That the palace lay to the south and
south-east of the present city, and included a large part of the fine hills
called Fung-hwang Shan or Phoenix Mount,[5] and other names, whilst its
southern gate opened near the Ts'ien-T'ang River. Its north gate is
supposed to have been the Fung Shan Gate of the present city, and the chief
street thus formed the avenue to the palace.
By the kindness of Messrs. Moule and Wylie, I am able to give a copy of
the Sung Map of the Palace (for origin of which see list of
illustrations). I should note that the orientation is different from that
of the map of the city already given. This map elucidates Polo's account
of the palace in a highly interesting manner.
[Father H. Havret has given in p. 21 of Varietes Sinologiques, No. 19, a
complete study of the inscription of a chwang, nearly similar to the one
given here, which is erected near Ch'eng-tu. - H.C.]
Before quitting KINSAY, the description of which forms the most striking
feature in Polo's account of China, it is worth while to quote other
notices from authors of nearly the same age. However exaggerated some of
these may be, there can be little doubt that it was the greatest city then
existing in the world.
