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Zhongnanhai () is a compound that houses the offices of and serves as a residence for the leadership of the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
(CCP) and the
State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative authority of China, headed by the Premier * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of S ...
. It was a former imperial garden, and is located adjacent to the Forbidden Palace in
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
. The term ''Zhongnanhai'' is often used as a
metonym Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "wikt:suit, suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such ...
for China's central government and its leadership at large. The
party and state leaders Party and State leaders () is a political jargon used by official documents and by official media in China, referring to specific senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). The range of Party ...
, including the general secretary of the CCP as well as the
paramount leader Paramount leader () is an informal term for the most important Supreme leader, political figure in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The paramount leader typically controls the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberatio ...
, and other top party and state leadership figures carry out many of their day-to-day administrative activities inside the compound, such as meetings with foreign dignitaries.
China Central Television China Central Television (CCTV) is the State media, national television broadcaster of China, established in 1958. CCTV is operated by the National Radio and Television Administration which reports directly to the Publicity Department of th ...
(CCTV) frequently shows footage of meetings inside the compound, but limits its coverage largely to views of the interior of buildings. Though numerous maps of the complex exist from before the
founding of the People's Republic of China The proclamation of the People's Republic of China was made by Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), on October 1, 1949, in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The government of a n ...
, the interior layout of Zhongnanhai has been altered significantly since then, including a wave of major renovations in the 1970s. Today many buildings share the names of older, pre-PRC structures, but have completely changed in layout and purpose. The complex is divided into two main sections, reflecting the parallel authority of the highest level of state and party institutions in the country. Northern Zhongnanhai is used as the headquarters of the State Council and includes the offices of its senior most leaders as well as its principal meeting rooms. Southern Zhongnanhai is the headquarters of the
CCP Central Committee The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, officially the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the highest organ when the national congress is not in session and is tasked with carrying out congress resolutions, d ...
, including its staff and its highest level coordinating institutions, such as the
Standing Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...
,
Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the highest organ of the central committee in communist parties. The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in socialist and Islamist parties, such as the UK Labour Party's NEC or the Poli ...
and
Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the ninth winn ...
. The current basic outline of Zhongnanhai emerged during the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
when the
Yongle Emperor The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 142 ...
began a project to subdivide and reclaim land around
Taiye Lake Taiye Lake or Taiye Pond was an artificial lake in imperial City, Beijing, during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China. The beauty and utility of the lake was responsible for the siting of Kublai Khan's palace and the position of m ...
in order to create a garden retreat. By the late
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
, Zhongnanhai was used as the de facto center of government, with
Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...
and later Prince Regent Chun building residences there instead of the Forbidden City. After the establishment of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, the new
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
,
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 18596 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as the second provisional president and the first official president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and ...
remodeled Zhongnanhai to become the formal center of what would become known as the
Beiyang Government The Beiyang government was the internationally recognized government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China between 1912 and 1928, based in Beijing. It was dominated by the generals of the Beiyang Army, giving it its name. B ...
. In late 1949, CCP Chairman
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
moved into the complex after initially staying in the suburbs. Mao received many important foreign leaders in Zhongnanhai, including
Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...
,
Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
,
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
,
Georges Pompidou Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou ( ; ; 5 July 19112 April 1974) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1969 until his death in 1974. He previously served as Prime Minister of France under President Charles de Gaulle from 19 ...
,
Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. Known for his background in construction and earthy and tenacious political style, Tanaka is the only modern Japanese prime minister who ...
and
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...
, among others. Mao's favorite places in Zhongnanhai were the Library of Chrysanthemum Fragrance (his personal residence, filled with bookshelves) and the Poolside House, next to the large indoor swimming pool, where he would spend much of the day swimming or reading books and reports by the pool. After Mao's death, the Chrysanthemum Library along with many of his belongings was preserved as a museum which is no longer accessible to the general public.


Location

The name of the Zhongnanhai complex, immediately west of the
Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...
, means "Central and Southern Seas" referring to two lakes, the Central Sea (中海) and Southern Sea (南海), within the compound; it is sometimes translated as "Sea Palaces". The two lakes were part of a series of projects carried out during the construction of the Imperial City. The corresponding "Northern Sea", or "Beihai" (北海) to the north is now a
public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...
. The interconnected Northern, Central and Southern Seas are jointly called the
Taiye Lake Taiye Lake or Taiye Pond was an artificial lake in imperial City, Beijing, during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China. The beauty and utility of the lake was responsible for the siting of Kublai Khan's palace and the position of m ...
(太液池); adjacent
Shichahai Shichahai () is a historic scenic area consisting of three lakes in the north of central Beijing. They are located directly northwest of the Forbidden City and north of the Beihai Lake. Shichahai consists of the following three lakes: Qianhai () ...
(什剎海, ) is connected to Beihai through Qianhai. The Taiye Lake originally formed the core of an imperial garden called Western Park (''Xiyuan''; 西苑) or Western Court (''Xinei''; zh, first=s, s=西内, t=西內, labels=no), with parklands on the shores, enclosed by a red wall in the western part of the Imperial City. Most of the pavilions, shrines, and temples survive from this period. Whereas the Northern Sea had a religious focus, the shores of Central and Southern Seas were dotted with a number of worldly palaces.


