Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo, located at No. 5 Guangfu North Road, Changchun City, Jilin Province, was originally the office of the Jilin-Heilongjiang Salt Administration Bureau (Jihei Taxation Bureau), which managed salt affairs in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces during the Republic of China period. It covers a total area of 250,500 square meters, with a building area of 137,000 square meters. The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, and a patriotic education base.

The museum currently houses over 50 original state displays of the Manchukuo imperial court, including the Jixi Mansion, Qinmin Mansion, and Tongde Hall, as well as two large permanent exhibitions, three thematic exhibitions, 33 temporary exhibitions, 17 domestic touring exhibitions in China, and 11 overseas exhibitions. The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo has collected a large number of cultural relics from the Manchukuo imperial court, modern Japanese relics, modern and contemporary relics from Northeast China, folk cultural relics, representative calligraphy and paintings, carvings, and artworks by intangible cultural heritage inheritors from the modern and contemporary periods.

This site was the former palace where Puyi, the last emperor of China and of the Aisin-Gioro clan, declared himself emperor of the puppet state of Manchukuo. It stands as a historical witness to 14 years of Japanese colonial rule in Northeast China and is an iconic architectural complex symbolizing the transformation of Changchun in modern times. In 2007, it was rated as one of the first national AAAAA-level tourist attractions; in 2013, it was approved as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level; and in 2020, it was awarded the title of "China’s Most Innovative Museum."

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo was established on the basis of the original architectural complex of the Puyi imperial court. Founded in 1962, it is now a national first-class museum and a national patriotic education demonstration base. The museum houses over 70,000 cultural relics, including a large number of imperial court relics from the Manchukuo period, modern and contemporary Japanese relics, modern and contemporary relics from Northeast China, folk cultural relics, representative calligraphy and paintings, carvings, and works by intangible cultural heritage inheritors from the modern and contemporary periods. Currently, the protected area of the original Puyi imperial court architectural complex spans approximately 250,000 square meters, with a building area of 137,000 square meters. Over 30 scenic areas are open to the public, including 47,000 square meters of exhibition space, featuring 50 original state displays such as those in the Jixi Mansion, Qinmin Mansion, and Tongde Hall.

With the gradual improvement of the protection and expansion project of the original Puyi imperial court architectural complex, the museum has gradually formed a layout combining an imperial palace relic museum with a tourist attraction. Based on these dual attributes, the scenic area is planned into four functional zones: the Core Imperial Zone — the main part of the imperial architectural complex is positioned as a key cultural relic protection and original state exhibition area, aiming to objectively present the history of the colonial palace and its unique global significance. The Museum Zone — a comprehensive supporting and multicultural exhibition area, with the Northeast China Fallen History Exhibition Hall and newly built exhibition venues as the main components, integrating cultural relic collection, preservation, research, and art exhibitions. The new exhibition spaces will leverage the museum’s unique cultural resources to build a platform for Changchun’s international cultural exchanges. The Leisure Zone — centered around visitor experience, it is developed as an ecological garden area. Based on the racecourse, it offers horseback riding activities with high visitor participation. Relying on the Palace Theatre, it develops programs focused on intangible cultural heritage performances, enriching visitors' leisure and cultural experiences. The Creative District — a multicultural district themed around Northeastern folk customs and cultural creativity, serving as an incubation base for the cultural and creative industries and a distribution center for cultural and creative products within Changchun and Jilin Province's museum community.

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo is located on Guangfu Road in the northeast corner of Changchun City, covering an area of 12 hectares. It was the palace of Puyi, the puppet emperor of the Manchukuo, who lived here from 1932 to 1945. The main buildings of the Manchukuo palace consist of a group of two-story structures topped with yellow glazed tiles, including the Qinmin Mansion, Jixi Mansion, and Tongde Hall. These three buildings feature unique styles, combining Chinese and Western architectural elements.

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo can be divided into two parts: the Outer Court, where political activities were conducted, and the Inner Court, where daily life took place. These are now respectively presented as the Manchukuo Imperial Palace Exhibition Hall and the Manchukuo Emperor’s Palace Exhibition Hall. The Outer Court (Imperial Palace) was where Puyi handled state affairs, with main buildings including the Qinmin Mansion, Huaiyuan Mansion, and Jiale Hall. The Qinmin Mansion was Puyi’s office. Additionally, there were gardens, rockeries, fishponds, swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, racecourses, and other auxiliary facilities such as a painting and calligraphy storage.

