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Liao Nanjing


Nanjing was the name for Beijing during the Liao dynasty, when Khitan rulers made the city the southern capital. To distinguish Nanjing, which literally means "South Capital" in Chinese, from modern Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, Chinese historians sometimes refer to Beijing during the Liao dynasty as Liao Nanjing (simplified Chinese: 辽南京; traditional Chinese: 遼南京; pinyin: Liáo Nánjīng). The Khitan rulers of the Liao acquired the city, then known as Youzhou, in the cession of the Sixteen Prefectures in 938 from the Later Jin, and the city was officially renamed Nanjing, Youdu Fu (南京幽都府). In 1012, the city was renamed Nanjing, Xijin Fu (南京析津府). The city was also colloquially referred to at the time as Yanjing. In 1122, the city was captured by the Jurchen Jin dynasty and was officially renamed Yanjing, ending the use of Nanjing for what is today modern Beijing.

Liao Nanjing is located in the southwestern portion of modern Beijing, in the southern half of Xicheng District (formerly Xuanwu District).

Liao Nanjing inherited the walled city and neighborhood configuration of Youzhou from the earlier Tang dynasty. The outer city wall was 36 li in circumference, though some scholars say it was closer to 25-27 li, 9 meters high and 4.5 meters wide at the top. The city had eight gates (men), two each in each cardinal direction: Andongmen and Yingchunmen to the east, Kaiyangmen and Danfengmen to the south, Xianximen and Qingpumen to the west, and Tongtianmen and Gongchenmen to the north. On the top of the wall were 910 battle towers. Outside the wall were three layers of moats. Outside Danfengmen was the jiju grounds, where Khitan nobles played an ancient form of polo.


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