History

During the
Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...
(1115–1235),
Emperor Zhangzong of Jin Emperor Zhangzong of Jin (31 August 1168 – 29 December 1208), personal name Madage, sinicized name Wanyan Jing, was the sixth emperor of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty of China. He reigned from 20 January 1189 to 29 December 1208.Tao, p. 85-86 ...
built the northern lake in 1189. The northern section of Zhongnanhai was the original Taiye Lake, with an attached palace called the "Palace of Great Peace" (''Daninggong''). During the
Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
, which lasted from 1271 to 1368, Taiye Lake was included within the Imperial City. It was also expanded, covering approximately the area occupied by the Northern and Central Seas today. Three new palaces were built around the lake. After the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
moved its capital to
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
in 1403 by order of the
Yongle Emperor The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 142 ...
, construction of the now extant Imperial Palace began in 1406. The new Ming palace was built to the south of the Yuan dynastic palace, as a result, a new Southern Sea was dug to the south of the existing lake. The excavated soil, together with that from the construction of the palace moat, was piled up to form Jingshan, a hill to the north of the Forbidden City. At this time, the three lakes were connected through channels and collectively called the Taiye Lake, part of the extensive royal park called ''Xiyuan'' (西苑, ''Western Park'') that extended from the western wall of the Imperial City to the western wall of the Forbidden City. In the middle period of the Ming dynasty,
Zhengde Emperor The Zhengde Emperor (26 October 149120 April 1521), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Wuzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houzhao, was the 11th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1505 to 1 ...
and
Jiajing Emperor The Jiajing Emperor (16September 150723January 1567), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houcong, art name, art names Yaozhai, Leixuan, and Tianchi Diaosou, was the 12th List of emperors of the Ming ...
built many more palaces, Taoist temples and pavilions around the lakes and spent more time here rather than in the Forbidden City. After the
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
established its capital in Beijing, the government reduced the size of Xiyuan to the area centered around the three lakes enclosed by a small wall, portions of which form the basis of Zhongnanhai's current boundary. During the late Qing dynasty, several gatehouses were built on both sides of Jin'ao Yudong Bridge hinese Wikipedia/sup>, giving Zhongnanhai and
Beihai Park Beihai Park is a public park and former imperial garden immediately northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving Chinese gardens and contains numerous histo ...
separate wall enclosures within Xiyuan. Several successive emperors built pavilions and houses along the lakeshores of Zhongnanhai, where they would carry out government duties in the summer. During the reign of the
Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...
, both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would often live in the Zhongnanhai compound, traveling to the Forbidden City only for ceremonial duties. During the
Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...
of 1899–1901, allied troops occupied Zhongnanhai. Almost all artifacts and decorations in the compound were looted. Later, the
Eight-Nation Alliance The Eight-Nation Alliance was a multinational military coalition that invaded northern China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, with the stated aim of relieving the foreign legations in Beijing, which were being besieged by the popular Boxer ...
commander also lived in Zhongnanhai. When
Puyi Puyi (7 February 190617 October 1967) was the final emperor of China, reigning as the eleventh monarch of the Qing dynasty from 1908 to 1912. When the Guangxu Emperor died without an heir, Empress Dowager Cixi picked his nephew Puyi, aged tw ...
was crowned Emperor, his father as the Prince Regent lived for a short time in the compound. Zhongnanhai continued to be politically significant during the first years of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, as the
Beiyang Government The Beiyang government was the internationally recognized government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China between 1912 and 1928, based in Beijing. It was dominated by the generals of the Beiyang Army, giving it its name. B ...
under
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 18596 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as the second provisional president and the first official president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and ...
placed its presidential palace in the Zhongnanhai compound from 1912. This decision was made because the regime wished to house its government close to the historical center of power, the Forbidden City, even though it could not use the Forbidden City itself because the abdicated Emperor Puyi still lived there. The current main gate, Xinhua Gate or "Gate of New China", was created by Yuan Shikai. The present "gatehouse" was previously a pavilion located on the southern shore the Southern Sea, close to the southern wall. Entry to the compound was instead directly from the Forbidden City. Yuan wished to create a new entrance from
Chang'an Avenue file:50th anniversary of PRC 1.jpg, 250px, Chang'an Avenue hosts military parades. Here are armoured fighting vehicles leaving Tian'anmen Square during the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, 1999 National Day parade. Chang'an ...
, independent of the Forbidden City. Thus the pavilion was modified to become a gatehouse, with nearby walls cut back, resulting in the angled walls near the entrance today. Yuan renamed Zhongnanhai Palace of the New China (''Xinhua Palace'', ) during his brief reign as
Emperor of China Throughout Chinese history, "Emperor" () was the superlative title held by the monarchs of imperial China's various dynasties. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was the " Son of Heaven", an autocrat with the divine mandat ...
. When the Republic of China government moved its capital to
Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...
, the Zhongnanhai compound was opened to the public as a park.http://www.25dx.com/beijing/2006/200607/2006-07-09/206729.html After the CCP's Capture of Beijing in 1949, the party's senior leadership began plans to relocate their headquarters to the old capital, but they did not initially agree on the location of their central workplace. Mao and the other party leaders initially made their headquarters at Xiangshan Park, in the city's suburbs. As part of the planning for the first
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s United front (China), united front system. Its members adv ...
Zhou Enlai decided that, with some modifications, Huairen Hall in Zhongnanhai would be ideal, but he did not initially recommend it during meetings to become the party headquarters. In these early months, Zhou would commute into Beijing for work. However, because of the poor quality of the roads, he would often stay at Zhongnanhai instead of traveling home in the evening. It was
Ye Jianying Ye Jianying (; 28 April 1897 – 22 October 1986) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary leader and politician, one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Republic of China. He was the top military leader in the 1976 coup that overthrew the Gang ...
, the interim administrator of Beijing, who ultimately recommended Zhongnanhai as the party headquarters for security reasons. Mao initially refused to move into Zhongnanhai because of its imperial associations. Zhou Enlai nonetheless agreed to the move, as did the majority of the
Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the highest organ of the central committee in communist parties. The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in socialist and Islamist parties, such as the UK Labour Party's NEC or the Poli ...
. Since then, Zhongnanhai has served as the principal center of government in the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. When the CCP leaders first moved into the compound, many of the buildings were dilapidated and gardens overgrown from years of neglect. Zhongnanhai also lacked either a modern administrative office complex or a purpose-built auditorium for government meetings. These deficiencies prompted the construction of ''West Building'' compound and the complete remodeling of ''Huairen Hall'' by 1954, along with numerous other architectural changes. Early party and state laters were assigned residences in Zhongnanhai on an ad hoc basis, often using houses built for servants of the Qing court, or by repurposing buildings intended for other purposes.


In contemporary times

Since Zhongnanhai became the central government compound, it has been mostly inaccessible to the general public. The exception to this was during the years of relative freedom following the end of the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
, when the compound was open to members of the public, who could obtain tickets to visit the compound from relevant government authorities. Following the political turmoil that culminated in the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between t ...
, security was greatly increased. Access has now been closed to the general public, with numerous plain clothed military personnel patrolling the area on foot. However, cars are not strictly prohibited from stopping on stretches of adjacent roadway and cabs are allowed to stop except during important conferences or events. Chinese maps of Beijing show Zhongnanhai as an insignificant green area with a water body; in contrast, the municipal government, however, is shown significantly with a red star. The most important entrance to the compound is the southern one at Xinhuamen (Xinhua Gate, or "Gate of New China"), surrounded by two slogans: "long live the great Chinese Communist Party" and "long live the invincible
Mao Zedong Thought Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China and later the People's Re ...
." The view behind the entrance is shielded by a traditional screen wall with the slogan "
Serve the People "Serve the People" () is a political slogan and the motto of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It originates from the title of a speech by Mao Zedong, delivered in September 1944. The slogan became popular in the United States due to the strong ...
", written in the handwriting of Mao Zedong. The Xinhuamen entrance lies on the north side of West Chang'an Avenue. Zhongnanhai is considered the ''
de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...
'' residence of the CCP
Politburo Standing Committee The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), officially the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) an ...
members and other senior leaders for electoral purposes. Though it serves as their formal residence, many senior party leaders do not actually live in Zhongnanhai, preferring to live in homes elsewhere in the city. Several more recent leaders, such as then General Secretary and
paramount leader Paramount leader () is an informal term for the most important Supreme leader, political figure in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The paramount leader typically controls the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberatio ...
Hu Jintao reportedly chose to live in the
Jade Spring Hill Jade Spring Hill () is located to the west of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. It was also formerly known as Jingming Palace (景明宫, "Jǐngmíng gōng"). It contains an imperial garden, the Jingming Garden and is named after the Jade Spri ...
compound in western Beijing due to overcrowding inside Zhongnanhai. China's current leader Xi Jinping also has a home in Jade Spring Hill. There continues to be no standardized system for awarding certain houses to leaders of a certain rank in Zhongnanhai. After a senior leader's death, their spouse is often permitted to stay in the house indefinitely. Several of these houses were occupied by the families of their original post-revolution residents into the 1990s. File:Victory banquet for the distinguished officers and soldiers at the Ziguangge (Hall of Purple Glaze).jpg, Late 18th-century painting showing the reception for the victorious Qing Army from the Jinchuan campaign (1771–1776) at the Hall of Purple Light in Zhongnanhai File:Z-The Qing Dynasty Ci-Xi Imperial Dowager Empress of China on a Flat-Bottomed Boat in the Lake of the Middle Sea (1).PNG, The
Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...
and servants on a boat in Zhonghai in the early 1900s. File:Bundesarchiv Bild 137-009052, Peking - Sowjet. Botschafter Karachan fährt zur Audienz.jpg, Procession of Leo Karakhan, USSR Ambassador to China 1923–26, outside the Xinhua Gate of Zhongnanhai. File:1954 chenyun maozedong.jpg, Leaders of the People's Republic, from left,
Zhu De Zhu De; (1 December 1886 – 6 July 1976) was a Chinese general, military strategist, politician and revolutionary in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Zhu was born into poverty in 1886 in Sichuan. He was adopted by a wealthy uncle at ...
,
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
,
Chen Yun Chen Yun (13 June 1905 – 10 April 1995) was a statesman of the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China. He was one of the most prominent leaders during the periods when China was governed by Mao Zedong and later by Deng Xia ...
and
Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...
outside the Hall of Purple Light ( Ziguangge) in 1954. File:George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush with Hu Jintao.jpg, Chinese leader
Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese retired politician who served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the president of China from 2003 to 2013, and chairman of the Central Military Comm ...
with U.S. President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
and former U.S. President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
at Yingtai in Zhongnanhai on August 10, 2008.


