Xanadu

Meaning

Name

The summer capital of the Yuan dynasty, now an archaeological site in Zhenglan, Xilingol, Inner Mongolia, China.

Noun

1. (figuratively) A place full of beauty, happiness and wonder.
2. An opulent building or resort that provides entertainment or luxurious living.

Synonyms

paradise

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈzænəduː/

Etymology

From Mandarin 上都 (Shàngdū, “Upper Capital”). The first Romanized form comes from Marco Polo's writings in Italian as Shan-Du. In 1617, Purchas his Pilgrimage […] by Samuel Purchas was published in London, containing the phrase “In Xamdu did Cublai Can build a stately Palace” on page 472. This was the inspiration for Coleridge's poem which uses the spelling Xanadu.