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A Brief History of the Palace Museum

The Palace Museum, historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive Chinese museums, was established on the foundation of the palace that was the ritual center of two dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, and their collections of treasures. Designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost protected monuments in 1961, the Palace Museum was also made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Situated at the heart of Beijing, the Palace Museum is approached through Tiananmen Gate. Immediately to the north of the Palace Museum is Prospect Hill (also called Coal Hill), while on the east and west are Wangfujing and Zhongnanhai neighborhoods. It is a location endowed with cosmic significance by ancient China's astronomers. Correlating the emperor's abode, which they considered the pivot of the terrestrial world, with the Pole Star (Ziweiyuan), which they believed to be at the center of the heavens, they called the palace The Purple Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was built from 1406 to 1420 by the third Ming emperor Yongle who, upon usurping the throne, determined to move his capital north from Nanjing to Beijing. In 1911 the Qing dynasty fell to the republican revolutionaries. The last emperor, Puyi, continued to live in the palace after his abdication until he was expelled in 1924. Twenty-four emperors lived and ruled from this palace during this 500-year span.

The Forbidden City is surrounded by 10-metre high walls and a 52-metre wide moat. Measuring 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west, it covers an area of 720,000 square meters. Each of the four sides is pierced by a gate, the Meridian Gate (Wu men) on the south and the Gate of Spiritual Valor (Shenwu men) on the north being used as the entrance and exit by tourists today. Once inside, visitors will see a succession of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of an invisible central axis. It is a magnificent sight, the buildings' glowing yellow roofs against vermilion walls, not to mention their painted ridges and carved beams, all contributing to the sumptuous effect.

Known as the Outer Court, the southern portion of the Forbidden City centers on the halls of Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony, and Preserving Harmony. These are flanked by the halls of Literary Glory and Military Eminence. It was here that the emperor held court and conducted his grand audiences.

Mirroring this arrangement is the Inner Court at the northern end of the Forbidden City, with the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility straddling the central axis, surrounded by the Six Palaces of the East and West and the Imperial Garden to the north. Other major buildings include the halls for Worshipping Ancestors and of Imperial Splendor on the east, and the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers and the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility on the west. These contain not only the residences of the emperor and his empress, consorts and concubines but also the venues for religious rites and administrative activities.

In total, the buildings of the two courts account for an area of some 163,000 square meters. These were laid out precisely in accordance with a code of architectural hierarchy, which designated specific features to reflect the paramount authority and status of the emperor. No ordinary mortal would have been allowed or even dared to come within close proximity of these buildings.

After the republican revolution, this Palace as a whole would have been sequestered by the Nationalist government were it not for the "Articles of Favorable Treatment of the Qing House" which allowed Puyi to live on in the Inner Court after his abdication. Meanwhile, all of the imperial treasures from palaces in Rehe (today's Chengde) and Mukden (today's Shenyang) were moved to the Forbidden City for public display in History Museum established at the Outer Court in 1914. While confined to the Inner Court, Puyi continuously used such vestiges of influence as still remained to plot his own restoration. He also systematically stole or pawned a huge number of cultural relics under the pretext of granting them as rewards to his courtiers and minions or taking them out for repair.

In 1924, during a coup launched by the warlord Feng Yuxiang, Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City and the management of the palace fell to the charge of a committee set up to deal with the concerns of the deposed imperial family. The committee began a sorting and counting of the imperial treasures. A year of intense preparations later, its members arranged a grand ceremony on 10 October 1925 in front of the Palace of Heavenly Purity to mark the inception of the Palace Museum. News of the opening flashed across the nation, and such was the scramble of visitors on the first day that traffic jams around Beijing brought the city almost to a standstill.

According to a 28-volume inventory published in 1925, the treasure trove left by the Qing numbered more than 1,170,000 items including sacrificial vessels and ancient jade artifacts from the earliest dynasties; paintings and calligraphy from the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties; porcelain from the Song and Yuan; a variety of enamelware and lacquer ware; gold and silver ornaments; relics in bamboo, wood, horn and gourds; religious statues in gold and bronze; as well as numerous imperial robes and ornaments; textiles; and furniture. In addition, there were countless books, literary works and ancient records. All these were divided into separate collections of antiquities, library materials and historical documents and placed under teams of staff to sort and collate. Exhibition halls were opened to display some of the treasures, while writers and editors worked away at publishing in book or journal form all the new areas of research and academic inquiry that the establishment of the museum had ushered in. The Palace Museum was soon a hive of activity.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese, having annexed territory in China's northeast, proceeded to march on Beijing. With this looming threat, the museum authorities decided to evacuate its collection rather than let it fall into enemy hands or risk destruction in battle. For four frantic months between February and May 1933, the most important pieces in the collection were packed into 13,427 crates and 64 bundles and sent to Shanghai in five batches. From there they were dispatched to Nanjing where a depository was built and a branch of the Palace Museum established.

