Shangdu

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/shangdu

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China
2. What is the historical role?Summer capital of the Yuan dynasty, established by Kublai Khan
3. Where is Shangdu located?Shangdu is in the area that is now Inner Mongolia in China. It was chosen because it was cooler than the southern capitals.
4. Why did the Yuan rulers build Shangdu?They built it so the emperor could stay comfortable in summer and still rule the large empire. It also showed how the Mongol rulers mixed their nomadic style with Chinese city planning.

Yuan Dynasty: The imperial dynasty founded by Kublai Khan, ruling China from 1271 to 1368, known for its vast territorial extent and multicultural administration.
Kublai Khan: The fifth Khagan of the Mongol Empire, who founded the Yuan dynasty and ruled China from 1260 to 1294.
Liu Bingzhong: A Han Chinese architect and official who played a key role in the design and planning of Shangdu and other Yuan dynasty cities.
Eurasian Steppe: Vast grassland regions of Eurasia, historically associated with nomadic cultures and empires.