Chaotian Palace

Chaotian Palace

Chaotian Palace is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a key cultural relics protection unit in China.

Located inside Shuixi Gate in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. It is said that the site was originally the Ye City built by King Fuchai of Wu, later became the Ye City Temple in the Jin Dynasty, was renamed Taiqing Palace in the Tang Dynasty, and was established as Ziji Palace by King Yang Pu of Wu during the Five Dynasties period. During the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1008–1016) of the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Xiangfu Palace, then changed to Tianqing Guan, and during the Yuanzhen era (1295–1296) of the Yuan Dynasty, it was renamed Xuanmiao Guan, and soon after elevated to Dayuan Xing Yongshou Palace.

Nanjing’s Chaotian Palace is the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complex in the Jiangnan region. It is situated southwest of downtown Nanjing. Historically known as Zhishan, it was where King Fuchai of Wu smelted iron and forged swords during the Spring and Autumn Period, and successive emperors built temples and palaces here. In the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1384), Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang bestowed the name “Chaotian Palace,” meaning “to pay homage to Heaven” or “to pay respects to the Emperor.” By the late Qing Dynasty, it was converted into the Jiangning Prefecture School and Confucian Temple. Today, Chaotian Palace houses the Nanjing Museum.

Chaotian Palace Scenic Area (including Jiangning Prefecture School and Ye Mountain)

Administrative location: No. 6, Chaotian Palace, Baixia District, Nanjing

Geographic location: 118°46′11″E, 32°02′09″N

Historical and Cultural Background:

In the 15th year of the Taiyuan era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (390), the Ye City Temple was built here. In the third year of Yuangxing (404), Huan Xuan abolished the temple and turned it into a private garden. During the Liu Song Dynasty, it was renamed Zongming Guan, serving as the nation’s top scientific research institution. In the Tang Dynasty, it was called Taiqing Palace. In the second year of Wuyi during the Yang Wu regime (920), Ziji Palace was built. The Southern Tang Dynasty constructed the Martial Emperor Temple. The Northern Song Dynasty established the Temple of Literary Sage, which was later renamed Tianqing Guan. During the Dazhong Xiangfu era, it became Xiangfu Palace. In the Yuanzhen era (1295), it reverted to Xuanmiao Guan, and in the second year of Zhishun (1331), it became Yongshou Palace. Rebuilt during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, it served as a place for officials to purify themselves before state ceremonies and for noble offspring to practice imperial rites, hence the name “Chaotian Palace.” From the early Qing Dynasty to the Daoguang era, it functioned as a Taoist temple but was destroyed during the Xianfeng era. After the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Jiangning Prefecture School from Jimingshan was relocated here. The current ancient architectural complex of Chaotian Palace was constructed between the fifth and ninth years of the Tongzhi era (1866–1870), with the Confucian Temple at the center, Bian Gong Shrine on the west, and the Prefecture School on the east. The timber used was imported from overseas, and the glazed tiles came from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi. During the Republican era, it housed the Central Education Museum. In 1936, it was temporarily renamed the Nanjing Branch of the Palace Museum in Beiping, and buildings such as the Zunjing Pavilion and Gu Tinglin Shrine were demolished. In 1945, it served as the Capital High Court.

Today, Chaotian Palace is the site of the Nanjing Museum. It is a model of Confucian Temple architecture in the Jiangnan region, largely retaining the palace-style structure of the Ming Dynasty. The ancient architectural complex of Chaotian Palace covers an area of about 70,000 square meters and remains one of the largest ancient architectural complexes in the Jiangnan area. Key existing structures include: the southernmost palace wall, with the large brick-carved characters “Wanren Gongqiang” (Ten-Thousand-Ren Palace Wall) on the southern screen wall; within the wall lies the Pan Pond; on the east and west sides of the wall are brick archways, each with three gates—the central gate larger, bearing inscribed horizontal plaques reading “De Pei Tiandi” (Virtue Matches Heaven and Earth) on the east and “Dao Guan Gujin” (The Way Penetrates Past and Present) on the west; a “Dismount Stele” at the west gate reads “All civil and military personnel shall dismount here.” Moving northward, the Lingxing Gate is the main southern entrance to the Confucian Temple. Four stone lions (male and female pairs) flank the gate, totaling eight. The gate is 15.5 meters wide. Inside are side rooms including the Civil Officials’ Quarters and Divine Storage on the east, and Military Officials’ Quarters and Animal Sacrifice Pavilion on the west. The Jimen Gate is five bays wide (29 meters) and 12.29 meters deep, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof with bracket sets on both upper and lower eaves. It is the central structure of the Confucian Temple, using large materials, with its front terrace largely preserved, along with twelve side halls and corridors on each east and west side. Behind the Dacheng Hall is the Chongsheng Hall, also known as the Hall of Sages, with a hip-and-gable roof and bracket sets under the eaves. At a higher elevation behind the hall stands the Hua Jing Yi Ting Pavilion, with the Feiyun Pavilion and Feixia Pavilion to its east, and an Imperial Stele Pavilion in front—inscribed with poems by Emperor Qianlong during his six southern tours, hence the name. The pavilion is flanked by rockeries and ponds, creating a refined courtyard atmosphere.

