Mukden Palace (Shenyang Imperial Palace)

Mukden Palace

Mukden Palace is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Before the Qing dynasty entered the Pass, its imperial palace was located in Shenyang. After the capital was moved to Beijing, this palace was referred to as the "Secondary Capital Palace" or "Reserve Capital Palace." It later came to be known as the Mukden Palace.

Mukden Palace covers an area of over 60,000 square meters, with well-preserved buildings inside, making it one of the only two remaining palace architectural complexes in China. Its scale is much smaller than that of the Forbidden City in Beijing, which spans 720,000 square meters, but it boasts its own distinctive architecture and is now the most important sightseeing spot in Shenyang.

Mukden Palace was built in 1625 under the direction of Nurhaci, the first khan of the Later Jin dynasty. After Nurhaci's death, his successor, Hong Taiji, the second khan, completed the construction. The layout of Mukden Palace can be divided into three sections. The eastern section consists of the Dazheng Hall and the Ten Kings Pavilions, built during the reign of Nurhaci. The central section includes the DaZhongQue complex, constructed during the reign of Hong Taiji, featuring the Dacheng Gate, Chongzheng Hall, Phoenix Tower, and the palaces such as Qingning Palace, Guansui Palace, Yanning Palace, and Qifu Palace. The western section comprises structures added during the Qianlong era, such as the Wensu Pavilion, Jiayin Hall, and Yangxi Studio. By the time of Qianlong, the imperial court had already been established in Beijing, but he occasionally made "Eastern Tours" back to Shenyang.

The eastern section of Mukden Palace is particularly distinctive. The Dazheng Hall is centrally located, flanked by ten pavilions known as the Ten Kings Pavilions. The Dazheng Hall is an octagonal, double-eaved pavilion structure, with two coiled dragon pillars at its main entrance, symbolizing solemnity.

The Dazheng Hall was used for grand ceremonies, such as issuing imperial edicts, announcing military campaigns, welcoming victorious troops, and enthroning emperors. The Ten Kings Pavilions served as offices for the left and right wing princes and the Eight Banners ministers. The rare historical phenomenon of monarchs and ministers working together within the palace is seldom seen elsewhere. Architecturally, the Dazheng Hall is essentially a large pavilion with a substantial size and elaborate decorations, hence referred to as a palace. The Dazheng Hall and the ten pavilions arranged in a fan shape are derived from the tent palaces of ethnic minorities. These eleven pavilions are the incarnations of eleven tents. While tents are mobile and can be relocated, the pavilions are fixed, reflecting a development in minority culture.

The Chongzheng Hall is the most important building in Mukden Palace, located in the central section, where Hong Taiji conducted daily court affairs. To the north of the Chongzheng Hall stands the three-story Phoenix Tower, the tallest structure in Shengjing (Shenyang) at that time.

The Mukden Palace Museum displays a majority of court artifacts left from the old palace, such as the sword used by Nurhaci, the waist knife and deer antler chair used by Hong Taiji, and others.

The Mukden Palace Museum also houses a rich collection of artworks. In the painting exhibition room, there are masterpieces by renowned artists from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including works by Li Dan and Jin Nong of the Qing dynasty and Wen Zhengming of the Ming dynasty. There are also numerous artifacts such as ceramics, carvings, textiles, and lacquerware.

Further Reading:

· China’s Top 50 Existing Ancient Architectures

· China’s National First-Class Museums

· The First Batch of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites