Surely everyone has heard of Xanadu, or at least the word Xanadu. The name popped up this morning as your editor was searching for new places to explore with you. I was surprised to see that we hadn’t done anything on this vaunted and somewhat opaque place. If we put aside the 1980’s infatuation with the place, it is far more interesting than you might remember.
The story of Xanadu is multi-faceted, as it holds different meanings depending on the context in which it’s mentioned. However, the most famous association with Xanadu comes from literature. Overall, the story of Xanadu is a blend of historical references, literary imagination, and cultural interpretations that continue to inspire and captivate audiences across different mediums.
What you see is what you get. According to UNESCO, this what remains of the North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ruler’s Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhdong in 1256.
Xanadu is primarily known from the poem “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In this poem, Coleridge describes Xanadu as the summer palace of the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan. The poem depicts Xanadu as a place of opulence, beauty, and exoticism. It’s described as a magnificent and fantastical palace surrounded by gardens, rivers, and forests.
So, it’s a place (it’s referenced by many reliable sources) but it’s also not a place. Got it? So, according to UNESCO, North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ruler’s Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhdong in 1256. Over a surface area of 25,000 ha, the site was a unique attempt to assimilate the nomadic Mongolian and Han Chinese cultures. From this base, Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty that ruled China over a century, extending its boundaries across Asia. The religious debate that took place here resulted in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism over north-east Asia, a cultural and religious tradition still practised in many areas today. The site was planned according to traditional Chinese feng shui in relation to the nearby mountains and river. It features the remains of the city, including temples, palaces, tombs, nomadic encampments and the Tiefan’gang Canal, along with other waterworks.
Tripadvisor can get you going in your search for Xanadu. Click here to book.
Etihad fly to China from almost everywhere. Click here to look and book.