Internal layout


Central Sea

The buildings around the ''Central Sea'' () constitute the headquarters of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and its affiliate institutions, including the offices of the
premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
and the vice premiers as well as the
State Council General Office State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
. Important guests, both foreign and domestic, are typically received here in the northern half of Zhongnanhai. This area is also known as the ''North District'' ().


Regent Palace

The original ''Regent Palace'' () was a large
siheyuan A ''siheyuan'' (; ɹ̩̂.xɤ̌.ɥɛ̂n is a traditional Chinese architectural style characterized by a courtyard enclosed by buildings on all four sides. This design was prevalent throughout China, notably in Beijing and rural Shanxi. Historic ...
-style mansion that took up most of the northwestern corner of Zhongnanhai. Though most of the building no longer exists, it is now the site of the principal meeting areas and offices of the State Council. The large three story building that occupies much the south western area of the former Regent Palace is the location of the State Council Office Secretariat, which facilitates the State Council's
plenary sessions A plenary session or plenum is a session of a conference or deliberative assembly in which all parties or members are present. Such a session may include a broad range of content, from keynotes to panel discussions, and is not necessarily relat ...
. Altogether, the State Council possesses a total of six numbered meeting rooms which are used to convene conferences and policymaking sessions. Conference rooms one and two are located on either side of a thirty-meter corridor which is used for informational exhibits and displays relevant to State Council activities. This corridor is located at the south end of the former Regent Palace area. Both the full State Council and the weekly meetings of the State Council Standing Committee are convened in conference room number one. During the Ming dynasty, the Jiajing Emperor built Wanshou Palace in this area as his main living palace within Zhongnanhai. Nothing remained of this palace by the late Qing era, however. The building that came to be known as Regent Palace took its name from Puyi's regent
Zaifeng, Prince Chun Zaifeng (12 February 1883 – 3 February 1951), also known as Tsai Feng, Prince of Ch'ün, formally known by his title Prince Chun, was a Manchu prince and regent of the late Qing dynasty. He was a son of Yixuan, the seventh son of the Dao ...
. Prince Chun was given the land to build his palace here in 1909, though the building was not completed by the time the Qing dynasty ended in 1911. Under the Republic of China, the building was initially the location of the
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
's office and the meeting place of the cabinet. In 1918, President
Xu Shichang Xu Shichang (Hsu Shih-chang; ; courtesy name: Juren (Chu-jen; 菊人); October 20, 1855 – June 5, 1939) was a Chinese politician who served as the President of the Republic of China, in Beijing, from 10 October 1918 to 2 June 1922. The only p ...
switched the
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
's residence and the prime minister's office, relocating his residence to Regent Palace, while the prime minister and Cabinet moved to Dianxu Hall in the Garden of Abundant Beneficence. When Huairen Hall became the Presidential residence in 1923, Regent Palace became the location of the army and naval department. After 1949, the People's Republic of China again used the building as the headquarters of the premier and the State Council. Though the building was beginning to show its age at the time, initially Premier Zhou Enlai resisted renovation efforts citing a commitment to fiscal austerity. During a massive renovation of Zhongnanhai in the late 1970s, plans were made to modernize Regent palace as well. It was found, however, that the quality of the building was very poor, the foundations were loose and the gaps between the wooden columns were filled with broken bricks. As a result, the upper and entrance halls were torn down and rebuilt completely. The location where these halls once stood is currently the location of several of the State Council's conference rooms.


West Flower Hall

Located in the northwestern corner of Zhongnanhai, ''West Flower Hall'' () was constructed as the living quarters to Regent Palace. West Flower Hall hence served as Premier Zhou Enlai's personal residence. The building has two courtyards. The front courtyard was where Zhou would meet and dine with foreign guests, while the back courtyard included Zhou's personal office, bedroom and meeting rooms. After Zhou's death, his wife
Deng Yingchao Deng Yingchao (; 4 February 1904 – 11 July 1992) was the Chairwoman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1983 to 1988, a member of the Chinese Communist Party, and the wife of the first Chinese Premier, Zhou Enlai. ...
continued to live here until 1990. Immediately adjoining to West Flower Hall is the slightly smaller ''East Flower Hall'' (), which became the residence of Vice Premier
Li Xiannian Li Xiannian (; 23 June 1909 – 21 June 1992) was a Chinese Chinese Communist Party, Communist military and political leader, president of China from 1983 to 1988 under paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and then chairman of the Chinese People's Politi ...
in the mid-1950s. East Flower Hall once had a
rockery A rock garden, also known as a rockery and formerly as a rockwork, is a garden, or more often a part of a garden, with a landscaping framework of rocks, stones, and gravel, with planting appropriate to this setting. Usually these are small ...
courtyard that was the location of one of the State Council's conference rooms during the Zhou Enlai era. During the large scale demolition and redevelopment of Regent Palace,
Wang Dongxing Wang Dongxing (; 9 January 1916 – 21 August 2015) was a Chinese military commander and politician, famous for being the chief of Mao Zedong's personal bodyguard force, the 9th Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security (which included the '' 8 ...
built a large house adjacent to both West and East Flower Halls for Paramount Leader
Hua Guofeng Hua Guofeng (born Su Zhu (); 16 February 1921 – 20 August 2008) was a Chinese politician who served as chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and the 2nd premier of China. The designated successor of Mao Zedong, Hua held the top offices of t ...
. When Hua Guofeng was forced from power, he exchanged this house with Li Xiannian and moved to Li Xiannian's temporary residence outside of Zhongnanhai. Li Xiannian and his family subsequently lived here through his presidency until his death, after which, his wife Lin Jiamei continued to occupy the residence. In 1996,
Li Peng Li Peng (; 20 October 1928 – 22 July 2019) was a Chinese politician who served as the 4th premier of China from 1987 to 1998, and as the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, from ...
attempted to claim West Flower Hall as his post premiership residence. Li Peng was motivated in part by the relationship he had with Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao as their foster son. Li Peng's efforts were unsuccessful, however, and West Flower Hall subsequently became part of the ''North Courtyard Core'' () residence assigned to Lin Jiamei. Lin Jiamei was reportedly still living here as late as 2014.


