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Mukden Palace (), or Shenyang Imperial Palace (), was the former palace of the Later Jin dynasty and the early
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 ...
. It was built in 1625, and the first three Qing emperors lived there from 1625 to 1644. Since the collapse of imperial rule in China, the palace has been converted to a museum that now lies in the center of
Shenyang Shenyang,; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly known as Fengtian formerly known by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a sub-provincial city in China and the list of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Liaonin ...
,
Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...
.


History

Early construction began in 1625 by
Nurhaci Nurhaci (14 May 1559 – 30 September 1626), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Qing, was the founding khan of the Jurchen people, Jurchen-led Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin dynasty. As the leader of the House of Aisin-Gi ...
, the founder of the Later Jin dynasty. By 1631, additional structures were added during the reign of Nurhaci's successor,
Hong Taiji Hong Taiji (28 November 1592 – 21 September 1643), also rendered as Huang Taiji and sometimes referred to as Abahai in Western literature, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizong of Qing, was the second khan of the Later Jin ...
. The Mukden Palace was built to resemble 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 ...
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 ...
. However, the palace also exhibits hints of
Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
and Tibetan architectural styles. After the Qing dynasty replaced 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 ...
in 1644 in Beijing, the Mukden Palace lost its status as the official residence of the Qing Emperor. Instead, the Mukden Palace became a regional palace. In 1780, 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 ...
further expanded the palace. Successive Qing emperors usually stayed at the Mukden Palace for some time each year. In 1928, the Museum of Three Eastern Provinces was found in the Mukden Palace, it was later renamed Fengtian Old Palace Museum in 1932 but closed in 1936. In 1934, the Monument to the Imperial Reign of Manchukuo was built at the southwestern corner of the Mukden Palace, based on the same design that was already built in Hsinking (now
Changchun Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin, Jilin Province, China, on the Songliao Plain. Changchun is administered as a , comprising seven districts, one county and three county-level cities. At the 2020 census of China, Changchun ha ...
), it was demolished in 1945. In 1955, the Mukden Palace was converted into the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum. In 2004, it was included in the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
as an extension of the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, or Forbidden City, 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 ...
.


Structure

The Mukden Palace covers an area of around 60,000 square metres, with over 300 buildings and 20 courtyards. According to its layout, it can be divided into three parts: East Section, Middle Section and West Section, with the Middle Section as the main body. The East and West Sections were built in the Nurhachi Period. The layout of the buildings from the
Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu househol ...
system in the East Section is a unique feature of the Mukden Palace. It combines architectural features of the Manchu, Han and Mongol peoples. The main part of the Middle Section is located in the centre of the ancient city of Shenyang, built in the
Hong Taiji Hong Taiji (28 November 1592 – 21 September 1643), also rendered as Huang Taiji and sometimes referred to as Abahai in Western literature, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizong of Qing, was the second khan of the Later Jin ...
period. The buildings are arranged on a central axis with a number of symmetrical out-buildings on either side. The West Road building was built in 1783. This structure has a strict functional division with a clear distinction between primary and secondary status buildings, the overall composition displays distinct
Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
living features.


East Section

The Dazheng Hall (大政殿) and the Ten Princes' Pavilions (十王亭) were built during the Nurhachi period. It was completed in 1625 and was the place where the emperor held the "Great Ceremony" as well as the office of the
Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu househol ...
Ministry. Dazheng Temple is an octagonal heavy-duty building with a yellow glazed tile and green trimming, 16 multicoloured glazed ridges, large wooden frame structure with Mortise and tenon joint, flying roof arch, colour paintings and dragon plates, which is the traditional
architectural form In architecture, form refers to a combination of external appearance, internal structure, and the Unity (aesthetics), unity of the design as a whole, an order created by the architect using #Space and mass, space and mass. External appearance Th ...
of the Chinese palaces. Additionally, the decoration of Cintamani and ceilings with
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
add a religious feature. The Dazheng Hall and the Ten Princes' Pavilions constitute a complete group of buildings in the East Section.


Middle Section

Daqing Gate (), Chongzheng Hall (), Fenghuang Building (), Qingning Palace (), amongst others, were built from 1627 to 1635. It was the place where the emperor carried out political activities and the living palace of the royal wives. The most representative building of the middle section is the Fenghuang Building, a palace which was built on a 4-meter-tall blue-
brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...
platform, as the place of the emperor holding banquets. While facing east the palace of Fenghuang Building is connected with a religious ritual square, the room in the west is surrounded by a Kang bed-stove, a traditional way of keeping warm in the Northern part of China. The chimney is located in the back, an architectural feature of the Manchu People.


West Section

Xitai (), Jiayintang (), Wenshangge () and Yangxizhai () were built in 1782. When an emperor of 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 ...
was on his "East Tour" to Shengjing (Shenyang), it was the place for reading books, watching dramas and the room for storing the " Complete Library of the Four Treasuries". The entire architectural design and layout reflect the emperor's so-called "dignity" and strict feudal hierarchy. In Mukden Palace, the roof alone was worth 680,000
Tael Tael ( ),"Tael" entry
at the
Nurhachi and the waist knife and antler chairs of
Hong Taiji Hong Taiji (28 November 1592 – 21 September 1643), also rendered as Huang Taiji and sometimes referred to as Abahai in Western literature, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizong of Qing, was the second khan of the Later Jin ...
.


Collections

The collections of the Mukden Palace Museum are based on the Qing imperial collection, including porcelain, enamel, lacquerware, sculpture, calligraphy and painting, weaving embroidery, etc., which has both the historical and cultural features of the early and late Qing dynasty costumes and palace art that has a rich cultural connotation and artistic value.


References


External links


English-language official website
{{Authority control Houses completed in 1625 Buildings and structures in Shenyang Palaces in China World Heritage Sites in China Royal residences in China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Liaoning Museums in Liaoning Qing dynasty architecture 1625 establishments in Asia National first-grade museums of China