The Palace Museum

　　Beijing Palace Museum is located at No.4, Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing. It was founded on October 10, 1925. It is a large comprehensive museum built on the basis of the Ming and Qing palaces and their collections, which integrates ancient buildings, palace collections and culture and art of past Dynasties. It is also the largest museum of ancient culture and art in China.

　　The Palace Museum in Beijing covers an area of more than 1 million square meters and preserves about 9000 ancient buildings, which is the largest and most complete ancient palace complex in China. The predecessor of Palace Museum is the Imperial Palace Forbidden City of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1420). A total of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived here.

　　When Pu Yi abdicated in 1912, the history of the Forbidden City as the imperial palace came to an end. In 1914, the Museum of Antiquities was established in the Outer Court area; in 1925, the Palace Museum was established in the Inner Court area; in 1948, the Museum of Antiquities was merged into the Palace Museum.

　　Beijing Palace Museum has a total collection of more than 1.8 million pieces (sets), with a total collection of 25 categories, including more than 8000 pieces (sets) of first-class collections. According to different textures and forms, cultural relics in the collection can be divided into 25 categories, such as paintings, calligraphy, tablets, bronzes, gold and silver wares, among which precious cultural relics account for 90% of the total collection.

　　The Palace Museum regularly holds temporary thematic exhibitions every year through the imperial palace buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the original display of palace historical sites, permanent exhibitions of treasures, clocks and watches, paintings, ceramics, sculptures and other art collections.

　　Venue overview

　　Beijing Palace Museum is located in the center of Beijing. It is 753 meters wide from east to west and 961 meters long from north to south. It covers an area of more than 723600 square meters. It is surrounded by a 10-meter-high wall and a 52-meter-wide moat (Tongzi River). There is a city gate on each side of the city wall: Meridian Gate in the south, Gate of Divine Prowess in the north, East Prosperity Gate and Xihua Gate on the left and right, with the Midday Gate as the entrance and the Gate of Divine Prowess as the exit.

　　The total area of ancient buildings in the city is about 160,000 square meters. The layout of the whole group of palace buildings is rigorous and orderly. The layout and shape are designed and constructed in strict accordance with the feudal etiquette system and the theory of Yin and Yang and five elements, reflecting the supreme authority of the emperor.

　　At the four corners of the city wall, there is a graceful turret. There is a folk saying of nine beams, eighteen pillars and seventy-two ridges, which describes the complexity of its structure.

　　The buildings in the Forbidden City are divided into two parts, the outer court and the inner court. The center of the Outer Court is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, collectively known as the three main halls, where the state holds grand ceremonies. The left and right wings of the three halls are supplemented by two groups of buildings, namely, Hall of Literary Brilliance and Hall of Martial Valor.

　　The center of the inner court is the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, collectively known as the latter three palaces, which are the main palaces where emperors and empresses live. Followed by the Imperial Garden.

　　On both sides of the three palaces, there are six palaces in the east and west, where the empresses and concubines live and rest. The east side of the Six Eastern Palaces is the Tianqiong Palace and other Buddhist buildings, and the west side of the West Six Palaces is the Hall of Rectitude and other Buddhist buildings. Outside the Outer Court and the Inner Court, there are two parts of buildings, the Outer East Road and the Outer West Road.

　　At present, the open area of the Palace Museum is shown in the following figure.

　　Undisturbed display area

　　01. Three halls facing outside

　　The Outer Court of Palace Museum is centered on the three main halls (Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Central Harmony and Hall of Preserving Harmony), where the state holds grand ceremonies and the emperor deals with government affairs.

　　This area is divided into three huge courtyards, followed by Gate of Supreme Harmony Square, Hall of Supreme Harmony Square and three halls, which are arranged on the central axis from south to north. It is not only the most important area of Forbidden City, but also the center of the imperial city and the capital.

　　-- Hall of Supreme Harmony --

　　Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the "Hall of Golden Bells", is located in the main axis of Forbidden City's north and south prominent position, Ming Yongle 18 years (1420), said Fengtian Dian. In the forty-first year of Jiajing (1562), it was renamed Hall of Imperial Zenith. It was renamed in the second year of Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty (1645). Since its completion, it has been repeatedly burned down and rebuilt many times. The existing building was rebuilt in the 34th year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1695).

　　The Hall of Supreme Harmony has 11 rooms in width and 5 rooms in depth, with a construction area of 2377 square meters, a height of 26.92 meters, and a height of 35.05 meters with the platform base, which is the largest hall in the Forbidden City.

