In this three-part series you will take a tour of Xuzhou, which was the capital of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 219 AD) and is situated between modern day Shanghai and Beijing. In the third century BC, The Roman Empire was at its peak. At the same time, China’s Han Dynasty was more powerful than Rome.
Xuzhou in northern Jiangsu province is one of China’s best showcases of the art and historical relics of the Han Dynasty. At its height, the Han Dynasty stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Central Asia and as far south as Vietnam. Its culture had a great influence on Central and Southeast Asia.
In the center of Xuzhou on top of a mountain stands the famous horse-training terrace where the first Han emperor trained his troops. At age 23, Emperor Gaozu (202 – 195 BC), then known by his common name Liu Bang, fought the Qin and defeated China’s first dynasty.
To honor the first emperor of the Han dynasty, China rebuilt his palace in Xuzhou with many ancient Han stone sculptures displayed.
See The First Emperor: The Man Who Made China
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.
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Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse 
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