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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
XI'AN, January 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese archaeologists have confirmed that the Epan Palace, built during the reign of Emperor Qinshihuang in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), was built on the site of what was once a massive reservoir. The discovery sheds light on the engineering prowess that existed there more than 2,200 years ago.
The ruins of Epan Palace are located in what is now the New District of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Northwest China. According to historical records, construction of the palace complex began in 212 BC under Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China, but was halted after the fall of the short-lived dynasty.
Continuous archaeological research conducted since 1994 has shown that the ruins of the Epan Palace consisted of a massive rectangular stylobate of compacted earth, and that only the unfinished foundation of the ceremonial hall was found.
In 2025, a joint archaeological team from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CAS) and the Xi'an Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted excavations on an area of approximately 1,000 square meters located slightly east of the central part of the stylobate.
According to Liu Rui, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the excavations accurately determined the southern edge of the stylobate, which was located approximately 407 meters from the northern edge of the stylobate, which made it possible to clarify the overall width of the palace complex.
"Combined with earlier findings that the site extends approximately 1,270 meters from east to west, the total area of the ruins exceeds 500,000 square meters, making it the largest known stylobate for a palace complex in ancient China," Liu Rui said.
Recent discoveries also revealed that prior to construction, there was a large pond or lake on this site. The palace stylobate was built directly on the muddy lakebed after the reservoir was drained, demonstrating the significant complexity of organizational management and construction techniques used in large-scale projects during the Qin Dynasty.
Researcher Jiao Nanfeng of the Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Archaeology said the location of the Epan Palace reflected both Emperor Qinshihuang's grand vision for the country's territorial structure and practical considerations.
"At that time, the Qing capital of Xianyang was located on the north bank of the Wei River. Due to the changing political situation and administrative needs, the emperor decided to move the capital to the south bank," added Jiao Nanfeng. -0-
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