Xanadu

Xanadu akas Shangri-La or just "paradise" ....

Key Points

• Xanadu is a mystical place from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan," depicting a pleasure-dome built by Kubla Khan with gardens, a sacred river, and caves of ice.

• Historically, it was the summer capital of the Mongol Empire in Inner Mongolia, China, known for its palaces and gardens, described by Marco Polo.

• Surprisingly, the poem was inspired by an opium-induced vision, adding to its mystical allure.

The Story of Xanadu

Overview

Xanadu is famously known from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan," where it is portrayed as a mystical and enchanting place. In the poem, Kubla Khan, a Mongol ruler, builds a "stately pleasure-dome" surrounded by fertile land, gardens with incense-bearing trees, and ancient forests. A sacred river, Alph, flows through the landscape, meandering through woods and dales before disappearing into caverns and a sunless sea. The poem also includes mystical elements like ancestral voices prophesying war and a vision of a damsel with a dulcimer, enhancing its dreamlike quality.

Historical Basis

Historically, Xanadu, also known as Shangdu or Shahdu, was the summer capital of the Mongol Empire under Kubla Khan, located in what is now Inner Mongolia, China. It was a real city, first the capital from 1263 to 1273 and then the summer residence from 1274 to 1364, covering 25,000 hectares with a peak population of about 200,000. It was known for its palaces, gardens, and waterways, and was described by the Venetian explorer Marco Polo in his travels around 1298, noting its opulence and beauty.

Cultural Impact

The name "Xanadu" has since become a symbol for any place of luxury, idyll, and mystery, appearing in various contexts like the film Citizen Kane (1941) and the 1980 movie Xanadu. The poem's depiction, inspired by an opium-induced vision, adds a surprising layer of mysticism, making it a blend of historical fact and imaginative fantasy.

Detailed Exploration of Xanadu

This section provides a comprehensive examination of the mystical place called Xanadu, tracing its historical roots, poetic depiction, and cultural legacy. It encompasses all details leading to the understanding of Xanadu as both a historical city and a symbol of imagination.

Historical Context and Foundation

Xanadu, originally named Shangdu or Shahdu, was a significant location in the Mongol Empire. It served as the first capital from 1263 to 1273 and then as the summer capital from 1274 to 1364 under Kublai Khan (r. 1260-1294), grandson of Genghis Khan. Located in Inner Mongolia, northern China, it covered 25,000 hectares and had a peak population of approximately 200,000. Its role as a summer residence was due to the cooler climate, and it was abandoned around 1430 after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty in 1364.

Key historical events include hosting the kurultai in 1260, where Kublai was proclaimed Great Khan, and in 1275, deciding on the campaign against the Song Dynasty, which collapsed in 1279. It was also the site of a notable Buddhist-Taoist debate, contributing to the spread of Tibetan Buddhism. The city's ruins, including palaces, temples, walls, tombs, canals, and waterways, are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reflecting its historical grandeur.

Marco Polo, visiting around 1275, described it in his book Travels (c. 1298), calling it "Chandu" and noting a fine marble palace with gilt rooms painted with figures of men, beasts, birds, trees, and flowers, executed with exquisite art. This description, detailed in Book 1, Chapter 57, contributed to its reputation as a place of opulence and mystery in the West.

Aspect	Details
Historical Role	First capital (1263-73) and summer capital (1274-1364) of the Mongol Empire, under Kublai Khan. Renamed Xanadu/Shangdu in 1273, located in Inner Mongolia, northern China. Covered 25,000 hectares, population ~200,000 at peak. Summer residence due to cooler climate, abandoned ~1430 after Yuan Dynasty fall (1364).
Key Events	Hosted kurultai in 1260 (Kublai proclaimed Great Khan), 1275 (decided Song Dynasty campaign, collapsed 1279). Site of Buddhist-Taoist debate, spread Tibetan Buddhism.
Descriptions	Marco Polo (1254-1324) described in Travels  (c. 1298), Book 1, chapter 57, calling it Shandu. Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan  (1797, published 1816) popularized "pleasure dome," full poem at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43991/kubla-khan .
Legacy	UNESCO World Heritage Site, ruins include palaces, temples, walls, tombs, canal, waterways. Associated with mystery, splendor, leisure, e.g., Citizen Kane  (1941), Titan's continent.
Author	Mark Cartwright, published 18 September 2019, MA in Political Philosophy, WHE Publishing Director. Subscribe to author at [/interestemails/?author=markzcartwright].
Translations	Available in French [/trans/fr/1-18478/xanadu/], Indonesian [/trans/id/1-18478/xanadu/], Malay [/trans/ms/1-18478/xanadu/], Spanish [/trans/es/1-18478/xanadu/], Turkish [/trans/tr/1-18478/xanadu/]. Translate at [/trans/x/1-18478/edit/].
Citation	APA: Cartwright, M. (2019, September 18). Xanadu . Chicago: Last modified September 18, 2019. MLA: Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Xanadu/ .

