Eastern capital of Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907)
Location: Luoyang, Henan Province
Period: 605-907
Excavated from 1954 to the present

Gold letter of Empress Wu Ze Tian of Tang: wishing-happiness name card (left, length 36.3 cm); Multiple-footed porcelain ink-slab imitating Pi Yong, an ancient ritual construction: writing utensil (right-up, diameter 18.2 cm, height 6.6 cm); Tile-end with dragon design: piece of building (right-bottom, diameter 17 cm)

Significance: It has provided important materials for the study of the layout of capital cities of the Sui and Tang dynasties, architecture styles, as well as the development of material cultures.

Introduction

Luoyang City was the eastern capital of the Sui and Tang dynasties. It was first built in 605 of the Sui Dynasty, but was completely destroyed in the warring period of the Song and Jin dynasties. The city was designed in the shape of a near-perfect square comprised of the outer city, the imperial city and the palace.

The wall of the outer city was built up of rammed earth (Hangtu) and had a perimeter of 28 kilometers, with eight city gates on the four sides. The city was divided into many residential districts by streets, which made the city look like a chessboard. The palace was in the northeast corner of the Luoyang City; it was the place where the emperors worked and rested. The imperial city around the palace was the place for court offices and mansions of the royal family. In the west of Luoyang City, there was an imperial garden for the royals.