Premier's Office

The modern workplace of the premier and the vice premiers of the State Council, the ''Premier's Office'' () was built during the large scale renovation of Regent Palace in the 1970s. Unlike the offices of CCP officials in the West Building Compound, which are assigned to specific individuals and do not necessarily change if the individual loses their title or role, the offices of the premier and vice premier are assigned specifically to the incumbent holders of those positions and their occupants must move out when their term ends. The premier's office does not have a front gate and courtyard like other buildings in the former Regent Palace area, instead featuring a covered access ramp. Immediately to the south is a building that serves as the headquarters for the
State Council General Office State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
.


Fourth Conference Room

The State Council's ''Fourth Conference Room'' () is located in a building specifically dedicated to this purpose. It is used for meetings between State Council officials and specially invited persons who are often not affiliated with the government. There is a large traditional Chinese gate and courtyard in front of the fourth conference room that is used for photo opportunities between State Council officials and their guests. In Regent Palace's original configuration as built by Prince Chun, the area where the fourth conference room is located was known as ''Yin'an Hall'' (). The Fourth Conference Room was last rebuilt in 2003.


Ziguang Hall

Literally translated as Hall of Purple Light (''Ziguangge''; ), ''Ziguang Hall'' is a two-storey pavilion located on the northern west bank of the Central Sea. Immediately behind Ziguang Hall is another pavilion called ''Wucheng Hall'' () which connects to Ziguang Hall to form a courtyard. In the Ming dynasty, it was originally a platform built by the
Zhengde Emperor The Zhengde Emperor (26 October 149120 April 1521), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Wuzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houzhao, was the 11th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1505 to 1 ...
for military exercise. His successor, the
Jiajing Emperor The Jiajing Emperor (16September 150723January 1567), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houcong, art name, art names Yaozhai, Leixuan, and Tianchi Diaosou, was the 12th List of emperors of the Ming ...
, built Ziguang Hall here as a replacement for the platform. The building was rebuilt during the Qing dynasty by the
Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...
, who would use the location to inspect his bodyguards. During the reign of the
Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
the building was used to display battle wall charts and seized weapons. The building was also known as the Hall of Barbarian Tributes and was used to receive tribute missions to the Emperor. In 1873 and 1891, the emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, respectively, received envoys from the foreign legations in Beijing, in the hall. After 1949 the building was occasionally used for dances. A large modern conference area was later built on the building's western side. Ziguang Hall is used today as the main reception area in Zhongnanhai for meeting with foreign diplomats and conducting talks with world leaders. Wucheng Hall is often used for photo opportunities in which a Chinese leader will be pictured sitting alongside their visiting counterpart. The ''State Council Auditorium'' () is connected to the western side of Ziguang Hall. In the early years after 1949, the State Council Auditorium was used as a movie theatre which held showings several times a week. The building also formerly served as the canteen for State Council staff. This auditorium was updated to its present form in 1979 and is primarily used for ceremonies and conferences on specific policy issues. The plenary sessions of the full State Council are also occasionally convened here as well. Immediately adjacent to Ziguang Hall are a variety of other institutions and facilities such as the State Council Research Office and the Zhongnanhai north district's canteen. Between 2003 and 2013, there was also a roughly 300-square-meter supermarket store belonging to the Sichuan-based Hongqi chain located near Ziguang Hall.


Tennis Court

Initial plans to build an indoor tennis court in the State Council section of Zhongnanhai were made in the late 1980s. At the time China was receiving a significant influx of new diplomatic delegations on international exchange trips. Feeling that the facilities for hosting these diplomats at Ziguang Hall at the time were inadequate, some officials proposed that a guest lounge and tennis court be built nearby. The proposal for an indoor tennis court was, at the time, vetoed by Vice Premier
Tian Jiyun Tian Jiyun (; born 4 June 1929 in Feicheng, Shandong) is a retired politician in the People's Republic of China, known as a supporter of Deng Xiaoping's reforms. The best-known feature of his biography is the speech of 1992, delivered in the Cen ...
. In spite of this initial resistance, an outdoor tennis court was built in Zhongnanhai by the early 2000s. In 2006, the building around the tennis court was rebuilt and modernized. Immediately to the north of the tennis court is the Zhongnanhai clinic.


Indoor Pool

An indoor swimming pool was built in 1955 by the Urban Construction and Design Institute. Mao Zedong's wife
Jiang Qing Jiang Qing (March 191414 May 1991), also known as Madame Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary, actress, and political figure. She was the fourth wife of Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, Chairman of the Communis ...
reportedly proposed the building's construction during Mao's absence in order to secure its approval. Mao nonetheless used the pool because it was more convenient than traveling to the pool at
Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (THU) is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Constructio ...
. Mao often stayed and worked at the pool for long periods of time. In 1958, Mao met with Soviet
General Secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...
at the pool. During the time when Mao lived nearby at Poolside House, the indoor swimming pool was remodeled and enlarged under the supervision of Zhongnanhai's head engineer Tian Genggui. Today the pool is used by senior party leaders and also contains a workout area.


Poolside House

The Zhongnanhai outdoor swimming pool was built in 1933 as a public–private partnership when Zhongnanhai was a public park. Tickets were sold to Beijing citizens each year from May to August. From 1946 to 1949, it was difficult to operate the pool profitably due to high inflation. After Zhongnanhai was taken over for the exclusive use of the government, a poolside house was built next to the swimming pool as a residence for Mao Zedong. It was initially built for practical reasons, as Mao would frequently spend much of the day either swimming in the pool or reading political and historical books and reports from government officials by the pool's side. Therefore, a reception room, a bedroom and a study with Mao's favorite books were built, thus creating the Poolside House which allowed Mao to be permanently close to the swimming pool.Dr. Li Zhisui, ''The Private Life of Chairman Mao, II: 1949–1957'', 5, Random House, (1994) Eventually, among Zhongnanhai staff, the phrase "you are wanted at the swimming pool" meant that they were ordered to immediately report to Mao. Mao permanently left the Chrysanthemum Library and moved into the Poolside House in 1966, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Especially in his later years, the Poolside House would be the place for visiting foreign leaders to see Mao. This was the case for
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
and
Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. Known for his background in construction and earthy and tenacious political style, Tanaka is the only modern Japanese prime minister who ...
. After Mao's death in 1976, Zhou Enlai's wife Deng Yingchao briefly lived at poolside house during the extensive redevelopment of the Regent Palace area before returning to West Flower Hall. During the
1989 Tiananmen Square Protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led Demonstration (people), demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsucces ...
, President
Yang Shangkun Yang Shangkun (3 August 1907 – 14 September 1998) was a Chinese Chinese Communist Party, Communist military and political leader, president of the People's Republic of China from 1988 to 1993, and one of the Eight Elders that dominated the par ...
moved into Zhongnanhai and lived at Poolside House due to security concerns created by the protesters.


