Línhuáng

Linhuang was the site of Shangjing, the first capital of the Khitan Liao dynasty. Founded by Yelü Abaoji in 918 and named Shangjing in 938, it stood between rivers in a country suited to both farming and herding. The city had two adjoining parts: a northern imperial city with palaces and a southern Han city with residences, markets and guest houses for envoys.

The Jin captured Shangjing in 1120, ending its two centuries as a Liao capital. Its old walls and buildings remained a conspicuous legacy on the steppe, though the city was eventually abandoned under the Yuan. The separate imperial and commercial quarters recalled a court that governed both pastoral peoples and settled communities, bringing officials, merchants and foreign visitors together at its northern seat.