Hall of Mental Cultivation

　　Built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, it is located west of the Hall of Heavenly Purity in the inner court. In the early Qing Dynasty, Emperor Shunzhi passed away here. During the Kangxi reign, this area served as workshops of the Imperial Workshop, producing items exclusively for the imperial household. After Emperor Yongzheng took up residence in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, these workshops were gradually moved out of the inner court, and the hall has since been used as the living quarters of emperors during the Qing Dynasty. It was renovated and expanded during the Qianlong reign to become a multifunctional complex for receiving officials, handling state affairs, studying, and residing. Until the abdication of Puyi, eight Qing emperors successively lived in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

　　The Hall of Mental Cultivation is shaped like the Chinese character “工” (work). The front hall is three bays wide (36 meters) and three bays deep (12 meters). It features a hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. On the front eaves’ column positions, two square columns are added to each bay, making it appear as though it has nine bays. The name of the Hall of Mental Cultivation comes from Mencius’ saying “Preserve one's heart and cultivate one's nature to serve Heaven,” meaning to nurture one's innate qualities. To improve lighting, the Hall of Mental Cultivation became the first palace in the Forbidden City to be fitted with glass windows. The emperor’s throne is set in the center of the central bay, with a plaque inscribed with “Upright and Benevolent” (Zhongzheng Renhe), written by Emperor Yongzheng. The east warm room (Dong Nuange) on the eastern side of the central bay houses a throne facing west, where Empress Dowagers Cixi and Ci’an once conducted court from behind a screen. The west warm room (Xi Nuange) on the western side of the central bay is divided into several chambers, including the “Qinzheng Qinxian” (Diligence and Virtue) room where the emperor reviewed memorials and held private discussions with ministers, the “Sansi Hall” (Hall of Three Rarities), which was Emperor Qianlong’s study, and a small Buddhist shrine used by the emperor for worship and rest.

　　The rear hall served as the emperor’s bedroom, consisting of five bays. The slightly smaller eastern and western bays functioned as sleeping chambers, each with a bed where the emperor could choose to sleep. Flanking the rear hall are five bays of side rooms on each side: the eastern rooms were for the empress’s use, while the western rooms were for high-ranking consorts such as imperial noble consorts. During the Tongzhi reign, when the two dowager empresses conducted court from behind screens, Empress Dowager Ci’an resided in the “Tishun Hall” on the east side, while Empress Dowager Cixi stayed in the “Yanxi Hall” on the west side. They could easily come to the front hall to conduct state affairs. Around the sleeping quarters are over ten smaller rooms, low-ceilinged and plainly furnished, for temporary use by consorts and attendants.

　　In front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation is a glazed gate called the “Yangxin Gate.” Outside the gate lies an elongated courtyard to the east and west. In the 15th year of the Qianlong reign (1750), three connected rooms were added here, no taller than the wall and less than 4 meters deep, serving as accommodations for eunuchs, guards, and duty officers.

　　Exiting the Hall of Heavenly Purity through the Yuehua Gate to the west leads to a long street, with the Zunyi Gate (also known as the Kitchen Gate) directly opposite. Across from the gate is a yellow glazed screen wall. On the west side of the courtyard, as well as at the southeastern and northeastern walls, are 34 connected rooms with continuous eaves and ridges, spanning three walls. Built in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign, they served as quarters for eunuchs.

　　At the southern center is the Yangxin Gate, facing south. The gatehouse has a hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. Passing through the gate, you’ll find a wooden screen wall in the style of a memorial archway. The central part has partitioned doors that can open but are usually kept closed except when the emperor enters or exits the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Beyond the screen wall lies the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, over 63 meters long north to south and nearly 80 meters wide east to west, covering an area of 5,000 square meters. The entire compound is divided into a front courtyard and a rear courtyard.

　　The East Warm Room consists of the eastern secondary and corner bays, divided into front and rear chambers aligned north-south and separated by partitions. The southern chamber near the window has a continuous heated kang bed, and the eastern wall faces west with two tiers of thrones. The southwest corner of the East Warm Room originally had an imperial inscription “Mingchuang” (Bright Window), where the emperor wrote his first calligraphy of the New Year. The northern chamber is loosely divided into east and west sections: the small eastern room has no windows, with a bed against the north wall used by the emperor for fasting rituals. The western room has a window on the north side, and beneath the small western window is a throne, with plaques such as “Suian Shi” (Following Peace Room) and “Jisuotuo” (Place of Reliance), all written by the emperor. Later, the “Suian Shi” plaque was moved to the bed in the eastern sleeping room, while “Jisuotuo,” originally in the middle of the rear chamber, was renamed “Shouyu Chunhui” (Spring Sunshine in Long Life) in the late Qing Dynasty.

　　The exterior of the southern window features a wooden veranda enclosed by a fence. To the east is a passageway with a door leading to the rear chamber. The rear chamber also has subdivided rooms: the western room is called “Changchun Shuwu” (Changchun Study), and the eastern room is “Wujuan Zhai” (Untiring Studio). A Buddhist shrine was established here during the Qianlong reign. The western side chamber of the Hall of Mental Cultivation is “Mei Wu” (Plum Cove), added in the 39th year of the Qianlong reign. It faces south, is a single bay, and has a flush-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles.

　　Aisin-Gioro Fulin (1638–1661)　　Emperor Shunzhi, Aisin-Gioro Fulin (March 15, 1638 – February 5, 1661), was the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the son of Hong Taiji and Empress Xiaozhuang. Fulin ascended the throne at age six, with Dorgon acting as regent. In 1644, he entered the pass and moved south, establishing Beijing as the capital. He began personal rule in 1650. Facing anti-Qing resistance, Emperor Shunzhi pursued a strategy of “pacification and order,” while relying on Han officials such as Hong Chengchou to reform governance, stabilize society, unify the nation, promote agriculture, and improve government efficiency. He passed away in 1661 at the age of 24, with the posthumous title of “Tiāntiān Lóngyùn Dìngtǒng Jiàngjí Yīngruì Qīnwén Xiǎnwǔ Dàdé Hónggōng Zhìrén...”  More+

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