Yanqing House

''Yanqing House'' (), as well as several other adjoining buildings, was built during the Beiyang Government around 1922. During his time as de facto ruler of the Beiyang Government,
Cao Kun General Cao Kun (; courtesy name: Zhongshan () (December 12, 1862 – May 15, 1938) was a Chinese warlord and politician, who served as the President of the Republic of China from 1923 to 1924, as well as the military leader of the Zhili clique ...
used Yanqing House as his workplace while living in nearby Huairen Hall. His wives and concubines lived in several of the adjoining buildings. After Cao Kun was overthrown in 1924, he was imprisoned in Yanqing House for two years. The original Yanqing House was ultimately destroyed in a fire in 1947. The KMT military commander of
Beiping "Beijing" is from pinyin ''Běijīng,'' which is romanized from , the Chinese name for this city. The pinyin system of transliteration was approved by the Chinese government in 1958, but little used until 1979. It was gradually adopted by various ...
,
Fu Zuoyi Fu Zuoyi () (June 2, 1895 − April 19, 1974) was a Chinese military leader. He began his military career in the service of Yan Xishan, and he was widely praised for his defense of Suiyuan from the Japanese. During the final stages of the Chine ...
, subsequently built a series of small bungalows in this location to house military and political personnel. By the early 2000s, a one-story building with two courtyards existed on the former site of Yanqing House. The building was sometimes referred to as ''Yanqingzhai'' ().


Wan Shan Temple

Also known in English as Thousand Benevolence Hall (), ''Wan Shan'' is a
Buddhist Temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...
located on the eastern bank of the Central Sea. Originally known as ''Chongzhi Hall'', the temple was built by the Qing dynasty's
Shunzhi Emperor The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizu of Qing, personal name Fulin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China pro ...
. Statues of the Buddha line the hall. Behind the temple is ''Thousand Sage Hall'', which includes a dome and a seven-story pagoda.


Water Clouds Pavilion

Located on an island in the Central Sea, the ''Water Clouds Pavilion'' contains a stele engraved by the Qianlong Emperor reading "Autumn Wind on the Taiye Lake".


Southern Sea

The ''Southern Sea'' (''Nanhai'', ) compound is the headquarters of the CCP, including the office of the general secretary and the offices of the staff of the Central Committee General Office. Southern Zhongnanhai also includes the meeting places for the Politburo,
Standing Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...
and
Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the ninth winn ...
. This area is also known as the ''South District'' ().


Huairen Hall

''Huairen Hall'' ( zh, s=怀仁堂, t=懷仁堂, l=Hall of Cherished Compassion, labels=no, first=s) is a two-story Chinese-style hall that is used by the CCP as the main meeting place for the Politburo and as an alternate meeting place for the Politburo Standing Committee. The building is also the meeting location of several of the CCP's leading groups such as the Financial and Economic Affairs Leading Group and the Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms. The building served as the daily workplace of
Dowager Empress Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...
, the then de facto ruler of China, replacing the
Hall of Mental Cultivation The Hall of Mental Cultivation (, Manchu: ''yang sin diyan'') is a building in the inner courtyard of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The hall is a wooden structure with dome coffered ceilings, and was first built during the Ming dynasty i ...
in the nearby Forbidden City. After the Boxer rebellion, Huairen Hall became the headquarters of the occupying Eight Nation Alliance's commander
Alfred von Waldersee Alfred Heinrich Karl Ludwig Graf von Waldersee (8 April 18325 March 1904) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) who served as Chief of the Imperial German General Staff and Commander of the International Relief Force during the ...
until the building was damaged in a fire. In 1902 Empress Cixi rebuilt Huairen Hall at a cost of five million taels of silver before ultimately dying here in 1908. After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, President
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 18596 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as the second provisional president and the first official president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and ...
used the building to meet with foreign guests and to accept
New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
greetings. After Yuan's death, it was the site of his funeral. When
Cao Kun General Cao Kun (; courtesy name: Zhongshan () (December 12, 1862 – May 15, 1938) was a Chinese warlord and politician, who served as the President of the Republic of China from 1923 to 1924, as well as the military leader of the Zhili clique ...
became president, he used Huairen Hall as his residence. After the end of the Beiyang Government Huairen Hall had no permanent use and was given to the
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
City Government. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the
first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held from September 21 to 30, 1949 at the Huairen Hall in Zhongnanhai, Beijing. The meeting prepared the founding of the People's Republic of China. Backgroun ...
(CPPCC) was held in Huairen Hall in September 1949. In order to serve as an audience hall for the CPPCC, an iron sheet roof was built over one of the building's courtyards. In 1952, this roof was replaced with a more permanent two-story auditorium in preparation for the Asia-Pacific Peace Conference. The new meeting hall was then used for first session of the
National People's Congress The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...
in 1954. Huairen Hall became the auditorium of the central government, often hosting various art shows and political meetings, including Central Committee plenums before the construction of Jingxi Hotel in 1964.


Qinzheng Hall

''Qinzheng Hall'' () is the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party and the location of the office of the party's
general secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
, a title currently synonymous with the paramount leader of the country.. The building also includes a conference room that serves as the main meeting place for the Politburo Standing Committee. The room that the Politburo Standing Committee meets in is referred to as the ''small meeting room'' and is located along the corridor on the northern side of Qinzheng Hall. The small meeting room is also a meeting place for the secretaries of the CCP Secretariat. The general secretary's personal office is located behind an office which, in the 1980s, served as workplace of his policy secretary. The office of the policy secretary was occupied by Secretary
Bao Tong Bao Tong ( zh, s=鲍彤; 5 November 1932 – 9 November 2022) was a Chinese writer and activist. He was Director of the Office of Political Reform of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Policy Secretary of Zhao ...
at the time, and the position and staff associated with it have since been more formalized as the Office of the General Secretary. The policy secretary's office is, in turn, behind another office which served as a workplace for the director of the Central Committee's General Office. It is partially because the head of the General Office has a workplace in front of the office suite of the general secretary that the director's position is referred to as the "''Danei Zongguan''" (), roughly translated as "the gatekeeper". In addition to the General Secretary's suite, Qinzheng Hall is also the location of the offices for all of Secretaries of the Secretariat, including the First Secretary of the Secretariat, who has de facto responsibility for the secretariat's day-to-day administration of the party. Each secretarial suite in Qinzheng Hall has a space for receiving guests and a space for working. The General Secretary's suite is comparatively larger and has the most complete facilities in the building, including a sleeping space so that the General Secretary does not need to return to his residence when working for long periods of time. There is an encrypted
hotline A hotline is a Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point information transfer, communications Data link, link in which a telephone call, call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by t ...
that runs from Qinzheng Hall to the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
for the purpose of conducting high level talks with American leaders. The original Qinzheng hall was built by the
Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...
as the main hall of the Zhongnanhai complex, serving as the
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
's primary living and working space in Zhongnanhai. After the 1911 revolution, the building served as a venue for government conferences during both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. Qinzheng Hall served as the meeting place for the Central People's Government Committee, the interim council that governed China from 1949 until the promulgation of the 1954 Constitution. While serving as the headquarters of the Central People's Government, Qinzheng hall was the site of the 1951 Seventeen Points Agreement which established the terms under which
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
would come under the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China. In the late 1970s,
Wang Dongxing Wang Dongxing (; 9 January 1916 – 21 August 2015) was a Chinese military commander and politician, famous for being the chief of Mao Zedong's personal bodyguard force, the 9th Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security (which included the '' 8 ...
, the director of the Central Committee General Office, demolished Qinzheng hall and spent 6.9 million yuan intended for its reconstruction to build his own private residence. Wang's removal as head of the Central Committee General Office in 1978 prevented him from completing his plan. Ultimately, the rebuilt Qinzheng hall was inaugurated as the Secretariat's new headquarters in March 1980.


