The splendid Forbidden City, the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties
The Palace Museum in Beijing was established on October 10, 1925. It is located in the Forbidden City of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is a comprehensive museum in China. It is also the largest ancient culture and art museum in China, the first batch of national patriotism education demonstration bases, and one of the three largest palaces in the world. one. Its collections include but are not limited to imperial palaces from the Ming and Qing dynasties and their collections.
History development
The Forbidden City was the imperial palace of China’s Ming and Qing dynasties ( 1368-1911).
After the victory of the Revolution of 1911 in 1911, the Qing Dynasty government announced its abdication. The government at that time decided to move the cultural relics from the Jehol (Chengde) Palace (i.e. Chengde Summer Resort) and the Shengjing (Shenyang) Forbidden City to the ” Former Dynasty” in the front half of the Forbidden City. Outer Korea) “Part, the Antiquities Exhibition Center was established in 1914.
In 1928, the Northern Expedition of the National Revolutionary Army ended; in June, the Nanjing National Government took over the Palace Museum; on October 5, the “Organizational Law of the Palace Museum” and the “Regulations of the Palace Museum Council” were promulgated, stipulating that the Palace Museum is directly under the National Government.
In February 1949, Peking was liberated and the Palace Museum was taken over by the Cultural Takeover Committee of the Peking Military Control Commission of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
In 1951, the business management organization of the Palace Museum was adjusted. The museum was divided into exhibition, storage, mass work, ancient building management departments and a library.
On January 6, 2014, the Palace Museum was closed to visitors all day, officially resuming its regular one-day-a-week break that had been suspended for more than 30 years. On the same day, the Taihe Hall, commonly known as the ” Jinluan Hall “, started its first thorough maintenance since 1994.
On November 12, 2019, the Palace Museum in Beijing was selected into the list of national-level intangible cultural heritage representative project protection units.
Main Attractions
Hall of Supreme Harmony
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the supreme golden palace in the Forbidden City. It is also known as the “Golden Palace” in the imperial palace. It is the place where the emperor holds major ceremonies. It was first built in the Yongle year of the Ming Dynasty (early 15th century), and was destroyed and rebuilt after several disasters. In the Jiajing Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Huangji Palace. After the Manchu Qing Dynasty established Beijing as its capital, it was renamed to its present name, embodying the grand purpose of world harmony. The current Hall of Supreme Harmony was rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and remains.
Zhonghe Hall
The Zhonghe Hall was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty ( 1420). It has experienced three fires. It is now rebuilt in the 7th year of Qi tomorrow (1627). The hall was first named Huagai Hall and later changed to Zhongji Hall. ) was originally called Zhonghe Hall.
Baohe Hall
Baohe Hall was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty ( 1420) and was originally named Jinshen Hall. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, it suffered a fire and was renamed Jianji Hall after reconstruction. In the second year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1645), it was renamed Baohe Hall, which means “the ambition should not be too far away, the spirit should be calm and the ambition should be maintained ” , so as to maintain the harmony within the universe, so that we can enjoy happiness, longevity and peace in the world. The plaque on Baohe Hall reads “Imperial Buildings Have Extremes”, written by Emperor Qianlong. Classical source: Jizi’s “Hong Fan” ” The Emperor’s construction has its extremes ” . There is a couplet hung in the Baohe Hall: ” The ancestral precepts are here to stay, and my descendants will inherit them forever; God’s heart has warned me, but all ministers and common people should think of eternal protection without borders . ” In the Song and Yuan Dynasties , it was built in the French style of “reducing columns” and the space was wide. In the Qing Dynasty, it was a place for banqueting princes and holding palace examinations.
Yangxin Hall
Yangxin Hall, built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, is located on the west side of the Qianqing Palace in the inner court. In the Qing Dynasty, 8 emperors lived here successively, and it was once the administrative office behind the curtain for the two empresses Cixi and Ci’an.
Qianqing Palace
The Qianqing Palace was first built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty ( 1420). The existing building was built in the 3rd year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1798). It was the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived in daily life and handled government affairs.
Jiaotai Hall
The Jiaotai Hall was built during the Jiaqing period of the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt during the Shunzhi, Kangxi and Jiaqing years . It was originally the place where the queen received gifts for celebrating the Qingqiu Festival. It was used to store the “Twenty-Five Treasures of the Qing Dynasty” imperial seals in the Qing Dynasty.
Kunning Palace
Kunning Palace was built in the 18th year of Yongle reign of Ming Dynasty ( 1420). It was the queen’s palace in the Ming Dynasty and was rebuilt in the style of the Qingning Palace in Shengjing in the 12th year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1655). The four rooms at the west end are used as places for shamanism to worship gods. The two rooms at the east end are the bridal chambers for the emperor’s wedding. The three emperors Kangxi, Tongzhi and Guangxu who ascended the throne at a young age all got married here.
