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Why was Kublai Khan’s capital of Dadu also called Cambaluc?

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The name "Cambaluc" (also spelled Khanbaliq) is a Westernized version of the Turkic-Mongol term meaning "City of the Khan." While Kublai Khan officially named his new capital Dadu (meaning "Great Capital") in 1272, the city was widely referred to by the name Cambaluc by foreigners and travelers of the era, most notably the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who visited the site in the 1280s.12

The name reflects the city's status as the political center of the Yuan dynasty and the seat of the Mongol ruler. Under Kublai Khan, the city was rebuilt on a grand scale, blending Chinese urban planning with architectural styles from Mongolia and Central Asia, serving as the imperial residence and the heart of the Mongol Empire's administration in China.1