On 7 July 1937 shots fired around Marco Polo Bridge west of Beijing heralded the eruption of the Sino-Japanese War. Within a year, the Japanese had penetrated to most of eastern China. Now the treasures stored in Nanjing had to be moved again, this time by three routes to Sichuan, where they were secreted in three locations, Baxian, Emei and Leshan. Only at the end of the war were they consolidated in Chongqing, whence they were returned to Nanjing in 1947. By then the Nationalists were considerably weakened, and with the imminent takeover by the Communist armies of areas south of the Yangtze, they began their retreat to Taiwan. Between the end of 1948 and the dawn of 1949, the Nationalists picked relics to fill 2,972 crates for shipping across the Strait. A rival Palace Museum was set up in Taipei to display these antiquities. Most of what were left were gradually returned to Beijing, although to this day 2,221 crates remain in safe-keeping in storag in Nanjing.

During this tumultuous decade of war and revolution, not one item of the treasures was lost or damaged even though the volume involved was enormous. This was largely due to the dedicated energy of the Palace Museum staff, whose achievement in preserving these treasures was nothing short of heroic. But it was also as a result of this long period of upheaval that the treasures have been dispersed. Yet the rationale for keeping the collection together, representative as it is of the motherland's traditional culture, seems so incontestable that most people believe the treasures will be re-united one day.

In the early 1950s, shortly after the establishment of the People's Republic, the Palace Museum staff worked with a new will and enthusiasm to return the Forbidden City to its former glory. Where previously the dirty and dilapidated halls and courts lay under weeds and piles of rubbish, some 250,000 cubic meters of accumulated debris were now cleared out, giving the place a sparkling fresh look. A policy of comprehensive rehabilitation was also launched, and in time the crumbling palace buildings, repaired, and redecorated, looked resplendent once more. All the tall buildings were equipped with lightning conductors, while modern systems of fire protection and security were installed. It has been a priority of the People's Government, particularly since the beginning of the reform era in the early 1980s, to keep the surrounding moat dredged and clean.

As for the collection of antiquities, a systematic inventory was completed during the 1950s and 1960s, redressing the legacy of inaccurate cataloguing. The collection was moreover augmented, for example by the salvage of a number of precious artifacts from a jumble of apparently worthless objects. After more than a decade of painstaking efforts, some 710,000 relics from the Qing palace were retrieved. At the same time, through national allocations, requisitions and private donations, more than 220,000 additional pieces of cultural significance were added, making up for such omissions from the original Qing collection as colored earthenware from the Stone Age, bronzes and jades from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, pottery tomb figurines from the Han Dynasty, stone sculpture from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and tri-color glazed pottery from the Tang Dynasty. The ancient paintings, scrolls and calligraphy added to the collection were particularly spectacular. These included, from the Jin Dynasty, Lu Ji's cursive calligraphy "A consoling letter" (Ping fu tie), Wang Xun's " Letter to Boyuan (Bo yuan tie) and Gu Kaizhi's "Goddess of the Luo River" (Luo shen fu tu); from the Sui Dynasty, Zhan Ziqian's landscape handscroll "Spring Outing" (You chun tu) ; from the Tang Dynasty, Han Huang's "Five Oxen" (Wu niu tu ), Du Mu's running-cursive script handscroll "Song of the Courtesan Zhan Haohao" (Zhang haohao shi) ; from the Five Dynasties, Gu Hongzhong's "The Night Revels of Han Xizai" (Han Xizai yeyan tu) "; from the Song Dynasty, Li Gonglin's "Painting after Wei Yan's Pasturing Horses" (Lin Wei Yan mu fang tu) Guo Xi's "Dry tree and rock, level distance landscape" (Ke shi pingyuan tu), and Zhang Zeduan's "Going up River on Spring Festival" (Qingming shang he tu)--all masterpieces without exception.

