Shenyang Imperial Palace

Shenyang Imperial Palace, built between 1625 and 1636, is the former imperial palace of the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is located in the downtown Shenhe District of Shenyang in northeastern China's Liaoning Province. The palace and the Forbidden City in Beijing are the only two existing imperial palaces in China. In 2004, it was included in the UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List as an extension of the Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China.

Though much smaller than the Forbidden City, the 70,000-square-meter architectural complex is the world's only imperial palace featuring the typical Manchu style, popular among tourists for its well-preserved unique buildings, precious historical relics and valuable artworks on display.

The palace incorporates the eastern, central and western sections. The eastern section houses the magnificent Hall of Grand Politics (Dazheng Dian) and the Ten Kings Pavilion. The central section contains such major buildings as the Daqing Gate, Chongzheng Hall, Phoenix Tower and Qingning Palace. The western section includes the main building-Wensu Pavilion, the Opera Stage, Jiayin Hall and Yangxi Room.

The eastern section contains the very impressive Hall of Great Affairs (Da Zheng Dian). Here emperors ascended the throne, enacted imperial edicts, and welcomed victorious generals and soldiers. A group of pavilions, known as the Ten Kings Pavilion, stand to its east and west. They formerly served as the place where emperors and leaders from the eight banners (Ba Qi) settled national affairs. This architectural style of Shenyang Imperial Palace is unique. The style of the buildings, which displays an amalgamation of Han, Manchu and Mongolian cultures, all originated from the shape of a nomadic tent. The eastern section of the palace is representative of the whole palace.

The middle section starts from the Da Qing Gate, with Chong Zheng Dian (Jin Luan Dian), the Phoenix Tower and Qingning Palace arranged on a central axis from south to north. Chong Zheng Dian is the place where Abahai held court. It is the most important building in the Shenyang Imperial Palace. The Phoenix Tower, a three-storied building, was the highest structure in the whole city at that time. Qingning Palace was the bedchamber for Abahai and his concubines.

The western section was constructed by order of Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799). Its main structure is the Wen Su Pavilion. In front of this, there are the Opera Stage and Jiayin Hall and behind it is the Yang Xi Room. The Wen Su Pavilion, which contains the Complete Collection of Four Treasures, has a black roof because black was considered to represent water which could be used to extinguish a fire to protect the priceless books contained inside.

The Shenyang Imperial Palace houses many ancient cultural relics, such as Nurhachi's sword and Abahai's broadsword. There are also many artworks displayed here, such as paintings, calligraphy, pottery, sculptures and lacquer ware. 

Besides the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Shenyang Imperial Palace is the only other existing palace complex in China. Within its walls much is revealed about the early Qing Dynasty. It was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2004 as an extension of the Forbidden City and is now the most popular and renowned tourist attraction in Shenyang.

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