiu , has a shape that is close to the architectural characteristics and style of Tang Danfeng Gate to the greatest extent, in order to arouse people's association with history.While reflecting the shape, scale, shape and grand and dignified temperament of the main entrance of the Tang Dynasty imperial palace, it has also become an iconic symbol of a modern urban space.
The famous architect Zhang Jinqiu
The temperament of the country and the nation is solid and heavy. Hugo , a building that describes Paris with emotion, "music carved on stone", in order to commend the French spirit represented and inherited by these buildings. Therefore, the world-famous Ladfense was derived, which was born, including the New Arc de Triomphe , Pompidou Art Center and other modern buildings. When the invisible urban culture and tangible buildings are integrated into one, culture will be passed down from generation to generation on this land.
The heavy and ancient Chang'an City, under the observation of the legacy of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, chose its own spiritual system - Tang style architecture. The magnificent Danfeng Gate shines brightly under Mr. Zhang Jinqiu's wonderful writing. The aura of the prosperous Tang Dynasty and the beauty of the East not only finds us a sense of belonging in history, but also reproduces the touchable memory of the times.
Now Danfeng Gate has become one of the world-facing landmark buildings in Xi'an. In 2016, the closing ceremony and award ceremony of the third Silk Road International Film Festival were grandly staged at the Danfeng Gate of the Daming Palace. Chinese and foreign filmmakers jointly created a prosperous Chang'an night on the Silk Road.
Close Ceremony of the Third Silk Road Film Festival Light Show
In September 2018, Danfeng welcomed guests, and the guests gathered in the Daming Palace. The opening ceremony of the third China-French Cultural Forum was held here. At the same time, many parallel forums and exchange activities between China and France were also held as scheduled. The cultural origins and cultural confidence of the prosperous Tang Dynasty blend with the humanistic atmosphere from the West, writing a footnote to the cooperation between the two ancient cities of Xi'an and Paris.
The third Sino-French Cultural Forum opened
On September 22, the large-scale mechanical art installation "Dragon Horse Spirit" from France slowly "awakened" amid the lively and cheerful and full of Chinese drums. This giant mechanical device with a horse with a dragon head was designed by French artists and is an art masterpiece created and manufactured by more than 100 Chinese and French artists and engineers. It uses French greetings from the other side of the ocean to greet citizens and tourists in the ancient city of Xi'an, and uses a stunt performance with a full sense of technology to bring shock and surprise to people, allowing Chinese and Western cultures to blend and sublimate in traditional Chinese festivals.
large-scale mechanical art installation "Dragon Horse Spirit" that witnesses friendship between China and France
Like us, the city also has a home. The Daming Palace is a remains of the Tang Dynasty, Ancient City Wall witnesses the thousand-year-old character, Dahua Shining Mill records the process of industry, and Jinye Road is the most prosperous growth in the city. Everyone has a landmark in their hearts. Time is advancing, but the landmark still represents the cultural landscape and people's spirit of a place.
Ancient city wall witnesses the thousand-year-old character
This time, the transformation of Danfeng Gate has strides forward, and people regain the confidence of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Looking around, focusing on the future after the gorgeous counterattack, and inheriting the most moving feelings under the grand background of the "Belt and Road" and in the smile of Chang'an City.
Some pictures are from the Internet
Editor｜Wang Tian Editor｜Ziyang Proofreading｜Yingxi