Unremitting though this attempt at recovery has been, however, there have been further exertions in recent years to acquire such works as Zhang Xian's "Landscape with Poems (Shi yong tu)" (Song Dynasty), Nai Xian's calligraphy "Ancient poem on south of the city" (Cheng nan yong gu shi) (Yuan Dynasty), Shen Zhou's landscape handscroll "After Huang Gongwang's 'Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains'" (Fang Huang Gongwang fuchun shan ju tu) (Ming Dynasty), Shi Tao's ink bamboo "Calling Wen Yuke" (Gao hu Yu ke tu) (Qing Dynasty). The first two were spirited out of the palace by the last emperor Puyi on the excuse of bestowing them on his brother Pu Jie; they fell into the hands of others and only now have been returned to their rightful place in the Palace Museum collection.

From the 1950s onwards, the museum's existing storehouses were completely overhauled to provide a damp-proof and insect-proof environment for the treasures. In the 1990s a new storehouse with a capacity of over 600,000 items was built, equipped with controls for maintaining constant temperature and humidity, as well as safeguards against fire and theft. A workshop was established in the 1950s and expanded in the 1980s to encompass a scientific Conservation Department. These not only continued traditions of craftsmanship, but also drew upon scientific discoveries to facilitate the restoration of damaged relics. In the past few decades the Conservation Department has treated as many as 110,000 objects from the Palace Museum and other public collections. Besides its continuous refurbishment of the main courts and halls, the museum has opened galleries to display bronzes, porcelain, crafts, paintings and calligraphy, jewelry, and clocks to expand the scope of its exhibitions. A number of thematic shows have been held in galleries devoted to temporary exhibitions; in recent years these have included such acclaimed ones as "A Comparison of Authentic and Counterfeit Paintings and Calligraphy", "Genuine and Imitation Examples of Ancient Porcelain and Materials from Ancient Kilns", "The Art of Packaging at the Qing Court" and "Selections from the Finest Acquisitions of the Last Fifty Years". Traveling exhibitions have also graced various provincial museums and museums abroad. In fact, since the beginning of the economic-reform era, an increasing number of exhibitions have been mounted in countries such as Britain, the USA, France, the former Soviet Union, Germany, Austria, Spain, Australia, Japan and Singapore, among others. All of them have aroused great interest and admiration and played a key part in the promotion of international understanding and cultural exchange.

The number of visitors to the Palace Museum has risen along with the growth of tourism, in the last decade reaching six to eight million a year.

General interest has been further stimulated by the Palace Museum's range of publications touching on both the architecture of its buildings and its vast cultural holdings. Published works include Famous Historical Paintings in the Palace Museum Collection, Selected Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, National Treasures, Palaces of the Forbidden City, Daily Life in the Forbidden City, A Collection of National Treasures, and The Complete Palace Museum Collection (in 60 volumes, of which 18 have been published so far). There are also two periodicals, The Palace Museum and The Forbidden City.

Since 1997, the Palace Museum's administration has been significantly reorganized. Where previously there were three departments covering conservation, exhibition and research, these have now been split into the departments of Antiquities; of Painting and Calligraphy; of Palace Arts; and the Exhibition, Promotion and Education Department. With substantial investment, the latest technology has been deployed by the newly established Resources and Information Center to set up the Palace Museum website. The website you are now browsing enables all, even those in distant places, to enjoy a sightseeing tour of this mysterious palace and feast their eyes on its splendid treasures.

The creation of a state-of-the-art virtual Imperial Palace is no longer just a dream. By Yang Xin

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Open daily all year. October 16th¡ªApril 15th 8:30¡ª16:30 Last Entry at 15:30 (including the Clock Gallery and Treasure Gallery) April 16th¡ªOctober 15th 8:30¡ª17:00 Last Entry at 16:00 (including the Clock Gallery and Treasure Gallery)

Current Exhibitions OUTER COURT Qing Dynasty Court Insignia In the corridors flanking the Xihemen which is to the west of the "Inner Golden Water River" (i.e. inside the Meridian Gate on the west) can be seen some of the grand canopies, fans and insignia that were used in imperial ritual.

Qing Dynasty Ritual Music An exhibition on Qing dynasty court music is installed in the Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness (Hongyi ge) to the southwest of the great throne hall (Taihe dian). Music was an essential feature of court grand ceremonies The exhibition includes recordings of court music reconstituted from the Qianlong era (1736-1795) imperially authorized musical manuals.

Weapons of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Established and ruled with horsemanship and archery, the Qing dynasty relied on weapons. Bows and arrows were primary, representing the so-called cold arms. Firearms became popular during the Kangxi reign (1662-1722) and played an important role in subsequent wars. Three sections-- Reviewing Troops, Hunting, and Weaponry-- display seventy artifacts including armor, saddles, horsewhips, equestrienne archery, bow and arrow containers, deer whistles, spears, guns, and cannons.

