Palace of Qianlong

Generality about the palace of Qianlong

In the north-east of the Forbidden City stands a group of buildings independent of the rest of the palace. Covering an area of 46,000 m², this complex is surrounded by high red walls. This is not an original construction, it is an addition made by Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795), of the Qing Dynasty. He ordered the construction of these buildings for his retirement, once he resigned, to retire peacefully and spend his old days there. The work began in 1772 and lasted until 1777, during the 37th year of his reign. As he had said, he resigned from office at 60 years of reign, out of respect for his grandfather, Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722), who reigned for 61 years (he did not want to go beyond his time of reign). He decided, however, to keep an eye on the affairs of the state under the pretext of giving a hand, from his throne, located in the pavilion of Mental Culture (Yangxindian). In practice, Emperor Qianlong actually retained power and never lived in this part that he had built himself, he sometimes went there in his spare time.

This complex can be divided into four parts: the southern part, which contains the palaces themselves, and the northern part, which, divided into three (East, Center and West), is private, which corresponds essentially to the places of leisure, like gardens or theater.

In the South part, from South to North:

The wall of 9 dragons
The door of the Quiet Longevity (Ningshoumen)
The Palace of Imperial Perfection (Huangjidian)
The Palace of Longevity Tranquil (Ningshougong)

As well as two doors, which lead to the East and West of the palace:

The Changze Gate (Changze)
Ningqi Gate (Ningqi)

The northern part, it is divided in three, vertically. The eastern part is occupied by the following pavilions:

Pavilion of Pleasant Sounds (Changyinge),
Opera Pavilion (Yueshi Lou),
Quingshou Palace
The Palace of Happiness Sports (Jingfugong),
A Buddhist Temple (Fanhua Lou)
Fori Lou

The central part, it contains a succession of pavilions, from the South to the North:

The door of Spiritual Culture (Yangxingmen)
The Pavilion of Spiritual Culture (Yangxingdian)
The Joyous Longevity Pavilion (Leshoutang)
Yihexuan
Pavilion of the Admiration of Kindness (Jingqige)

Finally still in the North, but this time in the West, there are the gardens of the Quiet Longevity, also called the Qianlong Gardens. (Ningshougong). It is divided into 4 courses.