Benevolence Hall

The former ''Benevolence Hall'' () was a two-story western-style palace originally known as the Hall of the Calm Sea (''Haiyantang'') during the
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
. Dowager Empress Cixi had the building constructed to entertain her female guests, and also to receive foreign diplomats. After the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion,
Eight Nation Alliance The Eight-Nation Alliance was a multinational military coalition that invaded northern China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, with the stated aim of relieving the foreign legations in Beijing, which were being besieged by the popular Boxer ...
commander Alfred von Waldersee moved here after Yi Luang Temple was destroyed in a fire. After the founding of the Republic of China, the building was renamed the ''Hall of Benevolence'' (''Jurentang'' or ''Jerenteng''), by Yuan Shikai, who continued to use it to host visitors. Benevolence Hall became the headquarters of KMT commander
Li Zongren Li Zongren ( zh, c=李宗仁, p=Lǐ Zōngrén; 13 August 1890 – 30 January 1969), also known as Li Tsung-jen, courtesy name Delin (Te-lin; zh, p=Délín), was a Chinese warlord, military commander and politician. He was vice-president an ...
after the defeat and withdrawal of the Japanese Army and later the command of post of General Fu Zuoyi before his surrender to the CCP. After 1949, the building served as the first headquarters of the
Central Military Commission Central Military Commission may refer to: *Central Military Commission (China), the highest national defense organization in the People's Republic of China. *Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the highest body in Vietnam ...
(CMC) before the CMC staff relocated outside of Zhongnanhai. In 1956, the CCP Secretariat became an institution separate from the staff of the
party chairman In politics, a party chair (often party chairperson/-man/-woman or party president) is the presiding officer of a political party. The nature and importance of the position differs from country to country, and also between political parties. Th ...
and required its own headquarters. The new general secretary, Deng Xiaoping, chose Benevolence Hall to house the Secretariat. During this period, the building did not undergo any significant maintenance and was finally deemed unsafe and demolished in 1964. The Secretariat offices temporarily moved to "Building C" in the West Building Compound before moving to ''Qinzheng Hall'' in 1980. The former location of Benevolence Hall is currently an open park area.


Four Blessing Halls

The ''Four Blessing Halls'' (), which date from the time of the
Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
, line the eastern side of a narrow lane that once formed a western boundary of Zhongnanhai. All four are named according to a consistent theme and are consequently known as ''Yongfutang'' (永福堂), ''Laifutang'' (來福堂), ''Zengfutang'' (增福堂), and ''Xifutang'' (錫福堂). After 1949, the buildings were used as residences for several important early party officials, particularly those that did propaganda and ideological work. The PRC's first
Defense Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Peng Dehuai Peng Dehuai (October 24, 1898November 29, 1974; also spelled as Peng Teh-Huai) was a Chinese general and politician who was the Minister of National Defense (China), Minister of National Defense from 1954 to 1959. Peng was born into a poor ...
lived at Yongfutang, the building closest to Huairen Hall, until being purged in 1959. In the early days of the PRC, an informal school called the "Zhongnanhai Amateur University" was run out of this location for the benefit of the Central Committee's secretaries and security staff. The school still de facto exists, but in practice has merged with the
Beijing Electronic Science and Technology Institute Beijing Electronic Science and Technology Institute, or BEIST, is located at No. 7 Fufeng Road, Fengtai District, Beijing. It is a general institution of higher learning that trains professional and technical personnel in information security and ...
. In 1982, Yongfutang became the headquarters of the administrative office of the
Central Advisory Commission The Central Advisory Commission (CAC) was a body of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that existed during the era of the paramount leadership of Deng Xiaoping. The body was supposed to provide "political assistance and consultation" to the CCP ...
(CAC) due to the location's convenient proximity to where CAC Standing Committee meetings were held at Huairen Hall. Laifutang was the location of a commemorative post-funeral ceremony for the late General Secretary Jiang Zemin's cremated remains.