INNER COURT Central inner court Permanent Exhibition of the Qing Emperors' Grand Weddings (1644-1911) The exhibition consists of four parts: Engagement; Grand Ceremony; Dowry and Wedding Presents; and Bridal Chamber Rituals. With the assistance of digital technology, these four parts present visitors with almost every aspect of Qing emperors' weddings in the east corridor of the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong).

Long Live the Emperor! Permanent Exhibition of Imperial Birthday Celebrations(1644-1911) The imperial birthday was one of the most significant festivals in traditional China in which the whole country participated. The exhibition in the west corridor of the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong) consists of the grand celebratory spectacles for three Qing emperors and two empress dowagers including the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1662-1722), the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795) and the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908).

West Palaces of the Inner Court Bronze Mirrors of Past Dynasties from the Palace Museum Roundels of polished bronze served as reflective surfaces for thousands of years before glass mirrors appeared in China at the end of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The backs of the mirrors were adorned with cast decorations that evolved over time and reflect some of the social and religious themes of each era. This chronological survey presents outstanding examples of bronze mirrors from the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) to the Qing dynasty(Yongshou gong).

The Life of the Last Emperor Pu Yi Ascending the throne as a toddler in 1908, Pu Yi was allowed to live in the Forbidden City after the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. His life is chronicled in photographs and possessions on display in the Belvedere of Enchanting Scenery (Lijing xuan) located in the back courtyard of the Palace of Preserved Elegance (Chuxiu gong).

Ruling from behind the Screen: Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) Selected costumes, baubles and luxurious articles of daily used by the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi are on exhibition in the Palace of Universal Happiness (Xianfu gong).

East Palaces of the Inner Court Tomb Figurines of the Sui and Tang Dynasties A selection of tomb figurines from the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-906) demonstrate the ethnic variety and social customs of the period when the Silk Road was at its height. Highlights include three-color glazed camels, the ships of the desert, and fabulously fat court ladies. Hall of Abstinence (Zhai gong), east route of Inner Court.

Hall of Donor Recognition From the over twenty-thousand items presented to the museum over the decades, eighty important artifacts are on display, including bronze vessels, sculpture, ceramics, crafts, seals, calligraphy, and painting. Visitors can touch an inter-active computer screen to see the list of the donors and the circumstances of their gifts. Palace of Great Benevolence (Jingren gong), east route of Inner Court.

Arhat Painting of the Qing Court (1644-1911) Arhats (Lohans in Chinese) are saintly men striving to achieve Nirvana in Mahayana Buddhism (Sanskrit for Dacheng, literally "Great Vehicle"). Worshipped as Buddhist deities for over a millennium, arhats were important subject matter during the Qing (1644-1911) since they were a key element of the Manchu imperial family's religious practice. Of the diverse artistic representations of arhats from level of Qing dynasty social life, the arhat paintings produced for the Qing imperial court are particularly high quality because of their audience and iconic function. The exhibition provides many dazzling arhat paintings and thangkas presented by regional governments or executed by court painting masters including Ding Guanpeng, Leng Mei, and Jin Tingbiao. Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi Gong). 1 October 2006 through December 2006

Digital Painting and Calligraphy Gallery On the second floor of the Center for Calligraphy and Painting Research in the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong) are four computer screens with digital images of about 270 of the Palace Museum's finest paintings and calligraphic works. Using high-resolution photography, the images can be magnified dozens of times the original scale. Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi Gong).

Porcelains from Qing Imperial Kilns A superb selection of fine imperial ceramics from the permanent collection is on display in the Center for Ceramic Research in the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong)

Shards from Chinese Kiln Sites from the Palace Museum Collection, The Center for Ceramic Research, Hall of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong). The shards are arranged by their respective kiln sites and complemente the exhibition "Porcelains from Qing Imperial Kilns."

Early 20th Century Architectural Folly From 1909 until 1911, a garden building with five pavilions and a below-ground aquarium was under construction on the old foundation of the Hall of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong). Popularly called the Crystal Palace (Shuijing gong), it features marble carving and cast iron of outstanding quality. The fantastic architecture was unfinished when the Qing dynasty fell.

The Daily Life of Qing Dynasty Concubines Palace of Eternal Harmony (Yonghe gong). Based on historical records, photographs, and fine objects, the exhibition illustrates the selection and certification of concubines, health, leisure, costumes, accessories, and the all-important registers of "appointments" with the emperor.