　　Inside the hall, the floor is paved with gold bricks, and a throne is set up in the Ming Dynasty. In front of the throne, there are four pairs of furnishings on both sides: Baoxiang, Duanduan, Xianhe and Xiangting. In the middle of the ceiling above the throne, a caisson shaped like an umbrella is placed. In the middle of the caisson, there is a huge dragon lying on the ground, with the dragon's head reaching down and an orb in its mouth.

　　There is a wide platform in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is called Danbi, commonly known as the platform. On the platform, there are a sundial, a Jialiang, a pair of bronze tortoises, a pair of bronze cranes and 18 bronze tripods. His Highness is a three-storey white marble stone base with a height of 8.13 meters, surrounded by railings. Under the railing, there is a stone dragon head for drainage, which can present the spectacle of thousands of dragons spitting water during the rainy season.

　　-- Hall of Central Harmony --

　　Hall of Central Harmony, one of the three main halls of Palace Museum, is located between Hall of Supreme Harmony and Hall of Preserving Harmony. Built in the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1420), it was called Huagai Hall at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Jiajing, it was caught in a fire and renamed Zhongji Hall after being rebuilt. Now there are still ink marks of "Zhongji Hall" in the Ming Dynasty on the ceiling components. In the second year of Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty (1645), Zhongji Hall was changed into a Hall of Central Harmony.

　　The Hall of Central Harmony is square in plan, with three rooms in width and depth, surrounded by corridors and paved with gold bricks, covering an area of 580 square meters. The roof is a single eave with four sharp corners, covered with yellow glazed tiles, with a gold-plated bronze roof in the middle.

　　The hall is open on all sides, with 12 doors on the front, 4 doors on the east, north and west sides. The stone steps in front of the door are one in the east and one in the west, three in the north and three in the south. In the middle is the imperial road with relief cloud and dragon patterns, stamping and hanging with shallow curly grass patterns. The two sides of the door are green brick threshold walls with small windows. The inner and outer eaves of the hall are decorated with golden dragons and colored seals, and the ceiling is decorated with dragons on the front. Inside the hall, there is a throne with a floor screen.

　　-- The Hall of Preserving Harmony --

　　Hall of Preserving Harmony, one of the three main halls of the Palace Museum. Located after the Hall of Central Harmony, built in the Ming Dynasty Yongle 18 years (1420), the initial name of Jinshen Dian, Jiajing suffered a fire, after the restoration was renamed Jianji Dian. In the second year of Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty (1645), it was changed into a Hall of Preserving Harmony.

　　The Hall of Preserving Harmony is 9 wide and 5 deep, with a construction area of 1240 square meters and a height of 29.50 meters. The roof is the top of the hill with double eaves, covered with yellow glazed tiles, and nine small animals are placed on the upper and lower eaves. The upper eaves are single-warped, heavy-raised and seven-stepped, and the lower eaves are heavy-raised and five-stepped. The inner and outer eaves are painted with golden dragons and seals, and the ceiling is painted with powder and gold. The floor of the hall is paved with gold bricks, and a carved gold lacquer throne is set up from north to south.

　　The use of Hall of Preserving Harmony was different in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty often changed their clothes here before the grand ceremony. Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month in Lunar New Year's Eve, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty gave banquets to foreign vassals, princes and ministers of the first and second grades, as well as to the father of the forehead, the family of the official position, and the palace examination of each subject were held in Hall of Preserving Harmony.

　　From the third year of Shunzhi (1646) to the thirteenth year of Shunzhi (1656), Emperor Fulin lived in Hall of Preserving Harmony, which was called "Weiyu Palace" at that time, and his wedding was also held here. Kangxi also lived in Hall of Preserving Harmony from his accession to the throne to the eighth year (1669), when it was called "Qingning Palace". When the two emperors lived in the Hall of Preserving Harmony, they all changed the name of the palace to temporary residence. In the Qing Dynasty, the imperial examination was held here since the year of Qianlong.

　　02. Three palaces behind the inner court

　　-- The Palace of Heavenly Purity --

　　Palace of Heavenly Purity, one of the three palaces behind the inner court. It was first built in the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1420). It was rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties because it was burned down several times. The existing building was built in the 3rd year of the reign of Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty (1798).

　　The Palace of Heavenly Stems and Qing Dynasties is a hall with yellow glazed tiles and double eaves. It is located on a single-storey white marble platform. The corridor is 9 wide and 5 deep. The building area is 1400 square meters. It is more than 20 meters high from the platform to the main ridge. There are 9 ridge animals in the corner of the eaves. Under the eaves, the upper layer is single-warped, double-warped and seven-trampled, and the lower layer is single-warped, single-warped and five-trampled. It is decorated with golden dragons and seals, and three doors and windows.

