Hall of the Supreme Principle



The Hall of the Supreme Principle, also known as Taiji Hall, is one of the Six Western Palaces in the inner court of the Forbidden City. It is situated west of the Palace of Eternal Longevity, north of the Palace of Eternal Spring, and south of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

History
This residence was built in 1420 and was originally called the "Palace of Endlessness". As his father was born here, the Jiajing Emperor renamed it the "Palace of Endless Good Omens" in 1535. It received its current name in 1741, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

In 1860, it was connected to the Palace of Eternal Spring by converting the back hall, Tiyuan Hall, into an opera stage where Empress Dowager Cixi could watch performances.

The Hall of the Supreme Principle has five rooms, two side halls, and a back hall. The main hall has a gabled roof covered with yellow glazed tiles like most palaces in Forbidden City. The beams are decorated with Suzhou style paintings, golden dragons, and phoenixes. The walls are intricately decorated with medallions of phoenixes sitting on the mountain, atypical for other palaces.