Bronze Vessels from the Permanent Collection A fine selection of ritual bronze vessels of the Shang and Zhou eras (first millennium B.C.E.) demonstrate the technological sophistication of early metal casting as well as the importance of these vessels in governance. Ink rubbings of the handsome inscriptions cast in the vessels are on display with transcriptions into modern Chinese and English translations. Palace of Celestial Favour (Chengqian gong).

Jade Carvings [Temporarily Closed for Reinstallation] Admired for its soft luster and valued far above gold, jade is an extremely hard stone, the working of which became a metaphor for the challenge of perfecting one's character. This long-term exhibition presents examples of jade from the Neolithic era through the eighteenth century. Palace of Accumulated Purity (Zhongcui gong).

Eastside of the Forbidden City Hall of Clocks The perennially popular display of clocks and timepieces from the Palace Museum collections, reinstalled with climate and temperature controls. Located to the northeast of the throne hall in the Hall for Ancestral Worship (Fengxian dian). On most days a selection of clocks will be "played" at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

Treasure Hall-Imperial Treasures and Ornaments[Temporarily closed for renovations] Located on the eastside of the Forbidden City in the corridors surrounding the Hall of Imperial Supremacy (Huangji dian), in the Hall of Cultivating One's Character (Yangxing dian), in the Hall of Joyful Longevity (Leshou tang), and in the Belvedere of Well-nourished Harmony (Yihe xuan).

The Stone Drums-Seal script of the Qin Dynasty These historically important drum-shaped stones are carved with a form of Chinese script that was current in the third century BC. They are displayed on the eastside of the Forbidden City in the Hall of Imperial Supremacy's (Huangji dian) eastern corridor

Opera at the Qing Court A colorful display of costumes, masks, props, and playbills from the opera troops in residence at the Qing court (1644-1911). The exhibition is located at the northeast corner of the Forbidden City in the Pavilion of Pleasant Sounds (Changyin ge) and the Hall for Viewing Opera (Yueshi lou).

From November 1 through March 31, admission is 40 rmb From April 1 through October 31, admission is 60 rmb

Note: 1. Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery require a separate ticket of 10 rmb respectively. 2. Children under 120 cm in height are free of charge. 3. Tickets of 20 rmb are available for elementary, middle school and university students with student identity card or certified letter from the school (including students from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, excluding graduate and adult education students).

Audio guides in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and Thai are available at the Meridian Gate (Wu men) and the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men). The deposit is 100 rmb for each. The rental fee is 40 rmb for each, except the Mandarin guide which is 10 rmb. Please return the audio guide before exiting. Services include package check (Meridian gate, Wumen), gift shops, bookstores, refreshments and light meals, an Information Center in the Archery Pavilion (Jian ting), public address system. --

The Palace Museum is housed in the former palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Popularly called The Forbidden City, the museum covers an area of 720,000 square meters. The collections comprise nearly a million art treasures spanning five thousand years of Chinese history with a rich concentration of art and artifacts from the Qing imperial court.

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The hall of supreme harmony, popularly called jin luan dian(hall of imperial throne).It was built in 1420 and formerly named Feng Tian Dian (hall of offering heaven),changed the name for Huang Ji Dian (hall of great supremacy) and began to be called the present name. The palace now was rebuilt in 4th year in the reign of Qing emperor Kangxi (1695).It is 35.05 meters high and covers 2,377 square meters.It is the highest building in the palace with double-eaved roof and rooms.There are 55 rooms and 72 posts.Six of the posts are gold post carved with dragons.

Here the Ming and Qing emperors held grand ceremonies to mark accessions, birthdays, the lunar new year, the winter solstice ,banquets, declaring wars as well as the publication of the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinati. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM -

Zhong He Dian was built in 1420 and rebuilt in 1627 after three big fires.It was original named Hua Gai Dian(hall of canopy),and renamed the present one in 1645.

Before presiding over grand ceremonies in the hall of supreme harmony, the emperor first came to rest here and receive respects from his officials.On the occasions of offering sacrifices to Xian Nong Tan(altar of agriculture),Di Tan(altar of the earth),She Ji Tan(altar of land and grain) and Tai Miao(imperial ancestral temple),the emperor also came here to examine the sacrificial writings. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM --

Built in 1420, Bao He Dian was formerly called Jin Shen Dian£¨hall of practising moral culture£©and given the present name by the Qing emperor Shunzhi.

