Ba Sing Se
Ba Sing Se
永固城 | |
|---|---|
Intendancy and sui generis royal city | |
| Royal City of Ba Sing Se | |
     From top, left to right: Walls of Ba Sing Se, Legation Quarter, Palace of Ba Sing Se and its Meridian Gate, Ba Sing Se University, Agricultural Zone | |
| Etymology: "Ever-Invincible City" | |
| Country |  Earth Kingdom |
| Superintendency | South Jidai |
| Founded by | Yuan Wong (legendary) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Royal intendancy |
| • Earth King | Ainin |
| • Superintendent of South Jidai | Prince Shu of Chungmen |
| • Intendant | Count Si-dai of Huangshi |
| • Chief Magistrate | Min San-wai |
| Area | |
| • Total | 81,186 blocks |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Abbreviation | 永 |
Ba Sing Se (Terran: 永固城) is the capital and largest city of the Earth Kingdom. Located in the southeastern corner of the Earth Kingdom, the city is a diverse metropolis with residents hailing from around both the Earth Kingdom and the world and an extensive network of public infrastructure, making it one of the largest and most developed cities in the world. As the economic, cultural and administrative heart of the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se is the seat to virtually all of the nation's major businesses, government bodies and educational institutions, playing an outsized role in world affairs. Ba Sing Se is administered as a royal intendancy and, as part of the Superintendency of South Jidai, is incorporated within the royal domain of the Earth King.
Situated on the Central Sea, Ba Sing Se is a major trading port and boasts extensive harbour facilities that handle trade and migration from throughout the Earth Kingdom and the world at large. The city is best known for its towering defensive wall, which fully envelops its built-up area and encloses an extensively terraformed oasis of lush vegetation within an otherwise arid desert. As one of the oldest earthbender settlements in the world, Ba Sing Se is said to have been established by Yuan Wong, the mythical founder of the Earth Kingdom. In recent years, it has expanded its influence over vast hinterlands and shifted from a regional centre to a world city as a result of the Unification of the Earth Kingdom.
As the capital of the strictly hierarchical Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se is a strongly stratified city with its social exclusions reflected in the physical landscape: the city is divided into rigid zones (or rings) of land use, including both class-segregated residential sectors and use-based areas, such as industrial and agricultural sectors. The city is home to such notable landmarks as the Palace of Ba Sing Se, the seat of the Earth Kingdom's government; Ba Sing Se University, the world's first institution of higher learning; Grand Central Station, the world's first and largest train station; and the Ba Sing Se Metro, an extensive, largely underground rapid transit system.
Etymology
The name Ba Sing Se derives from the Terran characters 永 (perpetual, long-lasting), 固 (strong, firm) and 城 (city), roughly translating to "ever-invincible city". The name is said to have been granted to the city by its legendary founder Yuan Wong, who wrote in the Doctrines of the Earth Kingdom that a stable royal capital was a prerequisite to pacify the regions and bring order to the realm. Scholars believe that the name directly refers to the city's walls, which prior to the discovery of gunpowder were thought impervious to any external invader.