West Building Compound

The complex of buildings known as ''West Building Compound'' () is named for its location in the southwestern corner of Zhongnanhai. The first of these buildings was built by the engineering battalion of the Central Guard Regiment from 1949 to 1951 to house workplaces and apartments for the Central Committee General Office's staff. West Building is one of the workplaces of the Director of the Central Committee General Office, in addition to Qinzheng Hall. One of the original main buildings in this complex was simply called ''West Building Hall'' () while the other buildings in the West Building complex were designated A, B, C, D and F. Buildings C and D were originally intended to be used as accommodations for Provincial Communist Party Committee Secretaries when they were visiting Beijing for meetings. Many of the Mishus or secretarial staff assigned to support the General Office work within the West Building Compound. As late as the 1990s, West Building Compound included a dormitory for the young workers of the Center Committee General Office. The West Building includes a large kitchen and cafeteria for the General Office staff and a smaller eating area that doubles as a conference room for the use of senior leadership. The formal address of West Building Compound is 12 Fuyou Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
, Beijing. After West Building was constructed, the complex became the site of the offices of the State Chairman,
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
and all state Vice Chairmen under the
Common Program The Common Program was the primary general policy document passed by the First plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Septembe ...
who were also Communist Party members. When the positions of the State Chairman and Chairman of the Communist Party were separated in 1959 and
Liu Shaoqi Liu Shaoqi ( ; 24 November 189812 November 1969) was a Chinese revolutionary and politician. He was the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1954 to 1959, first-ranking Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communis ...
assumed the State Chairmanship, the State Chairman's workplace continued to be located in West Building. Building A was originally intended as the residence and workplace of Mao Zedong, but because he had become used to living in the Chrysanthemum Library, he refused to move into the building. Consequently, Building A became the residence and workplace of state Vice Chairman Liu Shaoqi in 1950. Likewise,
Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
Zhu De's office remained in Building B of the West Building compound when he served as singular state
Vice Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
under the 1954 Constitution. In 1962, President Liu Shaoqi presided over an extraordinary, enlarged meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee in this location, known as the "West Building Meeting". At the meeting, the party leaders discussed in significant detail the dire fiscal and economic situation in the country in the aftermath of the failure of the
Great Leap Forward The Great Leap Forward was an industrialization campaign within China from 1958 to 1962, led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Party Chairman Mao Zedong launched the campaign to transform the country from an agrarian society into an indu ...
and promised to recover the agricultural sector. Between 2007 and 2008, part of the original West Building Compound was demolished to make way for a new three-story rectangular building that was completed by 2010. The Central Committee General Office's physical office footprint has now expanded beyond Zhongnanhai to include several buildings on the other side of Fuyou Street from West Building as well as other buildings in the Xicheng District area. The gate on Fuyou Street that Central Committee staff use to travel between buildings inside and outside of the complex is called the "Great West Gate" because it has the highest regular use of Zhongnanhai's gates. Many of the agencies directly under the supervision of the Central Committee General Office now have their formal headquarters in an annex of buildings spread out on the western side of Fuyou Street adjacent to Zhongnanhai as well as certain locations still within southern Zhongnanhai. The formal addresses of these agencies are as follows: * Research Office: 8 Fuyou Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Secretary Bureau: 1 Boxue
Hutong ''Hutong'' () are a type of narrow street or alley commonly associated with northern Chinese cities, especially Beijing. In Beijing, ''hutongs'' are alleys formed by lines of '' siheyuan'', traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhood ...
,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Bureau of Regulations: 99 Fuyou Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Security Bureau: 81 Nanchang Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
( Shuqingyuan Pavilion) * Confidential Bureau: 7 Dianchang Road,
Fengtai District Fengtai District ( zh, s=丰台区, p=Fēngtái Qū) is a district of the city of Beijing. It lies mostly to the southwest of the city center, extending into the city's southwestern suburbs beyond the 6th Ring Road, Sixth Ring Road, but also to th ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Confidential Transportation Bureau: 11 Xihuangchenggen North Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Special Accounting Office: 14 Fuyou Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Supervision and Inspection Office: Unknown location,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Personnel Bureau: 12 Fuyou Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
( West Building Compound proper) * Office of the General Secretary: Qinzheng Hall,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
*
Veterans Bureau The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and ...
: 50 Dajue
Hutong ''Hutong'' () are a type of narrow street or alley commonly associated with northern Chinese cities, especially Beijing. In Beijing, ''hutongs'' are alleys formed by lines of '' siheyuan'', traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhood ...
,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
* Administration Bureau of Organs directly under the Central Committee: 9 Xihuangchenggen North Street,
Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...


Garden of Abundant Beneficence

Some of the buildings within the ''Garden of Abundant Beneficence'' () were built by the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty who originally used them to raise
silkworm ''Bombyx mori'', commonly known as the domestic silk moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of '' Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. Silkworms are the larvae of silk moths. The silkworm is of ...
s. More buildings were later added by the
Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
, who used them as libraries and as a personal retreat. Throughout this garden, there are wooden placards at the buildings' entrances, inscribed by the Qianlong Emperor. In the northwestern area of the garden is a building called ''Chunlianzhai'' () which once housed the seal of the Qianlong Emperor as well as several artworks. After the Boxer Rebellion Chunlianzhai was looted and it subsequently became a summer residence for the commander of the German contingent of the Eight Nation Alliance Army. In the early days of the People's Republic of China Chunlianzhai was used as a dance hall, where dances were held twice a week by senior party leaders. The largest building in the Garden of Abundant Beneficence is ''Dianxu Hall'', which was known as ''Chong Ya Temple'' during the Qianlong Emperor's reign, ''Yinian Temple'' () during the Guangxu Emperor's reign and finally as ''Yitingnian'' during the Republic of China. During the Beiyang Government (1912–1928) of the Republic of China, the office of the president was initially located in Dianxu Hall. In 1918 President Xu Shichang switched the president's residence and the prime minister's office, relocating his residence to Regent Palace, while the prime minister instead moved to Dianxu Hall in the Garden of Abundant Beneficence. Dianxu Hall became a general purpose meeting area for CCP officials after 1949. During Mao Zedong's time as Paramount Leader, Politburo Meetings were often held in Dianxu Hall due its proximity to Mao's house. Before 1980 the Politburo Standing Committee also met in one of the small conference rooms of Dianxu Hall during the times when meetings were not held in Mao's house. The Garden of Abundant Beneficence also contains Chairman Mao Zedong's first personal residence and office, which he used from 1949 to 1966, a building called the Library of Chrysanthemum Fragrance (). The Chrysanthemum library is a courtyard-style building with four halls constructed during the time of the Kangxi Emperor to house a collection of books for the imperial family. The north hall of the Chrysanthemum library is called ''Ziyunxuan'' () and was the site of Mao's bedroom and personal study. The east hall was the location of Mao's office and the south hall was the location of Jiang Qing's residence for a period of time. An air raid shelter was dug in the courtyard of Chrysanthemum library shortly after Mao moved in, but it was rarely used. Mao relocated to a new building known as the Poolside House in 1966 at the start of the Cultural Revolution. After Mao's death, the Chrysanthemum Library was preserved as a museum which is not accessible to the general public. Immediately to the east of the library are a series of buildings known as the ''Western Eight Houses'' (), which served as a dormitory for Mao's personal aides and secretaries.


Shuqingyuan Pavilion

Located in the northeastern corner of the Southern Sea, the ''Shuqingyuan Pavilion'' () was built for the Qianlong Emperor as part of a small garden, similar in style to the Beihai Park. After 1959, the original building was destroyed in order to make way for the construction of a barracks and officer staff quarters for Unit 8341, the Zhongnanhai security guard regiment. The formal address of Shuqingyuan Pavilion and the surrounding complex of buildings used by Unit 8341 is 81 Nanchang Street, Xicheng District, Beijing.


Building 202

The building (202别墅) next to ''Huairen Hall'' was constructed in 1974 as a specially reinforced earthquake shelter. Before the current building was built on this location, the area to the east of Huairen Hall was the site of the homes of
Dong Biwu Dong Biwu ( zh , c=董必武 , p=Dǒng Bìwǔ , w=Tung Pi-wu; 5 March 1886 – 2 April 1975) was a Chinese communist revolutionary and politician, who served as acting Chairman of the People's Republic of China between 1972 and 1975. Early li ...
and
Chen Boda Chen Boda (; 29 July 1904 – 20 September 1989), was a Chinese Communist journalist, professor and political theorist who rose to power as the chief interpreter of Maoism (or "Mao Zedong Thought") in the first 20 years of the People's Republi ...
. Mao Zedong was relocated to Building 202 from Poolside House after the July 1976
Tangshan earthquake The 1976 Tangshan earthquake () was a 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan, Hebei, China, at 3:42 a.m. on 28 July 1976. The maximum intensity of the earthquake was XI (''Extreme'') on the Mercalli scale. In minutes, 85 percen ...
. Mao died in this building on September 9, 1976. During the
1989 Tiananmen Square Protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led Demonstration (people), demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsucces ...
, Premier
Li Peng Li Peng (; 20 October 1928 – 22 July 2019) was a Chinese politician who served as the 4th premier of China from 1987 to 1998, and as the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, from ...
moved into Zhongnanhai and lived in Building 202 due to the perception that he was vulnerable to attack at his residence at Wanshou Road.


