Palace of prolonged happiness (Yanxi gong)
The extended Happiness Palace was destroyed by fire during the Daoguang reign (1821 to 1850). In 1931, a few years after the Palace Museum was founded, three two-storey warehouses were built to store artifacts. In 2005, the museum installed the Research Center for Traditional Calligraphy and Paintings in the East Complex, the Ceramic Research Center in the Western Warehouse, and a Ceramic Laboratory in the Central Warehouse.
It served as residence for spouses and concubines during the Ming and Qing. After its destruction, it remained in ruins until 1909, when the Qing government began rebuilding in a Western style, with a central basin. The palace is built on a white marble base. When completed, the pool was filled by a canal surrounding the pavilion so that visitors could see the fish swim through glass walls. It is known by the popular name of "Crystal Palace". However, shortly after the launch of the project, the construction was stopped because of a budget too low. Now the marble sculptures can imagine what this system could have been.
This palace is part of six Eastern palaces, in the oriental annexes inside.
See too:
Back to the list of the pavilions of the forbidden city
