歷來關於長安╱西安的城市研究獨好唐以前的「長安都城史」，至今仍無堪稱「西安城市史」的論著問世。城市史的書寫深刻影響城市保存的實踐：西安市政府近年來積極推動的「唐皇城復興計劃」同樣漠視唐以後西安的變遷。唐大明宮遺址公園的建設是「復興計劃」的重要組成，極具代表性與示範意義：意圖藉由物質形式的「保存」與「恢復」，在三年內迅速讓「70年來髒、亂、差的道北棚戶區和城中村」歸返「1400 年前的盛唐皇宮」。期間省略的千餘年歷史真如此無足輕重？抑或刻意略而不提？本文着重分析此種歷史敘事及歷史保存「不連續」現象的起因，耙梳被遺漏的歷史片段有何重要性。相對於將近世西安視為「沉睡、遲滯」的論述，本文試從「流動」的角度切入，並聚焦於大明宮（遺址）的地景變遷。本文發現觀察出、入於大明宮（遺址）之人與物的動向、流動速度與規模，可見微知着地窺見長安╱西安城市整體興衰以及在國家戰略佈局中定位的變異。基於對大明宮（遺址）千餘年歷史的考察，本文發現當局利用大明宮遺址公園地景重新謄寫的是一部以漢族為中心、圍繞帝王將相盛世風華的歷史。在大明宮遺址的「保護」實踐過程中，蒙、回、河南人、建材城和城中村……的歷史反而佚失了。

The historiography about Chang’an (in present-day Xi’an,Shaanxi) has been mainly about the city’s imperial past of the Tang dynastyor earlier stages (before the end of the 9th century AD). Not beingthe capital anymore, Chang’an after the Tang dynasty was out of the literati’sand scholars’ attention. In the writing of Xi’an’s urban history,time seems to halt as we see recalling or imagining the remote pastwhile disregarding immediate transformation. The way history hasbeen compiled and narrated significantly influences the practice of heritageconservation today. In the year of 2005, the municipality of Xi’aninitiated the “Tang royal city renaissance scheme” aiming at revitalizingthe stigmatized “stagnant and sleepy” city of Xi’an by remodeling it afterthe flourishing yet distant empire. More than a span of one millenniumin-between was intentionally skipped. The remodeling of DamingPalace, one of grand Tang’s political cores, is an obvious example of thisrevitalization movement. Within three years, the former palace has beentransformed into a gigantic Tang-themed urban heritage park from sitesof slums, urban villages, factories, and dumping grounds. With the executionof the heritage site conservation and heritage park construction,ironically, the history of the Mongolians, the Muslins, refugees fromHe’nan province and other disadvantaged minorities was carefullywiped out. The official wording of “conservation” in this case impliesthe action of selecting favorable memories. This article analyzes the reasons why certain ethnic groups and specific periods of history were deliberatelyexcluded, and demonstrates the necessity to reveal the undesirablepast. Instead of regarding Xi’an as being inactive and still, thisarticle emphasizes the perspective of motion and dynamics for betterelaborating on the long-term spatial transformation. From observing thedirection, velocity and capacity of people and materials moving in andout of the site, this article finds that Daming palace represents the epitomeof the changing strategic position of Xi’an city within the wholecountry.