On the lunar new year's eve,a banquet would be given here by the emperor to princes,dukes and ministers of minority nationalities. Starting from the late period of emperor Qianlong's reign,the hall became the site of the palace examination--the highest level exam of the state in the feudal imperial examination system.It held once every three years and those who passed the exam would get the degree of "Jin Shi". And the first three top were called "Zhuang yuan"(the number one), "Bang yan"(the number two)and "Tan hua "(the number three). ©THE PALACE MUSEUM --

Constructed in 1420 and reconstructed ,the palace was the place where the emperor lived and handled state affairs during the Ming dynasty and the Qing emperor kangxi's reign.It became the place for holding great ceremonies and granting audiences to all sorts of officials as well as foreign envoys after the Qing emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne and moved his residence to Yang Xin Dian(hall of mental cultivation).

The system to appoint the will-be successor of the emperor was changed in the secret way from the emperor Yongzheng's reign in the Qing dynasty. The crown prince was selected secretly and the emperor put into a box his testament regarding his choice of a son as his successor and hid it behind the horizontal inscribed board above the imperial throne in the palace.The box was taken down and opened as soon as the emperor died,and then the appointed crown prince ascended the throne.

The emperor's coffin was put here and moved to the Guan De Dian(hall of observing moral) after holding a ceremony for the died emperor.And then held a funeral procession and buried into the royal tomb. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM -- Jiao Tai Dian was bulit in 1420 and rebuilt in the Qing emperor Jia Qing's reign. On the lunar new year's days and the empresse's birthdays, the empress would come here to receive congratulations.It became the place for storing seals in 1748 when the emperor QianLong decided to keep here 25 royal seals symbolizing the imperial power. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM ---

Built in 1420,the palace was used as the empresses' chamber in the Ming dynasty.It was rebuilt in 1655 in the style of Qing Ning palace(palace of pure tranquility) in Sheng Jing(now Shenyang province).The four west side-rooms were the place for offering sacrifices to the gods of Shamanism;the two east side-rooms were the emperor's bridal chamber and the Qing emperors Kangxi, Tongzhi and Guangxu were all married here. The emperor's wedding was very luxurious,only the emperor Tongzhi's wedding cost over ten million silvers. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM ---

Yang Xin Dian was built in 1537 and rebuilt during the Qing emperor Yongzheng's reign. The ""-shaped buildings are divided into two parts-the front halls and the rear halls. The chamber was moved to the rear halls after the emperor Yongzheng. The central rooms and the west rooms of the front halls were changed into the place where emperor handled the state routine affairs£¬reviewed memoranda and received his officials.

The east room was the place where the empress dowagers Cixi and Cian took charge of the state affairs behind a screen when the emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu were in their childhood. The Qing last emperor Puyi convinced the "presence meeting" and made the decision to give up the throne after the revolution of 1911 broke out. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM ---

In 1729 the emperor Yongzheng set up jun ji fang(room of the grand council of state)to strengthen centralization of state power and deploy forces in time.The present name was given by emperor Qianlong.

Jun ji chu consisted of grand councillors of state and confidential secretaries,who deliberated with the emperor on all policy matters,civil as well as military,and promulgated the emperor's decisions. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM --- Built in 1417,Yi Kun Gong was originally named Wan An Gong(palace of myriad peace),and called the present name during the Ming emperor Jiajing's reign.It was the residence of emperesses and concubines in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

On grant ceremonies,empress dowager Cixi would receive respects here from imperial concubines.On her 50th birthday in 1884,the empress dowager Cixi once received congratulations from courtiers here. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM - Constructed in 1420 and rebuilt in 1655,Chu Xiu Gong living quarter of empresses and imperial concubines during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Cixi once lived here when she was just selected as concubine and created honorable person lan in 1852.She gave birth to the emperor Tongzhi here in 1856 when she was promoted to concubine yi.In 1884 the empress dowager Cixi moved to live here in celebration of her 50th birthday and cost 630 thousand to built halls.The inscriptions on the walls at the corridor in the yard are the poems praying for the empress dowager's longevity. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM

Built in 1420,Tai Ji Dian was originally named Wei Yang Gong(palace of endlessness)and renamed the present one in the Qing dynasty.It was the residence of the empresses and imperial concubines during the Ming and Qing dynasties. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM -

Built in 1420 and rebuilt in 1683, the palace was used as the chamber of the empresses and concubines during the Ming and Qing dynasties.The Ming emperor TianQi's concubine li£¬the empress Xiao Xian in the Qing emperor Qianlong's highest favor and the empress dowager Cixi£¬all once lived here. ©THE PALACE MUSEUM

China is a country with an ancient civilization. As early as some 8.000 years ago when it was still at the beginning of the Neolithic age Chinese ancestors had already invented pottery on this vast stretch of land.

