Travel Notes: Self-Driving Tour of Shenyang, Liaoning – Exploring the Manchu-Style Shenyang Imperial Palace
One weekend, we drove to Shenyang Imperial Palace for a visit. Shenyang Imperial Palace is located in the city center of Shenyang, and you can directly arrive at the Imperial Palace's nearby parking lot according to the navigation, it's not difficult to find a parking spot, but there are often people coming and going across the parking lot, which looks quite chaotic.
Shenyang Imperial Palace's Gate Stele
After entering the main gate, we first looked at the map provided by the guide to get a simple understanding. The entire Imperial Palace building complex is divided into three parts: east is for large-scale events and Eight Banner ministers' offices, the middle is for the emperor's office and the harem, and the west is for some ancillary facilities. The main highlights of the Imperial Palace are in the middle and western lines, and we decided to go along the middle line first.
The Imperial Throne in front of the Chongzheng Hall
The Imperial Throne
After turning from the Chongzheng Hall, there is a high platform, and on the high platform is a larger palace called Fenganlou. This palace is the tallest building in Shenyang Imperial Palace, and you can climb to the top to see the entire Imperial Palace.
Passing through Fenganlou, we entered the harem. We usually see stories from the TV series 'Dynasty' mostly take place in this courtyard.
The Imperial Concubine's courtyard belonging to the Emperor Taizun
This courtyard still truly preserves the characteristics of the Manchu people: pocket houses, kang beds, large cooking pots, copper braziers, and also one of the 'Three Monsters' of Northeast China – a cradle that says 'Have a child, hang him up'.
Manchu people's braziers
Kang bed
Cradle
Cooking pot
Bed and screens
Shenyang Imperial Palace was built in 1625, and hundreds of years of wind and rain have eroded this imperial city, although subsequent emperors also allocated funds for repairs, but now it still cannot hide its mottled appearance. However, in later periods, several emperors also allocated funds for repairs, but it is still difficult to hide its mottled appearance.
Mottled Window Frame
A famous 'Tai Jiao Yun Run' in Shenyang Imperial Palace, written by Qianlong Emperor, this is made of a large piece of thick wood, with nine dragons carved on the four sides and the words 'Tai Jiao Yun Run' in the middle, which means the prosperous state of the Qing Dynasty. It is said that this was made in Beijing and transported to Shenyang, which cost a lot of trouble.
'Tai Jiao Yun Run'
Eight Banner Army's armor
Shenyang Imperial Palace's east side is centered around the Chongzheng Hall, which is an eight-cornered building, also known as the Eight Corner Hall. The interior and Chongzheng Hall are also equipped with thrones, screens, incense burners, and crane-shaped candlesticks. Especially the dragon-decorated pillar in front of the hall is very solemn and majestic. People often confuse the Chongzheng Hall and the Eight Corner Hall's purposes. The Eight Corner Hall is only used for large-scale meetings and ceremonies, and the emperor's daily office is still in the Chongzheng Hall.
The Dragon Pillar in front of the Eight Corner Hall
A large square in front of the Eight Corner Hall, with ten Wang Ting pavilions on both sides used by the princes. Now these pavilions are used to sell food and tourist souvenirs.
Wang Ting Pavilion
Shenyang Imperial Palace's western route has the Wenxuiguan and the Theater. Wenxuiguan has two layers, but actually it has three layers. It was originally built to store the 'Quadruple Pavilion', it is said that the 'Quadruple Pavilion' was copied seven times, but after years of war and turmoil, now only the Wenyin Pavilion in Beijing's Imperial Palace, the Cunxin Pavilion in Chengde's Summer Resort, and the Wenxuiguan in Shenyang Imperial Palace have complete copies of 'Quadruple Pavilion'. This Wenyin Pavilion is famous because of the 'Quadruple Pavilion', when Qianlong Emperor went on a tour, he read books here.
Wenxuiguan
Theater
Shenyang Imperial Palace is not as extensive as the Beijing Imperial Palace in terms of planning, but as the first imperial city of the Qing Dynasty, it preserves the real scene of the Qing Dynasty before entering the pass, which is worth visiting.