Chaotian Palace has long been a destination for emperors, officials, scholars, and literati. Figures such as Wang Dao, Wang Xizhi, and Xie An of the Eastern Jin Dynasty; Li Bai and Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty; Wang Anshi, Su Shi, and Wen Tianxiang of the Song Dynasty; Emperor Tugh Temür of the Yuan Dynasty; Yan Song of the Ming Dynasty; and Kangxi, Qianlong, and Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty not only left their footprints here but also inscriptions and literary works. Historical sites around Chaotian Palace include the Guo Wenju Reading Platform, Mengbi Post, Wangxie Ascension Spot, Zhongxiao Spring, and Morning Bell of the Academy.

The Chaotian Palace Scenic Area includes the Jiangning Prefecture School and Ye Mountain. The Jiangning Prefecture School was built in September 1866 after Zeng Guofan, upon arriving in Nanjing in July 1864, consulted with Viceroy Li Hongzhang about reconstructing the Confucian Temple and school on the site of the Ming-era Chaotian Palace. The western section is the Confucian Temple, and the eastern is the Prefecture School, both grand in scale. The Prefecture School adopts a courtyard layout, with surrounding corridors housing student residences, and the central hall, Minglun Hall, used for lectures.

Ye Mountain lies north of the Jiangning Prefecture School. It is said to be where King Fuchai of Wu forged weapons in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and legend has it that a “Sword Pond” similar to that in Suzhou’s Tiger Hill lies beneath Ye City Mountain. As a large ancient smelting workshop and the earliest built-up area of Nanjing, it is hailed as the “Mother City of Nanjing,” featuring structures like the Ye City Pavilion and various historical ruins.

The Chaotian Palace Scenic Area now houses the Nanjing Museum, featuring specialized exhibition halls on Six Dynasties Nanjing, Ming Dynasty Nanjing, and Republican-era Nanjing, with a collection of nearly 100,000 cultural relics. These relics reflect distinct eras, regional characteristics, and a broad range of content, closely linked to Nanjing’s history, folklore, and cultural landscape. They represent a condensed version of Nanjing’s development and welcome over 300,000 visitors annually.

Surrounding Environment:

The Chaotian Palace Scenic Area is located at No. 6, Chaotian Palace, Ye Mountain, east of Mochou Road inside Shuixi Gate, neighboring the “Jiangning Prefecture School.” It is built against Ye Mountain, facing south, on the site of the ancient Wu Ye City.

Accessible via buses 4, 43, 48, 82, 83, and 306.

Address: No. 4, Chaotian Palace, Wangfu Street, Baixia District, Nanjing

Type: Museum / Historic Architecture

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 025-84466460; 025-84200177

Official Website: http://www.njmm.cn/

Opening Hours:

9:00–18:00 (last admission at 17:00)

Ticket Information:

Free entry for minors (under 18); primary and secondary school students and minor groups must book in advance for free entry; minors under 1.2 meters (inclusive) enter free with guardian accompaniment (guardian pays full fare); full-time university students with valid ID receive a 50% discount; seniors aged 70 and above (inclusive) enter free with valid ID; seniors aged 60–69 (inclusive) receive a 50% discount with valid ID; holders of veteran preferential certificates, disability certificates, or valid military IDs enter free.

Yeshan Daoyuan Community: Located in the central part of Chaotian Palace Subdistrict, bordered by Fengfu Road to the east, Mochou Road to the west, Jianye Road to the south, and connecting to Moling Road and Yujiaxiang communities to the north, covering an area of 0.24 square kilometers. The community office is at No. 43, Fengfu Road, with 3,664 registered households and a resident population of 10,779. There are three residential compounds in the area. Local institutions include the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing Public Security Bureau, Nanjing Urban Construction Archives, Nanjing Armed Police Force Jianye Squadron, Baixia Hospital, and Qingzhen Anleyuan Restaurant... Yeshan Daoyuan Community detailed information++

Further reading:

·First and Second Batches of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

·Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units