Site of the Qing Imperial Palace

Site of the Qing Imperial Palace

The Site of the Qing Imperial Palace is a cultural relic protection unit of Hangzhou City.

The Qing Imperial Palace was the residence used by multiple emperors of the Qing Dynasty when they traveled to West Lake. It was first built in the 44th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1705 AD), and today, architectural and garden ruins remain.

It also bears witness to the significant historical event during the first half of the 18th century when Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty made southern tours to Hangzhou, conferred titles on the “Ten Scenes of West Lake” (“designated by Kangxi, inscribed by Qianlong”), and helped revive West Lake’s landscape through imperial patronage. The palace is located in the central southern foothills of Gushan Mountain, facing West Lake to the south. The entire compound faces south with its back to the north: the southern part consists of architectural courtyards, while the northern part is the rear garden, built in harmony with the terrain of Gushan. The overall layout of the courtyards and gardens is largely preserved, with a rich array of architectural remains, including the foundation of the surrounding wall, the ruins of the First Palace Gate, the Hanging Flower Gate, the Nanmu Bedrooms, the Vulture Fragrance Courtyard, and the Magnolia Hall. The rear garden still preserves parts of the garden architecture from the “Eight Scenic Spots of the Imperial Palace,” such as the Vulture Fragrance Courtyard, the Magnolia Hall, the Stage, the Moon-Storage Spring, the Commanding View Pavilion, the Imperial Stele Pavilion, the Green Cloud Path, and the Four-Sided Pavilion.