Western Four Houses

The ''Four Western Houses'' () were built as part of the western wing of the ''Huairen Hall'' complex as living quarters for eunuchs and palace maids that served Empress Dowager Cixi. They are also known as Qingyuntang (). These buildings were acquired by the Peking Institute of Historic Research after the end of the
Beiyang government The Beiyang government was the internationally recognized government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China between 1912 and 1928, based in Beijing. It was dominated by the generals of the Beiyang Army, giving it its name. B ...
. After 1949, the Propaganda Department was located here before it was eventually moved to its current headquarters on 5 West Chang'an Street. The four buildings were subsequently given the designations "Courtyard No. 1" through "Courtyard No. 4" and became the residences of
Li Fuchun Li Fuchun (; May 22, 1900 – January 9, 1975) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician. He served as a Vice Premier of China. Biography Li Fuchun was born in Changsha, Hunan Province. After completing middle school in his home p ...
, Tan Zhenlin, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yi respectively. During his paramount leadership, however, Deng Xiaoping did not live in Zhongnanhai, instead living at No. 11 Miliangku Hutong (Rice Grain Depot Hutong) near
Di'anmen Di'anmen (), previously Bei'anmen (and commonly known as the "back gate"), was an imperial gate in Beijing, People's Republic of China, China. The gate was first built in the Yongle Emperor, Yongle period of the Ming dynasty, and served as the ma ...
. Deng moved there in 1977 and lived there until his death. After Chen Yi's death,
Zhao Ziyang Zhao Ziyang; pronounced (17 October 1919 – 17 January 2005) was a Chinese politician. He served as the 3rd premier of China from 1980 to 1987, as vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1981 to 1982, and as the CCP general ...
lived in Courtyard No. 4, the northernmost of the Western Four Houses during his time as General Secretary.


Wanzi Gallery

The original buildings in the area of ''Wanzi Gallery'' () were built by the Qianlong Emperor in 1742 to celebrate his mother's 50th birthday. During his presidency, Liu Shaoqi moved to a building in this area called ''Fuluju'' () in 1963. After Liu was denounced and purged, both the original Wanzi Gallery and Fuluju were demolished during the Cultural Revolution. Wanzi Gallery was later reconstructed and Mao's wife Jiang Qing lived in what was then called Building No. 201 during the height of the power of the Gang of Four. This building was also known as the Spring Lotus Chamber.


Yingtai Island

Located in the Southern Sea, the artificial '' Yingtai Island'' () was completed in 1421 by Ming Emperor Yongle after he relocated his capital to Beijing. The island was given its current name by Qing Emperor Shunzhi in 1655. Yingtai Island is connected with the shore via a stone bridge. Due to a slope of elevation on the island, the main temple in the north is a single-story building while in the south there exists a two-story pavilion called ''Penglai Pavilion''. There are two temples to the north of ''Hanyuan Temple'', ''Qingyun Temple'' to the east and ''Jingxing Temple'' to the west. In July 1681, the Kangxi Emperor held the "Yingtai hearings" on the development of a national strategy to put down civil strife. Dowager Empress Cixi imprisoned
Emperor Guangxu The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), also known by his temple name Emperor Dezong of Qing, personal name Zaitian, was the tenth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 18 ...
at Hanyuan Temple on Yingtai in August 1898 after the failure of the Hundred Days Reform. Emperor Guangxu was subsequently poisoned and died here in 1908;
Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...
,
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 18596 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as the second provisional president and the first official president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and ...
, and Li Lianying—Cixi's favourite eunuch—were the three main suspects. Since 1949, Yingtai is used as the site of banquets and other hospitality activities. According to some sources,
Jiang Zemin Jiang Zemin (17 August 1926 – 30 November 2022) was a Chinese politician who served as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1989 to 2002, as Chairman of the Central Mil ...
lived in Hanyuan Temple on Yingtai Island during his time as paramount leader.


Xinhua Gate

Zhongnanhai's main entrance, the ''Xinhua Gate'' () is located to the north of West Chang'an Avenue. The gate was originally built by the Qianlong Emperor in 1758 as a pavilion for one of his concubines. After the
1911 Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...
, Yuan Shikai transformed the pavilion into a gate and named it "Xinhua Gate" or ''"New China Gate"'' in 1912. The slogans "Long live the great Chinese Communist Party " and "long live invincible Mao Zedong Thought " are now on the walls on both sides of Xinhua Gate. On the door is the inscription " 为人民服务" (''"serve the people"'') in Mao Zedong's handwriting. In 1959, an underground passage was built between Xinhua Gate and the
Great Hall of the People The Great Hall of the People is a state building situated to the west of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the government of the People's Republic of China. The People's Great Hall functions as ...
shortly before the construction of the latter was completed. This passage was intended to be used only by members of the Politburo Standing Committee at the time.


Gallery

Image:Zhongnanhai04.jpg, Office buildings in the State Council area of Zhongnanhai Image:Zhongnanhai-west-wall-3436.jpg, The western wall of the Zhongnanhai compound and Imperial City of Beijing File:Zhongnanhai05.jpg, Road inside Zhongnanhai File:Zhongnanhai03.jpg, From the central part of Zhongnanhai across the Middle Sea, to the bridge that divides Zhongnanhai from
Beihai Park Beihai Park is a public park and former imperial garden immediately northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving Chinese gardens and contains numerous histo ...
, with the White Stupa of the
Beihai Park Beihai Park is a public park and former imperial garden immediately northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving Chinese gardens and contains numerous histo ...
seen in the distance


See also

* Beidaihe District *
Diaoyutai State Guesthouse The Diaoyutai State Guesthouse (DSG; zh, s=, t=, p=Diàoyútái Guóbīnguǎn) is an ancient royal garden and modern state guesthouse-complex located on the east side of Yuyuantan Park in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Emperor Zhangzong of Ji ...
*
History of Beijing The city of Beijing has a long and rich history that dates back over 3,000 years. Prior to the unification of China by the First Emperor in 221 BC, Beijing had been for centuries the capital of the ancient states of Ji and Yan. It was a prov ...
*
Imperial City, Beijing The Imperial City () is a section of the city of Beijing in the Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties, with the Forbidden City at its center. It refers to the collection of gardens, shrines, and other service areas between the Forb ...
*
Beihai Park Beihai Park is a public park and former imperial garden immediately northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving Chinese gardens and contains numerous histo ...
*
Summer Palace The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden during the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quar ...
*
Old Summer Palace The Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan () or Yuanmingyuan Park, originally called the Imperial Gardens (), and sometimes called the Winter Palace, was a complex of palaces and gardens in present-day Haidian District, Beijing, China. I ...
*
Jade Spring Hill Jade Spring Hill () is located to the west of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. It was also formerly known as Jingming Palace (景明宫, "Jǐngmíng gōng"). It contains an imperial garden, the Jingming Garden and is named after the Jade Spri ...
* Presidential Palace, Nanjing


References


External links


Images of Zhongnanhai's Qinzheng Hall including the Politburo Standing Committee meeting room
{{Chinese garden styles Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Beijing Buildings and structures in Beijing Headquarters of political parties Official residences in China Presidential residences Xicheng District