The once imperial residence of Changan City (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province), Weiyang Palace was the largest palace ever to be constructed. It was 6.7 times the size of the Beijing's Forbidden City, 11 times the size of the Vatican City. The power center of the Western Han Dynasty, it was also where the legendary Silk Road first originated.
However, for all the grandeur that once was, hardly anything remains. Since the year 200 BC, the vicissitudes of time have indeed taken their toll. Although then 1200 acre site remains respectfully in tact, it is largely just a grassy plot of land perfect for kite-flying.
A few signs point out some locations of note or where some original stones or bits of wall quietly survive, and a small onsite museum delves into the palace history and displays a number of relics.