　　Inside the hall, the Ming room and the east and west rooms are connected. The front eaves of the Ming room are made of gold pillars, and the beam frame structure is made of reduced pillars to expand the interior space. There is a screen between the two golden pillars on the back eaves, a throne in front of the screen, and a "fair and aboveboard" plaque hanging above the throne.

　　East and west between the two tips for the warm pavilion, after the eaves set Xianlou, between the two through the hall, can communicate with the Thai Palace, Palace of Earthly Tranquility. The hall is paved with gold bricks. On the spacious platform in front of the hall, there are bronze tortoises, bronze cranes, sundials and Jialiang on the left and right respectively. There are four gilded incense burners in front of the hall. In the middle of the hall, there is a red incense burner, which connects Gaotai Yonglu with the Gate of Heavenly Purity.

　　-- The Hall of Union Peace --

　　Hall of Union is one of the three palaces of the Inner Court. It is located between the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. It was built during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Shunzhi (1655) and the 8th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1669). In the 2nd year of the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1797), the Palace of Heavenly Purity caught fire and was damaged. It was rebuilt in that year.

　　The Hall of Union is square in plan, 3 deep and 3 wide, with single eaves, four corners, a pointed roof, a gold-plated copper roof, yellow glazed tiles, double Ang five steps on Dougong, Liang Fang decorated with dragons and phoenixes and colored paintings. The four sides are open, the three sides are open, the four.

　　The top of the hall is a caisson with a dragon holding a pearl, and the ground is paved with gold bricks. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a throne with a plaque of "Wuwei" written by Emperor Kangxi, and behind the throne there was a screen with the inscription "Hall of Union Inscription" written by Emperor Qianlong. A copper teapot was set up in Dongcijian and was no longer used after the reign of Emperor Qianlong. There is a big self-ringing bell in Xici, and the time in the palace is based on this.

　　-- Kunning Gong --

　　Kunning Gong is one of the three palaces of the Inner Court. It was first built in the 18th year of Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1420). It was rebuilt in the 2nd year of Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1645). In the 12th year (1655), it was rebuilt again in imitation of the Qingning Palace in Shengjing, Shenyang.

　　In the north and south of Kunning Gong, there are 9 wide corridors and 3 deep ones, with yellow glazed tiles and double eaves on the top of the hall. It was the queen's bedroom in the Ming Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty and became the main place for Shamanism to worship gods. The door of the original bright room is changed to the door of the east second room, the original door is changed to the double-leaf door, and the other windows are changed to the vertical lattice hanging window. The two rooms on the east side of the room are warm pavilions, which are used as bedrooms for living, and the four rooms on the west side of the door are equipped with south, north and west Kang, which are used as places for worshipping gods.

　　In the fourth year of Kangxi (1665), when Xuanye got married, the empress Dowager designated the wedding ceremony to be held in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Tongzhi Emperor and Guangxu Emperor were married, and Puyi's marriage was also held in Kunning Gong. After the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, the emperors moved to Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the empresses no longer lived in Kunning Gong, and Kunning Gong was actually used as a place for Shamanism to worship gods.

　　03. Hall of Mental Cultivation Area

　　-- The Hall of mental cultivation --

　　Hall of Mental Cultivation, in the 16th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1537), is located on the west side of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Since Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty lived in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it has been used as the bedroom of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty. It was renovated and added in the Qianlong period, and became a multi-functional building complex that integrates summoning ministers, dealing with government affairs, reading, studying and living for the emperors. Until Puyi left the palace, eight emperors of the Qing Dynasty lived in the Hall of Mental Cultivation successively.

　　In front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, there is a glazed door, called the "Gate of Mental Cultivation". Outside the door, there is a long and narrow courtyard from east to west. In the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1750), three houses were built here. The houses are no higher than wall and less than 4 meters deep. They are the places where eunuchs, bodyguards and officials on duty in the palace stay.

　　The Hall of Mental Cultivation is an I-shaped hall. The front hall is three rooms wide, 36 meters wide, three rooms deep, and 12 meters deep. Yellow glazed tile Xieshan-style roof, Ming, west of the indirect rolling shed Baoxia. Front eaves columns, two square columns are added to each room, and the appearance is like 9 rooms. The emperor's throne is located in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, with a plaque of "Zhongzheng Renhe" written by Yongzheng Emperor.

　　On the east side of the Ming Dynasty, there was a throne in the "East Warm Pavilion". To the west, it used to be the place where Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Dowager Ci'an ruled from behind a curtain. In the third year of Xuantong (1911), when the Revolution of 1911 broke out, Puyi held an "imperial meeting" here and made a decision to abdicate.

