The Palace Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning Province is one of the scenic spots that most tourists who come to Shenyang come to visit. As one of the two most complete palace complexes in China, the Shenyang Palace Museum is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Although the Shenyang Forbidden City is not as large as the Beijing Forbidden City, its unique historical, geographical conditions and strong Manchu characteristics have attracted many tourists from home and abroad in recent years.

The main entrance of Shenyang Palace Museum (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

On May 12, 2005, the reporter and his party went to Shenyang to pay homage to this famous Manchu royal palace. Since it is not a holiday, wandering around the Palace Museum, which has relatively few tourists, is a very pleasant feeling.

Wandering in the Palace Museum (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The present Shenyang Forbidden City has two doors. One of them serves as an exit to the Forbidden City; inside the door is also a parking lot. There is a white marble with gold characters on a white ground on the wall outside the door. On it are the four golden characters "Shenyang Forbidden City" inscribed by Mr. Guo Moruo. The other is the main entrance of the Palace Museum. The plaque of the "Palace Museum" above the door is extremely eye-catching.

Courtyard of the Forbidden City West Road (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Data records: The Shenyang Forbidden City was built in 1625 AD. It was a palace founded by Nurhachi, Taizu of the Qing Dynasty, and Huang Taiji, Taizong of the Qing Dynasty, before entering the Pass. It was also known as Shengjing Palace. After the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, it was changed into a capital palace and an emperor's eastern patrol palace. Fulin, the founder of the Qing Dynasty, ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor here. The Shenyang Palace Museum has undergone many large-scale renovations and has now been turned into the Shenyang Palace Museum.

The corridor inside the Forbidden City (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Since the streets in the old city of Shenyang are shaped like a "well", the Forbidden City is located in the center of the "well" shaped street, covering an area of 60,000 square meters and currently has 114 ancient buildings. There are more than 90 buildings and more than 300 rooms.

Daqing Gate of the Forbidden City (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

According to the architectural layout and construction order, the Shenyang Forbidden City can be divided into three parts: the east road is the Dazheng Hall and the Ten Kings Pavilion built during the Nurhachi period; the middle road is the large and medium-sized watchtower that was continued during the Taizong period of the Qing Dynasty, including the Qing Gate, Chongzheng Hall, Fenghuang Tower, Qingning Palace, Guansui Palace, Yanqing Palace, Qifu Palace, etc.; the west road is the Wensu Pavilion added during the Qianlong period. The entire palace is lined with buildings, with towering palaces, carved beams and painted buildings, and it is magnificent.

Yihe Hall of the Forbidden City (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In particular, the Dazheng Hall and Chongzheng Hall with golden dragon columns in the Imperial Palace in Shenyang, the Qingning Palace with the Ten King Pavilion lined up like geese and the Wan-character Kang Pocket House, the simple and elegant Wenshuo Pavilion, and high-rise buildings such as the Phoenix Tower are unique in the history of Chinese palace architecture; the architectural style of "palace high and palace low" with a very Manchu flavor is even more "unique."

Photo taken by the Forbidden City (Photo: Wu Changmin)

The palace buildings in Shenyang Forbidden City have their own characteristics. Chongzheng Hall is located in the middle of the front yard of the middle road, commonly known as the "Golden Luan Hall", and is the most important building in the Forbidden City in Shenyang. The entire hall is entirely wooden structure, with five rooms and nine purlin hard mountains, with separate doors, front and rear corridors, surrounded by stone railings.

Forbidden City Stele Pavilion (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The pillars of the palace body are square. There is a dragon head spitting out water under the observation pillar, and the top cover is covered with yellow glazed tiles inlaid with green trimmed edges. The pillars are round, and the two pillars are connected by a carved dragon. The dragon head protrudes out of the eaves. Outside, the dragon's tail runs straight into the hall. Practicality and decoration are perfectly combined, increasing the imperial spirit of the palace.

Corner of courtyard and corridor (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

This hall was the place where Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty handled important matters in daily affairs. In 1636 AD, the grand ceremony of changing the country's name to the Qing Dynasty in the Later Jin Dynasty was held here. The Phoenix Tower at the north end of Chongzheng Hall has three floors and was the tallest building in Shengjing City at that time.

