The History of the Liao Dynasty and Khitan West Building in the Language Environment in the Liao Dynasty

Taizu Biography of Emperors retained three of the most original records about the Khitan West building in the history of Liao dynasty,so it contains the highest historical value.Khitan west building most early refers to the region name,which is the administration center of Liao Dynasty in early times,but is not referring in particular to somewhere or some group of concrete constructions.Administrative center of the early years of the Liao dynasty had experienced a process of a West building to the historical development of the Shangjing.That Khitan west building got its name should be earlier than the year 912.Khitan,in the Shence three years(918) upon completion of the Imperial capital,in the Liao dynasty people's language environment,capital city of the West building was renamed to imperial capital.In November the first year of Huitong(938),Taizong issued edict to modify to change the emperor capital to Shangjing,and the capital then stopped using the name of the Imperial Capital,and from then on until the demise of the Liao dynasty,official documents are always referring to Shangjing.