　　The West Warm Pavilion on the west side of the Ming Dynasty is divided into several rooms. There is a small room for the emperor to read memorials and have secret talks with his ministers. It is called the Hall of "Diligence and Virtue". There is the Sanxi Hall where Emperor Qianlong studied, as well as the Small Buddha Hall and Meiwu, which are places for the emperor to offer Buddha and rest.

　　The rear hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation is the emperor's bedroom. There are five rooms in total. The east and west rooms are bedrooms, each with a bed. The emperor can live at will. There are five rooms on each side of the rear hall, five in the east where the empress lives, and five in the west where the imperial concubines and others live.

　　During the reign of Tongzhi, when the empress Dowager of the two palaces ruled from behind a screen, Ci'an lived in the "Tishun Hall" on the east side and Cixi lived in the "Yanxi Hall" on the west side. It was very convenient to go to the front hall at any time to deal with government affairs. There are more than ten enclosed rooms on each side of the bedroom. The rooms are small and simply furnished. They are temporary places for concubines and other attendants to live in.

　　04. Neiting West Six Palaces

　　Forbidden City six palaces in the west of the inner court, which were used as the residence of the emperor's wives and concubines in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is located on the left side of the central axis and corresponds to the Six Eastern Palaces. The empresses of the Qing Dynasty after the Yongzheng Dynasty no longer used the Palace of Earthly Tranquility as their bedroom, but chose an empty palace in the Six Eastern Palaces or the West Six Palaces as their bedroom. In the late Qing Dynasty, the layout of the West Six Palaces changed greatly and no longer corresponded to the Six Eastern Palaces.

　　-- Hall of the Supreme Principle --

　　It was completed in the 18th year of Yongle in Ming Dynasty (1420). It was initially named Weiyang Palace and renamed Qixiang Palace during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty, it was called the Hall of the Supreme Principle. It is the place where the empresses and concubines of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived. It is now displayed in its original state in the late Qing Dynasty.

　　The Hall of the Supreme Principle was originally a two-entry courtyard, but when the Palace of Eternal Spring was rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty, the rear hall of the Hall of the Supreme Principle was turned into a hall, with the rear eaves connected to the Baoxia, and connected with the Palace of Eternal Spring and its east and west side halls by corner corridors, forming a corridor, and the east and west ear rooms were opened as passages, so that the Hall of the Supreme Principle and Changchun Palace were connected into a four-entry courtyard.

　　The Hall of the Supreme Principle is five wide, with yellow glazed tiles on the top of the hill and a corridor before and after. The outer eaves are painted with Soviet-style colored paintings, the doors and windows are decorated with swastika brocade patterns, and the brocade branches are picked up step by step. In the interior of the room, there is a plaster ceiling with five blessings and longevity patterns, which was changed in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. In the Ming Dynasty and in the east and west, the rosewood flower railing cover carved with swastika brocade is separated from the ball brocade phoenix floor cover, and the floor screen throne is set in the middle. In front of the hall, there is a tall glazed screen door with auspicious phoenix and longevity patterns, which forms a spacious courtyard with the east and west side halls.

　　The rear hall is the Tiyuan Hall, with yellow glazed tiles on the top of the hard hill, five rooms wide, and the front and back doors open. The back eaves are connected with three mansions, which are Palace of Eternal Spring stage.

　　In the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1884), in order to celebrate Cixi's fiftieth birthday, he performed here for half a month. During the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, the two palaces of Qianqing and Kunning were on fire, and Zhu Yijun, Emperor Shenzong, temporarily lived in Qixiang Palace. Before the abdicated emperor Puyi left the palace, the imperial concubine Yu of Emperor Tongzhi once lived in the Hall of the Supreme Principle.

　　-- Palace of Eternal Spring --

　　It was completed in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1420) and rebuilt in the 22nd year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1683). In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, empresses and concubines lived here. Li, the concubine of Emperor Tianqi of the Ming Dynasty, once lived in this palace. Empress Xiaoxian, the favorite of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, and Empress Dowager Cixi of the late Qing Dynasty both lived here.

　　Palace of Eternal Spring has five wide rooms, yellow glazed tile Xieshan roof, front corridor, bright door, partition door, bamboo pattern skirt board, threshold window between the second and the top, and step by step brocade window. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a throne on the ground screen, on which hung a plaque of "Jing Xiu Nei Ze". There is a curtain on the left and right to separate it from the second room, and there is a floor Kang in the north of the top room, which is a bedroom.