Poetic Depiction and Mystical Elements

The mystical allure of Xanadu is most vividly captured in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan," written in 1797 and published in 1816. Coleridge claimed it was inspired by an opium-induced vision, adding a surprising layer of surrealism. The poem begins with the lines:

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree:

Where Alph, the sacred river, ran

Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea."

It describes a landscape of twice five miles (10 miles) of fertile ground, girdled by walls and towers, with gardens bright with sinuous rills, incense-bearing trees, and ancient forests enfolding sunny spots of greenery. A deep romantic chasm, slanting down a green hill athwart a cedarn cover, is haunted by a woman wailing for her demon-lover under a waning moon, adding a supernatural element. A mighty fountain bursts from this chasm, flinging up rocks and feeding the sacred river Alph, which meanders five miles with a mazy motion through wood and dale, then sinks into caverns measureless to man and a lifeless ocean.

The poem also includes ancestral voices prophesying war, heard by Kubla from afar, and the shadow of the pleasure-dome floating midway on the waves, mingling the measure from the fountain and caves. It is described as a "miracle of rare device, a sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice." The speaker then recounts a vision of an Abyssinian maid with a dulcimer, singing of Mount Abora, and expresses a desire to revive her symphony and song to build the dome in air, warning others with "Beware! Beware!" due to the mystical experience, describing a figure with flashing eyes and floating hair, fed on honey-dew and drunk the milk of Paradise.

This poetic depiction, available in full at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43991/kubla-khan, transformed Xanadu into a symbol of imagination and fantasy, far beyond its historical reality.

Cultural Legacy and Modern Interpretations

The name "Xanadu" has persisted in common usage, often evoking the idyllic, luxurious, and exotic. In Orson Welles's film Citizen Kane (1941), it is the name given to the palatial estate of Charles Foster Kane, reinforcing its association with opulence. The 1980 movie Xanadu, starring Olivia Newton-John, features a roller-skating disco club named after the poem, integrating Greek mythology with the story of a Muse inspiring an artist, though it focuses more on the club's creation than the place itself. The soundtrack, including the song "Xanadu," was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200.

Other references include a continent-sized area on Saturn's moon Titan named Xanadu in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union, due to its terrain resembling Earth's with flowing rivers (likely of methane and ethane), mountains of ice, and sand dunes, reflecting Coleridge's poem. The name also appears in various songs, a 2007 Broadway musical, and video games like Tokyo Xanadu (2015), extending its cultural reach.

Comparative Analysis and User Intent

Given the user's focus on the "mystical place called Xanadu," the primary story aligns with Coleridge's poem, emphasizing its fantastical elements. While the historical city provides context, its mystical reputation stems from the poem's depiction, inspired by an opium-induced vision, which is a surprising detail enhancing its allure. The movie Xanadu and other modern uses are secondary, as they reference the poem but do not define the place's mystical nature. Thus, the response prioritizes the poetic and historical narrative, ensuring a comprehensive answer.

Conclusion

Xanadu's story is a blend of historical fact and poetic fantasy, with its mystical essence captured in Coleridge's "Kubla Khan," inspired by the real summer capital of the Mongol Empire. Its legacy as a symbol of beauty and mystery continues to resonate in culture, from films to planetary nomenclature, reflecting its enduring fascination.

Key Citations

• Xanadu historical details and legacy

• Kubla Khan poem full text

• Xanadu Wikipedia overview