Palace of Heavenly Favour

Palace of Heavenly Favour

The Palace of Heavenly Favour, one of the Eastern Six Palaces in the inner court, was built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign during the Ming dynasty (1420). Originally named the Palace of Eternal Peace, it was renamed the Palace of Heavenly Favour in the eighth month of the fifth year of the Chongzhen reign (1632). It was renovated in the 12th year of the Shunzhi reign (1655) and underwent minor repairs in the 12th year of the Daoguang reign (1832).

The palace consists of two courtyards. Its main gate faces south and is called the Gate of Heavenly Favour. The front courtyard’s main hall is the Palace of Heavenly Favour itself, which features five bays, a hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles, and five decorative animal figures on the roof ridges. The eaves are adorned with single-uplift, single-dip five-step bracket sets, and the walls are painted with polychrome murals. The hall has carved beams and painted rafters, with coloured paintings adorning the central bay. It is fitted with multi-panelled doors and windows. The interior floor is paved with square bricks, and the ceiling is decorated with colourful paintings of a pair of phoenixes. The central room hangs an imperial plaque inscribed with the characters “Virtue Embodies Gentleness,” written by Emperor Qianlong. In front of the hall is a spacious terrace.

On the east and west sides are side halls, each with three bays. The central bay of each has a door, and they feature flush-gable roofs covered with yellow glazed tiles. The eaves are decorated with scrollwork paintings. In the seventh year of the Chongzhen reign (1634), plaques were hung on the east and west side halls, inscribed respectively with “Chamber of Chastity and Docility” and “Hall of Luminous Virtue.”

The rear courtyard’s main hall has five bays, with the central bay featuring a door. It also has a flush-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles, and the eaves are adorned with bracket sets. The walls are decorated with polychrome paintings. There are two wing rooms on each side, all with central bays featuring doors. These rooms have flush-gable roofs covered with yellow glazed tiles and are decorated with scrollwork paintings. In the southwest corner of the rear courtyard stands a well pavilion. This palace retains the layout from its original construction in the Ming dynasty.

During the Ming dynasty, this palace was the residence of imperial concubines. In the Qing dynasty, it housed imperial consorts. Notable residents included Empress Dowager Donggo, the highest-ranking consort of Emperor Shunzhi; Empress Xiaojingcheng, Consort Lin, and Consort Jia of Emperor Daoguang; and Consort Yun and Consort Wan of Emperor Xianfeng.

The Palace of Heavenly Favour is not only famous for its pear blossoms but also for sheltering one of the most poignant love stories in the palace’s centuries-long history. In the early Qing dynasty, the much-beloved consort of Emperor Shunzhi, Consort Donggo, resided here.

One can imagine how many times Consort Donggo and her beloved strolled here under the moonlight among the flowers, whispering sweet nothings, pledging eternal love—who could say these pear blossoms did not bear witness to their romance? A notable literati of the time, Wu Weiyu, wrote a poem titled “Ode to Buddha at Mt. Qingliang,” which, though not naming names, vividly depicts the love story set in this “courtyard of pear blossoms.” The poem reads: “A feast is held with zithers played, / As the crescent moon peers through palace locusts. / Hands clasped, we sigh— / When joy peaks, a wisp of sorrow appears.” Later, when Consort Donggo passed away in autumn, Wu Weiyu wrote again: “Heartache strikes with the chill wind, / As crickets chirp deep in the palace. / Frost envelops bare trees, / And the lotus loses its pristine hue. / Pitiful is the ‘thousand-mile grass,’ / Withered, drained of all colour.” The “thousand-mile grass” is a veiled reference to the character “Dong” (董).

Historical records state that Emperor Shunzhi spared no expense for Consort Donggo’s funeral. Overcome with grief, he ordered the palace eunuchs and maids to wail together in mourning. Those who cried sincerely were rewarded, leading to the line: “The lowly ones join the loud lament, / Rewarded perhaps with a fur robe.”

Legend has it that Consort Donggo was actually Dong Xiaowan, a famed beauty from the Jiangnan region. However, due to scarce historical records, this remains a mystery passed down through generations.

The Palace Museum

Palace of Purity and Harmony

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Gate of Divine Might

Hall of Preserving Harmony

Hall of Martial Valor

Hall of Heavenly Purity

Palace of Earthly Tranquility

Palace of Longevity and Health

Studio of the Three Rarities

Hall of Mental Cultivation

Palace of Longevity and Peace

Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City

Palace of Eternal Spring

Meridian Gate

Hall of Literary Glory

Tower of Benevolence and Righteousness

Gate of Supreme Harmony