Hit TV series "The Longest Day in Chang'an" came to an end this Monday, in which a great number of scenes impressed the audience deeply. For example, the scaled model of Chang'an, which appeared repeatedly, collected all 108 subdistricts and 25 streets in Chang'an, and even the winding lanes and water channels are clear.

A wonderful scaled model of Hangzhou duplicates the palace of the Southern Song Dynasty.

In 1138 AD, the Song Dynasty moved south and settled its capital in Lin'an (now a district ofHangzhou), which was known as the Southern Song Dynasty.

Not as square as Chang'an and Luoyang, the city was elongated-shaped. Neighborhoods and markets were in the north of the city, and in the south was the palace. That is strange, as the ancients regarded the north as empery and most of the palaces were located in the north of the capital. However, once you see the scaled model of the palace of the Southern Song Dynasty, you will have the answer.

According to history, Emperor Gaozong of Song that made Lin'an for his capital was a hasty decision during the war. Lin'an was surrounded by mountains and rivers, and could only be constructed along the terrain. To save workforce and resources, the palace was built in the south of the city. However, the Emperor did not dare to break taboos completely. He made the buildings to face south. Also, ministers' homes were basically in the north of the city. Each time when they went to court, they had to take a round-about route, and finally entered the palace from the south Lizheng Gate(丽正门).

The scaled model was placed in the exhibition room under the Drum Tower, occupying the whole hall. Just above the model is a skylight with an LED projection of a full moon. The producer set the scene on the night of the Mid-Autumn Day.

Hall of Daqing(大庆殿) was very bustling that night. During the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet, the emperor came to Daqing Hall and enjoyed the music with the nobles. Located in the center of the palace, Hall of Daqing(大庆殿) was the place to hold ceremonies. The Emperor usually dealt with daily affairs and summoned ministers in the Hall of Chuigong(垂拱殿).

There was a mini "West Lake" in the corner of the palace. The Emperor loved the West Lake, so his son Emperor Xiaozong made a mini "West Lake in the palace. The pond on the scaled model is between Hening Gate(和宁门) and Hou Garden(后苑). However, Song Ziliang(宋子良), one of the producers of the model, said that the position was not correct. “Several years ago, archaeologists found silt in the northeast corner of the site, which looked like traces of a pool. However, there is still no evidence.”

Although the location is still uncertain, the pond was the "natural air conditioning" to relief summer heat. As soon as the summer arrived, the Emperor chose to work and enjoy his leisure time in the lakeside halls. However, that was not enough. In the lakeside halls, there were gold basins with ice, and wind wheels blew towards jasmine, letting the room smell good. The coolness had even made ministers shivering.

Another interesting thing about life in Lin'an was that the Emperor liked ordering "takeout". Normally, the slaves went out of the palace to buy some snacks. When it came to the Lantern Festival, the whole city would participate in. The emperor would put up a notice the day before the Lantern Festival, telling people that "Welcome to join in the Lantern Festival Banquet!" Applicants, including singers, dancers, sumo wrestlers, and vendors, could enter the square outside Lizheng Gate(丽正门) on the day of the festival, as long as they got the approval of the government.

According to historical data, the earliest scaled model was made of rice by Ma Yuan(马援), the general of the Han Dynasty. Ma's model was made temporarily. But the scaled model of the palace of the Southern Song Dynasty has been made for several months and can be permanently preserved.

There are various ancient texts, hand-drawn maps, and models in the office of Song Ziliang. He fiddles with them from time to time. He said, "I think it is a good phenomenon that The Longest Day in Chang'an becomes a hit, as it attracts people's attention towards history and culture."

Now, he starts to make the scaled model of the whole Lin'an city. "I plan to restore the whole capital of the Southern Song Dynasty in the proportion of 1:500, so that we can know what the landmarks such as Genshan Gate(艮山门) and Qingchun Road(庆春路) looked like hundreds of years ago." 

(Executive Editor: Ke YE)