Dazheng Hall (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Dazheng Hall, commonly known as the Octagonal Hall, was built in 1625. It is an important palace built by Nurhachi, the founder of the Qing Dynasty. It is the most solemn and sacred place in the Shengjing Palace. It was originally called the Grand Yamen, but in 1636 it was named Dugong Hall, and later changed to Dazheng Hall. The octagonal double eaves and pointed style are shaped, with eight sides coming out of the corridor, and underneath it is the foundation of the Sumizuo platform.

Qingning Palace (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The roof of the octagonal hall is covered with yellow glazed tiles, inlaid with green trimmed edges, and the flame bead roof of the phase wheel is in the center. There are eight iron chains around the roof, each connected to the strong man. The two pillars in front of the hall each have a golden dragon pan pillar, and the hall is a Sanskrit ceiling and a dragon subjugating caisson. There are thrones, screens, smoking stoves, incense pavilions, crane candlesticks, etc. This hall was the venue for Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty to hold major ceremonies and important political activities. In 1644 (the first year of Shunzhi), Emperor Fulin ascended the throne here.

Zhenghuang Banner Pavilion (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The Shiwang Pavilion is located on both sides of the Dazheng Hall and is arranged in order. It is a reflection of the Manchu Eight Banner System in the palace architecture. This architectural layout is unique in the history of ancient Chinese court architecture. The five pavilions on the east side are from north to south, the left-wing Wang Pavilion, the Banded Yellow Flag Pavilion, the Zhengbai Flag Pavilion, the Banded White Flag Pavilion, and the Zhenglan Flag Pavilion; the five pavilions on the west side are the right-wing Wang Pavilion, the Zhenghuang Flag Pavilion, the Zhengqi Pavilion, the Banded Red Flag Pavilion, and the Banded Blue Flag Pavilion. It was the place where the Baylor and ministers of each of the main banners of the Eight Banners in the early Qing Dynasty discussed politics and handled government affairs.

Shiwangting Square (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The phenomenon of the Ten Kings Pavilion, where the monarch and his subjects work together in the palace, is rare in history. Architecturally, Dazheng Hall is also a pavilion, but it is large in size and has more gorgeous decoration, so it is called a palace. The architectural pattern of the Dazheng Hall and the 10 pavilions arranged in the shape of eight characters is derived from the tent halls of ethnic minorities. These 11 pavilions are the embodiment of 11 tents. Tents can be moved in a mobile manner, while pavilions are fixed, showing a milestone in the development of Manchu culture.

Wuti Qingwen Jian (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Wensu Pavilion was built in 1782 (47th year of Qianlong). It was specially built to store the "Wenshu Pavilion Siku Quan Shu", and the "Ancient and Modern Books Collection" is also stored in the pavilion. Behind the pavilion is Yangxizhai, with a Fanshou corridor on the east and west, where the emperor studied.

Wenyuan Pavilion in the Forbidden City (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The Phoenix Building is built on a 4-meter-high green brick platform with a three-drop water-resting mountain corridor. The roof is paved with yellow glazed tiles and green trimmed edges. This building is the tallest building in Shengjing, so it is known as "Fenglou Dawn" and "Fenglou View Tower", one of the "Eight Scenes of Shengjing". On the Phoenix Tower is a plaque titled "Purple Qi Coming from the East" written by Emperor Qianlong.

Phoenix Building of the Forbidden City (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Shenyang Palace Museum is not only an ancient palace complex, but also famous at home and abroad for its rich and precious collections. The Palace Museum displays a large number of palace relics left over from the old palace, such as the sword used by Nurhachi.

Quiet courtyard (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In particular, the courtyard of the Forbidden City is comfortable and quiet, with corridors, pavilions, flowers, trees and trees complementing this classical palace complex. Especially during the bright spring season, the colorful flowers and plants in full bloom always seem to give this ancient palace full of vitality. (Photo and text: Feng Ganyong)