Hall of Martial Valor

　　The Hall of Martial Valor is a Han-style palace structure initially built in the early Ming Dynasty, located to the west of the Xihemen Gate in the outer court of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The main hall, the Hall of Martial Valor, faces south, is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a yellow glazed tile hip-and-gable roof. Its Sumeru pedestal is surrounded by white marble railings, with a front terrace leading to a path that goes directly to the Wuying Gate. The rear hall, the Hall of Reverent Thought, has a similar design to the Hall of Martial Valor, and the two are connected by a covered corridor. The side halls to the east and west are the Hall of Sagely Way and the Hall of Radiant Virtue, respectively, with a total of 63 corridor rooms on the left and right. In the northeast corner of the courtyard is the Hall of Everlasting Longevity, and in the northwest is the Bathhouse of Virtue. The Hall of Martial Valor corresponds to the Hall of Literary Glory, which is located to the east of the outer court—representing martial and civil aspects, respectively.

　　In the early Ming Dynasty, emperors used the Hall of Martial Valor for staying in seclusion and summoning ministers, but this was later moved to the Hall of Literary Glory. During the Chongzhen era, ceremonies such as the Empress’s birthday and the greetings of titled ladies were also held here. In the Ming Dynasty, artists were selected to live in the Hall of Martial Valor under the title of "painters awaiting imperial summons." At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng, leader of the peasant rebellion, captured Beijing in the spring of 1644 and declared the Daxun regime. However, due to rapidly declining morale among his troops and inability to resist the Qing forces entering the pass, he only hastily held his enthronement ceremony in the Hall of Martial Valor on April 29, and fled Beijing the next day.

　　In the early days of the Qing forces entering the pass, Prince Regent Dorgon arrived in Beijing first and used the Hall of Martial Valor as his office. In the early Qing Dynasty, the Hall of Martial Valor served as an imperial retreat for holding small-scale ceremonies such as birthday felicitations, rewards, and sacrifices. In 1669, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, due to renovations of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Emperor Kangxi temporarily resided in the Hall of Martial Valor. During the Kangxi era, the Wuying Press was first established here. In 1680, the corridor rooms on the left and right were designated as the book revision office, responsible for printing and binding books. It was overseen by princes and high-ranking officials, with a staff of over 30 including supervisors, clerks, secretaries, chief editors, compilers, and assistants, all appointed by the emperor and the Hanlin Academy. After 1701, the Hall of Martial Valor printed a large number of books using copper movable type and specially made Kaohua paper, featuring elegant and neat fonts, exquisite illustrations, and very high print quality. In 1773, Emperor Qianlong ordered 138 rare editions from the Yongle Encyclopedia to be typeset and printed, bestowing upon them the name “Wuying Hall Collected Rare Edition Series,” commonly known as “Palace Editions.” After 1755, very few books were published, and the name remained mostly symbolic. Books that were stored but not distributed were usually kept in the Hall of Reverent Thought. In the summer of 1814, during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing, a stock check was conducted, with intact books moved to the Hall of Martial Valor and damaged ones sold off. Thereafter, the Hall of Reverent Thought was effectively used to store printing blocks.

　　The Hall of Martial Valor is the birthplace of the “Palace Editions.” The architectural complex of the Hall of Martial Valor was completed in the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, covering an area of about 12,000 square meters, with over 60 main structures spanning more than 6,500 square meters. The complex consists of two parts, front and back, and includes the Wuying Gate, the Hall of Martial Valor, the Hall of Reverent Thought, the Hall of Sagely Way, the Hall of Radiant Virtue, the Hall of Everlasting Longevity, the Bathhouse of Virtue, and 63 corridor rooms on the left and right. During the transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties, Li Zicheng hastily proclaimed himself emperor here, and Prince Regent Dorgon of the Shunzhi era handled state affairs here. Starting in 1680 during the Kangxi era, a book office was established in the Hall of Martial Valor. In 1914, the Antiquities Exhibition Hall displayed cultural relics in the Hall of Martial Valor. The architectural layout of the Hall of Martial Valor was established in the Ming Dynasty, with the main buildings being rebuilt after a great fire in 1869, and undergoing major renovations in 1902.

　　Since its construction in the early Ming Dynasty, the architectural complex of the Hall of Martial Valor has been used not only for political and ceremonial activities, but more for cultural purposes. In the Ming Dynasty, artists were appointed to stay in the Hall of Martial Valor as “painters awaiting imperial summons.” In the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, the Wuying Press was first established here, becoming a place where scholars compiled and edited texts. In 1680, the corridor rooms on the left and right were turned into the book revision office, responsible for printing and binding books. After the Qianlong era, the Hall of Martial Valor became dedicated to proofreading and printing books. The printing activities flourished most during the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, featuring superior paper and ink, meticulous proofreading, and excellent book quality. In the field of bibliography, they are referred to as “Palace Editions” based on their place of publication. The printing activities of the book revision office continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty, lasting more than 200 years and spanning nearly the entire Qing period.

　　In 1869, the Hall of Martial Valor was destroyed by fire, burning down 37 structures including the main hall, rear hall, gate, east side hall, and the Bathhouse of Virtue, with almost all books and printing blocks lost. It was rebuilt the same year. After the major renovation of the Forbidden City began in 2005, the Hall of Martial Valor area was restored and is now completed as the Painting and Calligraphy Gallery of the Palace Museum. Its side halls to the east and west serve as the Classics Library.