In the middle of the Shang Dynasty dated back to 3,000 years or so,proto-porcelain appeared and,toward the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty(25-220),really mature porcelain ware was created.

The emergence of red,grey,painted,white,black pottery and the coming into existence of proto-porcelain,celadon,black,white porcelain and later on even multi-colour-glazed porcelain,underglazed colour,overglazed colour,etc.have all manifested themselves an uninterrupted course along which the Chinese ceramics has been developed for 8,000 years. Ever since the Tang Dynasty(618-907),the Chinese ceramic articles have begun to be exported to various parts of the world. China's porcelain-making technology,her extraordinary achievements scored in terms of artistry, and their spread to and influence on lots of countries and regions the world over have pushed forward the development of ceramic industry and related culture in the world as a whole,incontrovertibly showing that china is worthy of the good reputation of "kingdom of Porcelain"in the history of mankind. --- Chinese timepieces have a long history. Before the Qing Dynasty, the sundial and clepsydra had been used for reckoning the time. In the 18th century, a large number of mechanical clocks came into the Qing court. Most of them were produced in England, and the rest in France, Switzerland and other Western countries as well as in our own country. Besides giving the correct time, these clocks are also noted for their moving figures, flowers, animals and birds, which when the mechanism is set in motion perform complicated movements. They were, at that time, not only useful timepieces, but also delightful and exquisite articles.

The Bronze Gallery Preface

The bronze culture is the result of the development of human civilization to a certain stage. The great bronze vessels began to appear in the late Xia Dynasty(the period of Er Li Tou in the archeological culture). And then appeared a lot of imposing combination groups of bronze vessels carved with lines and pictures(especially animals)in the early(the period of Er Li Gang in the archeological culture) and late Shang Dynasty.(the period of Yinxu).Then appeared a great deal of the bronze vessels with long inscriptions recording the historical events in Dong Zhou period. The greatness and the inscriptions are the two characteristics of the Chinese bronze culture. The manufacture and development of the bronze vessels through the ages have not been interrupted, but only in the pre-Qin period (before 221 BC) did they have a considerable influence on the human life.

It was said that the king Yu of the Xia Dynasty (C.21st-16 century BC) made "Nine Ding" (nine cauldron) and they came into the possessions of the Shang and then the Zhou royal house after the Xia and Shang respective fall. The "Nine Ding"were a symbol of central authority in ancient china. As the owner of the "Nine Ding"changed, it meant the change of a dynasty. The royal family declined and the dukes contented for hegemony in the period of the Spring in Chinese history. There was a story about the "Nine Ding" which said the prince of Chu state once passed through the boundary of Zhou and asked the weight of the Ding in its possession. His action was known to susrp the throne. The bronze vessels of Ding(caudron) and the Yi(sacrificial vessel) usually displayed in the ancesteral temple or buried in into tombs were called ritual vessels. They symbolized the noble status and had great influence on the development of Chinese histories for thousands of years.

Since the Han Dynasty, just as an old saying"the earth cherishes no treasure"(which means that the earth does not care to keep her rich store of treasures)£¬bronze ritual vessels and musical instruments have been unearthed from time to time. Owing to their dignified patterns and imposing style, these vessels found favor in emperors'eyes and were regarded as the auspicious emblem. So the people offered them to the emperors and the royal families also searched them from the people. Gradually they became important royal ancient collections. Once in the Song Dynasty£¬the bronzes collections in the imperial palace were compiled a book named Xuanhe bogu tulu (an illustrated book of antiques in Xuanhe period). In the qianlong's reign of the Qing dynasty£¬the imperial collections of bronzes were successively compiled in four books including the Xiqing gujian (Xi qing collection of ancient bronzes), Xiqing xujian jiabain(the first continuity of the Xiqing collection of ancient bronzes),Xiqing xujian yibian(the second continuity of the Xiqing collection of ancient bronzes),Ningshou gujian(Ningshou collection of the ancient bronzes)and so forth.