The Inner Court (Emperor’s Palace) was the living area for Puyi and his family. The Jixi Mansion was the residence of Puyi and Empress Wanrong, serving as their daily living quarters; the Tongde Hall was the residence of "Noble Consort Fu," along with some entertainment facilities. Today, part of the Emperor’s Palace has been converted into the Jilin Provincial Museum, displaying historical materials of the feudal dynasties established in Northeast China, such as Goguryeo, Bohai, Liao, and Jin.

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo is a palace ruin-type museum built on the site of the former Manchukuo imperial palace. Its primary collection focuses on cultural relics, documents, and photographic materials from the Manchukuo period. It centers its research on the history of Japan’s occupation of Northeast China, the history of the puppet state of Manchukuo, and the history of the Manchukuo imperial court. Using the ruins of the Manchukuo imperial palace as a foundation and exhibitions as a means, through basic displays and thematic exhibitions such as "Original State Display of the Manchukuo Imperial Palace," "From Emperor to Citizen," and "Never Forget September 18th," the museum exposes the crimes of Japan’s military occupation of Northeast China and its implementation of fascist colonial rule, as well as the crimes of the puppet regime led by Puyi—seeking glory, pledging loyalty to Japan, willingly acting as a puppet emperor, and enslaving and oppressing the people of Northeast China. It also showcases the distorted imperial life of Puyi and his "consorts." The museum provides modern history and patriotic education to the general public, especially young people, aiming to inspire national spirit, unite national strength, safeguard world peace, and promote common development.

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo primarily collects materials focusing on the history of Japan’s occupation of Northeast China, the history of the puppet state of Manchukuo, and the history of the Manchukuo imperial court. Using the ruins of the Manchukuo imperial palace as a foundation and exhibitions as a means, through basic displays and thematic exhibitions such as "Original State Display of the Manchukuo Imperial Palace," "From Emperor to Citizen," and "Never Forget September 18th," the museum exposes the crimes of Japan’s military occupation of Northeast China and its implementation of fascist colonial rule, as well as the crimes of the puppet regime led by Puyi—seeking glory, pledging loyalty to Japan, willingly acting as a puppet emperor, and enslaving and oppressing the people of Northeast China. It also showcases the distorted imperial life of Puyi and his "consorts." The museum provides modern history and patriotic education to the general public, especially young people, aiming to inspire national spirit, unite national strength, safeguard world peace, and promote common development.

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo was established in 1962, later operating jointly with the Jilin Provincial Museum. It resumed independent operation in 1982, officially opened to the public in 1984, and was originally named the Jilin Provincial Manchukuo Imperial Palace Exhibition Hall. In 2000, it came under the local management of the Changchun Municipal Government and was renamed the Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo on February 18, 2001. The current protected area spans 137,000 square meters, including 47,000 square meters of exhibition space. The museum has 161 employees and a collection of nearly 20,000 cultural relics. Since its opening, it has received nearly 5 million visitors from home and abroad and has been rated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a national outstanding patriotic education base.

In the beautiful northern spring city of Changchun, in the northeast corner, there is an architectural complex distinctly different from modern buildings. This is the palace ruin where Puyi, the last emperor of China, served as the puppet emperor of the Manchukuo, covering an area of 137,000 square meters. The core protected area of the main palace complex spans 46,000 square meters, with the rest being auxiliary sections.

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo is one of the more completely preserved palace ruins in China to date, historically inseparable from the Shenyang Imperial Palace and the Beijing Imperial Palace. The nature of the Manchukuo Imperial Palace itself is the palace ruin where Puyi, the last monarch of China’s feudal society, served as the puppet emperor of the Manchukuo. It is a historical witness to Japan’s invasion of Northeast China, the creation of the puppet state of Manchukuo, and its colonial rule.

The complexity of the historical background and the multiple layers of cultural connotations of the Manchukuo Imperial Palace determine its uniqueness, as well as the scarcity, global significance, and exclusivity of its cultural resources. The Manchukuo Imperial Palace currently displays over 20 types of original state exhibits and thematic exhibitions, attracting a large number of domestic and international visitors each year and receiving excellent social feedback, leaving endless food for thought and inspiration. Have you been to the beautiful northern spring city of Changchun? Do you know about Puyi and the Manchukuo Imperial Palace? Not visiting the Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo would be a lifelong regret in your life.

In May 2013, the State Council (State Council Document [2013] No. 13) designated the Museum of the Imperial Palace of the Manchukuo as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Address: No. 5 Guangfu North Road, Changchun City

Phone: 82860547

Further Reading:

· Top 100 Historical Site Attractions Brand List 2020

· China’s National First-Class Museums

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level

Jixi Mansion

Qinmin Mansion

Painting and Calligraphy Mansion

Tongde Hall

East Imperial Garden

Huaiyuan Mansion