Wenhua Hall
Wenhua Hall was originally the Emperor’s Bedroom. During the Shun and Chenghua dynasties in the Ming Dynasty, Prince Jianzuo first served in Wenhua Hall. In the 15th year of Jiajing ( 1536), it was changed to the Emperor’s Bedroom. In the 22nd year of Kangxi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1683) It was rebuilt in the year 2001 and became the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties held banquets.
Wuying Palace
Wuying Hall was built in the early Ming Dynasty and is located to the west of Xihe Gate in the outer court. After the 40th year of Kangxi’s reign, Wuying Palace published a large number of books with perfect and exquisite pictures and high quality books, which are known as “Dianben ” in the world .
Jinshui Bridge
There are five Jinshui Bridges in the Taihemen Square. They are single-hole arch coupons. They are the largest, most spectacular and gorgeous group of stone bridges in the Forbidden City. The one in the middle is the Royal Road Bridge, for the exclusive use of the emperor; the east and west sides are the Wanggong Bridge. , for the passage of royal family members, princes and ministers; on both sides are grade bridges for officials of third grade and above to walk, and their functions are the same as the Waijinshui Bridge in front of Tiananmen Square.
Main exhibition hall
The three front palace areas of the outer court:
Hall of Supreme Harmony : The central building of the outer court, located to the north of the Gate of Supreme Harmony . The hall is equipped with the plaque ” Jianji Suiyou ” , a large gold chair carved with dragons (dragon chair), a gold screen carved with dragons, and gold pillars painted with dragons.
Zhonghe Hall : Located to the north of Taihe Hall. There is a plaque of ” Yunzhi Juezhong ” and two shoulder carriages in the hall .
Baohe Hall : located to the north of Zhonghe Hall. There is a plaque saying ” Imperial Construction has Extremes ” inside the hall .
The three palace areas behind the inner court:
Qianqing Palace : the central building of the inner court, located to the north of Qianqing Gate. There is a ” zhengdaguangguang ” plaque in the hall , which is a tool for secretly building a reserve.
Jiaotai Hall : located to the north of Qianqing Palace. The hall is equipped with a plaque of ” Wuwei ” , a treasure chest that stores the twenty-five treasures of the Qing Dynasty, the “Inscription of Jiaotai Palace” made by Emperor Qianlong, a copper pot hourglass , and a large self-ringing bell .
Kunning Palace : Located to the north of Jiaotai Palace. The temple houses a place for shamanistic worship and a bridal chamber for the emperor’s wedding.
Inner Court Yangxin Palace Area:
Yangxin Hall was the emperor’s palace after Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty. It is located south of the West Sixth Palace area and west of the Housan Palace area of the inner court. There is a plaque of ” Zhong Zheng Ren He ” in the hall . The Dong Nuan Pavilion is where Cixi listened to politics behind the curtain , and the small room on the west side of Xi Nuan Pavilion is the famous Sanxi Hall .
Neiting West Sixth Palace District:
Taiji Hall : one of the six west palaces in the inner court, forming a closed courtyard with Changchun Palace.
Changchun Palace : one of the six west palaces in the inner court. There are murals of ” A Dream of Red Mansions ” in the late Qing Dynasty on the corridor walls of the courtyard.
Yikun Palace : one of the six west palaces in the inner court, forming a closed courtyard with Chuxiu Palace.
Chuxiu Palace : One of the six west palaces in the inner court. Cixi once lived here for a long time. The interior decoration of the palace is exquisite. The ” Puyi Life Exhibition ” is set up in the Lijingxuan in the back hall . Based on the “Investigation Report of the Qing Dynasty Aftermath Committee”, Puyi ‘s dining scene is restored to show the life of the last emperor who combined Chinese and Western styles.
Neitingwai East Road District (Ningshou Palace District):
Huangji Hall : The central building in the Ningshou Palace District in the northeast of the Forbidden City . It is located in the Ningshou Palace District. It is only open for 5 days each on New Year’s Day, Qingming Festival, May Day, and Dragon Boat Festival holidays (open from the day before the government announces the holiday date) ); open during the National Day Golden Week from September 29 to October 8; open from July 1 to August 26 during the summer vacation. To visit Huangji Hall, you need to purchase an additional 10 yuan ticket for the Treasure Hall (i.e. Ningshou Palace Area). The ticket office is located outside Xiqing Gate on the south side of Ningshou Palace Area.
Business hours
Closed on Mondays, peak season: 8:30-17:00 (last entry at 16:10); low season: 8:30-16:30 (last admission at 15:4)
address
No. 4, Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