The Palace Museum houses over 15,000 pieces of bronze articles handed down from ancient times£¬in which there are lots of fine works£¬nearly 1600 items with inscriptions of the pre-Qin period alone.Through the bronzes on display here we try to show the internal relations between the Chiese bronze culture and the culture of imperial house. Bronzes of the Early Shang Dynasty

The bronzes of Erligang culture in Zhengzhou, Henan were representative works of the early Shang dynasty. Bronzes of the same period were later unearthed from various parts of China. Their main patterns were string, animal mask and Kui-dragon. The Early Shang Dynasty Overall Height 25.8cm Width 17.1cm

List of Bronze Gallery Net-Design Jia (Wine Vessel) Gu (Wine Vessel) with Animal Mask Design Net-Design Jue (Wine Vessel) Square Jar with Animal Mask Design Tripod with Animal Mask Design String-Design He (Wine Vessel) Zun (Wine Vessel) with Animal Mask Design Jue (Wine Vessel) with Animal Mask Design Zun (Wine Vessel) with the Design of Three Goats Square Jia (Wine Vessel) with the Inscription of "Ce" Big Yue (Battle-Ax) with Animal Mask Design Zun (Wine Vessel) with the Inscription of "You" Hu (Wine Vessel) with the Inscription of "Shi" Spear with Jade Blade Square Ding (Ritual Vessel) with the Inscription of "Yang Fu Ding" Square Ding (Ritual Vessel) with the Inscription of "Tian Gao" Li (Wine Vessel) with the Characters of "Zuo Bao Zun Yi" Zun (Wine Vessel) with the Characters of "Wei Shi Er" Dragon-Design Dagger-Axe Tiger-Design Ding (Ritual Vessel) Jue (Wine Vessel) with the Inscription of "Lu Hou" Gui (Food Container) with the Inscription of "Rong" Jue (Wine Vessel) with the Character of "Yuan" Halberd with Three Holes Li (Ritual Vessel) with the Inscription of "Shi Qin" Gui (Food Container) with the Inscription of "Dou Bi" Gui (Food Container) with the Inscription of "Zhui" Large Tripod He (Wine Vessel) with Animal-Shaped Handle Gui (Food Container) with the Inscription of "Jian" Gui (Food Container) with the Inscription of "Shi You" Ding (Ritual Vessel) with the Inscription of "Song" Li (Wine Vessel) with the Characters of "Fan Jun" Yan (Cooking Vessel) with Four Snake Design Tripod with Spout and One-Foot Dragon Design Tripod with Coiled Serpent Design Dou (Food Container) with Geometric Design Large Jian (Water Vessel Serving as Mirror) with Coiled Serpent Design Gold-Inlaid Dagger-Axe with Bird and Animal Design Ding (Ritual Vessel) with the Inscription of "Cai Zi" Li (Wine Vessel) with the Characters of "Junzi Zhi Nong" Gold-Inlaid Dui (Grain Receptacle) with Cloud Design Red-Copper-Inlaid Jar with Elephant Design Bird-Shaped He (Wine Vessel) Long-Leg Jar Chamber Pot Inlaid with Gold and Silver Bird Design Copper Mirror with Four Hill Design Silver-Inlaid Belt Hook with the Shape of One-Horn Dragon¡¯s Head ©THE PALACE MUSEUM -- The Exhibition of Metal-Roughcast Enamel Craft in China The metal-roughcast enamel craft is the youngest branch in the long history of Chinese arts and crafts. Cloisonn¨¦ enamel and painted enamel, its two categories, developed respectively at the end of the 13th century and at the beginning of the 17th century under the influence of foreign cultures. With red copper as roughcast and mineral as glaze, the enamel works were produced for the nobility rather than the people. Their patterns are as glistening as gems, as colorful as rainbow and as bright as gold. In comparison with other cultural relics handed down from the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, metal-roughcast enamel artifacts are mostly preserved in the Palace Museum. The representative works exhibited here reflect the glorious achievement of enamel craft as well as display the creative talent and outstanding contribution of the Chinese people in the aspect of absorbing foreign cultures and developing national tradition. -- Ancient Chinese Jade ware Chinese jade ware has a long history with its superb texture,exquisite craftsmanship,variety of forms,wide usage, soft color and luster. It bears strong national characteristics and distinctive features and forms a special school out of the world's jade carving art. In the long process of its development has close relations with Chinese history and has been endowed with political,moral and ritual contents,helping the superb material nature of the jade ware and its profound spiritual factors merge into an organic whole.

These articles on display here are selected from jade wares handed down from ancient times in the Palace Museum. It shows out the thread of the development of the crafts,artistic attainments and features of the times in the past five to six thousand years

The Painting Gallery Preface

The Palace

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