Palace of Prolonged Joy

　　The Palace of Prolonged Joy is one of the Eastern Six Palaces in the inner court. It is situated on the east side of East Second Long Street and was constructed in the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1420). Initially named the Palace of Longevity, it was renamed the Palace of Auspicious Peace in the 14th year of the Jiajing reign (1535).

　　During the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed the Palace of Prolonged Joy and underwent renovation in the 25th year of the Kangxi reign (1686). Throughout both the Ming and Qing dynasties, it served as residence for imperial concubines. During the Qing Dynasty, Consort Tian of Emperor Daoguang and Noble Lady Cheng once lived here.

　　The original Palace of Prolonged Joy had the same layout as the other five palaces, consisting of two courtyards. The front courtyard featured a main hall with five bays, topped with yellow glazed tiles and a hip-and-gable roof. Inside hung an imperial plaque inscribed with “Praise Virtue with Caution,” written by Emperor Qianlong. On the eastern wall was hung Qianlong’s “Sacred Composition: Praise for Empress Cao Promoting Agriculture,” and on the western wall was “The Painting of Empress Cao Promoting Agriculture.” In front of the hall were three-bay side halls on the east and west. The rear courtyard also had a five-bay main hall, flanked by three-bay side halls on the east and west, all with yellow glazed tiles and flush gable roofs.

　　In the 25th year of the Daoguang reign (1845), a fire broke out in the Palace of Prolonged Joy, destroying the main hall, rear hall, and side halls—totaling 25 structures—leaving only the palace gate intact. A proposal to rebuild it was made in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign (1872), but it was never realized. In the first year of the Xuantong reign (1909), construction began on a three-story Western-style building—the Water Palace—at the original site of the Palace of Prolonged Joy. The Water Palace was surrounded by a pool, with water from the Yuquan Mountain spring flowing around it. The main building had nine rooms per floor, with doors on all four sides of the ground floor, encircled by corridors. At each corner of the building stood a three-story hexagonal pavilion, each with two ground-floor entrances connecting to the main building and the corridors.

　　According to the "Poetic Accounts of the Qing Palace" and the "Miscellaneous Histories of the Qing Dynasty," the Water Palace had copper pillars and glass walls, with a layer between the walls containing water and fish. The ground floor floor was also made of glass, allowing fish in the pool to be clearly seen, alongside lotus and algae, creating a picturesque scene. Empress Dowager Longyu inscribed the plaque “Spiritual Pool Pavilion,” commonly known as the “Crystal Palace.”

　　In reality, all the structural frames of the building were made of cast iron, including the four dragon-patterned pillars inside. Most of the structure was built from white marble, with very little brick used. The exterior walls were carved, and the interior walls were tiled with white and patterned tiles. Due to financial constraints, the Crystal Palace remained unfinished by the winter of the third year of the Xuantong reign (1911) and construction was halted. In June of the second year of the Xuantong reign (1910), Empress Dowager Longyu also ordered the Western Garden Electric Light Company to install electric heaters, fans, and additional lights in the Palace of Prolonged Joy.

　　In 1917, during Zhang Xun’s restoration attempt, the northern part of the Palace of Prolonged Joy was bombed by aircraft of the Zhili forces. In 1931, the Palace Museum converted it into a storage facility for cultural relics.

　　The Eastern Six Palaces are located on East First Long Street, east of the central axis of the Forbidden City. They consist of six identical courtyards. The six palaces are: the Palace of Great Benevolence, the Palace of Heavenly Grace, the Palace of Purity and Harmony, the Palace of Scenic Light, the Palace of Eternal Harmony, and the Palace of Prolonged Joy.

　　The Palace Museum in Beijing, officially known as the Palace Museum, was formerly called the Forbidden City. It is located at the center of Beijing’s central axis and was the imperial palace of the 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It represents the pinnacle of ancient Han Chinese palace architecture, an unparalleled architectural masterpiece, and one of the largest and best-preserved wooden structures in the world. It includes over 70 palaces and more than 9,000 rooms, centered around the three great halls: the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

The Palace Museum

The Palace of Purity and Harmony

The Hall of Supreme Harmony

The Gate of Divine Might

The Hall of Preserving Harmony

The Palace of Heavenly Favor

The Hall of Martial Valor

The Palace of Earthly Tranquility

The Hall of Heavenly Purity

The Palace of Compassion and Tranquility

The Studio of the Three Rarities

The Hall of Mental Cultivation

The Palace of Longevity and Health

The Imperial Garden

The Palace of Eternal Longevity