A satellite picture of the capital city of the ancient Korean Kingdom of Balhae is released for the first time ever, revealing the city's magnificent scale. The 1,300-year-old city of Sanggyeong, currently located at Ningan City, Heilongjiang Province, was once considered to be the second most prosperous city in East Asia, second only to the Tang Dynasty¡¯s Chang¡¯an, and was encircled by a 16-kilometer outer fortress.
The image of the site shows traces of excavation where Chinese authorities have embarked on a two billion yuan restoration effort since April last year to make the site listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Some fear that Balhae¡¯s old palace may be restored in a Chinese style, motivated by political purposes. The picture taken Sept. 12 was released by Wia Co.
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