What was the name of Kublai Khan's summer capital?

Shangdu was Kublai Khan’s summer capital. Known in the West as Xanadu, it stood in the grasslands of present-day Inner Mongolia, north of the Great Wall.

The city began as Kaiping, founded in the 1250s under Kublai’s direction. In 1264, Kublai renamed it Shangdu, meaning “Upper Capital,” and developed it as a seasonal imperial residence. Its cooler northern location suited the Mongol court during the warmer months, while Dadu—modern Beijing—served as the main winter capital.

Shangdu was more than a retreat. Its planned outer city, inner city, palace complex, gardens, temples, and hunting grounds made it a major political and ceremonial centre. Marco Polo is traditionally associated with visiting the court there in the late 13th century.

A common mix-up is Dadu, which was Kublai’s principal capital, or Karakorum, the earlier Mongol imperial capital. Shangdu later inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem “Kubla Khan.”