　　There is a pair of bronze tortoise and a pair of bronze crane in front of the hall. East side hall Yue suishou hall, west side hall Yue Hall of Collecting Happiness, each 3, before the corridor, connected with the corner corridor, can pass the hall. On the inner wall of the corridor, there are 18 huge murals with the theme of a Dream of Red Mansions, which belong to the late Qing Dynasty.

　　To the south of the Palace of Eternal Spring, that is, the rear of the Tiyuan Hall, is the stage in the courtyard of the Palace of Eternal Spring. There is a screen door in the northeast corner and northwest corner, which is connected with the rear hall.

　　Hou Dian Yue Yi Qing Shu Shi was built at the same time as the Palace of Eternal Spring, with five rooms wide and three ear rooms in the east and west. The east side hall is called Yishouzhai, and the west side hall is called Lezhixuan, with 3 rooms each. There is a well pavilion in the southeast of the backyard.

　　-- Palace of Earthly Honor --

　　Palace of Earthly Honor, one of the six palaces in the west of the inner court, was the residence of concubines in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1420) and was called Wan'an Palace. In the 14th year of Jiajing (1535), it was changed into a Palace of Earthly Honor.

　　The Palace of Earthly Honor was renovated several times in the Qing Dynasty. It was originally a two-entry courtyard. In the late Qing Dynasty, the rear hall of the Palace of Earthly Honor was changed into a hall called the body and Hall. The East and West ear rooms were changed into passages, connecting the Palace of Earthly Honor with the Palace of Gathered Elegance, forming a four-entry courtyard pattern.

　　The main hall of the Palace of Earthly Honor is five rooms wide, with yellow glazed tiles on the top of the hill and corridors before and after. Dougong is placed under the eaves, and the beams are decorated with Soviet-style paintings. The door is a swastika brocade bottom, five bats holding the longevity skirt board partition door, and the window is a step by step brocade branch picking window, decorated with swastika group longevity pattern. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there was a horizontal throne, a screen, an incense table and a palace fan, on which there was a plaque of "You Rong De Da" written by Cixi. On the east side, a rosewood carved magpie climbing plum floor cover is used, and on the west side, a rosewood carved vine pine twining floor cover is used to separate the main room from the east and west sub-rooms, and the east and west sub-rooms are separated from the tips by partition fans.

　　In front of the hall, there is a screen door of "Guangming Shengchang", and under the platform, there is a pair of bronze phoenix, bronze crane and bronze stove. Emperor Puyi once installed a swing under the front porch of the main hall. Now the swing has been dismantled and the swing frame is still there. There are side halls in the east and west, such as Hall of Prolonged Greatness and Hall of Original Harmony, all of which are three hard hilltop buildings with yellow glazed tiles.

　　In the late Qing Dynasty, when connecting the Palace of Gathered Elegance and the Palace of Earthly Honor, it was changed into a hall. Face wide 5, before and after the door, after the eaves out of the corridor, yellow glazed tile hard hilltop. There is also an east and west side hall, and a well pavilion in the southeast of the front.

　　When Empress Dowager Cixi lived in Palace of Gathered Elegance in the Qing Dynasty, she would accept the worship of concubines here on major festivals. In the tenth year of Guangxu (1884), Cixi received congratulations from her ministers on her fiftieth birthday. The election of Emperor Guangxu's concubines was also held here.

　　-- Palace of Gathered Elegance --

　　The Palace of Gathered Elegance was the residence of empresses and concubines in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was completed in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1420) and rebuilt in the 12th year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1655). In the second year of Xianfeng (1852), when Cixi had just entered the palace and was given the title of Lan Guiren, she lived here. In March of the sixth year of Xianfeng, Cixi, who was promoted to be a concubine, gave birth to Emperor Tongzhi here.

　　In the tenth year of Guangxu (1884), Empress Dowager Cixi, who had already lived in Palace of Eternal Spring, moved to the palace to celebrate her fiftieth birthday and rebuilt the palace at a cost of 630,000 taels of silver. The inscription on the wall of the veranda in the courtyard is the longevity and boundless Fu written by the minister at that time to celebrate Cixi's birthday.

　　The Palace of Gathered Elegance was originally a two-entry courtyard, but in the late Qing Dynasty, the Chu Xiumen and walls were demolished, and the rear hall of the Palace of Earthly Honor was changed into a hall, called the body and hall, connecting the Palace of Gathered Elegance and the Palace of Earthly Honor, forming a four-entry courtyard. The front porch of the Palace of Gathered Elegance is connected with the front porch of the east and west side halls and the corner of the rear eaves porch of the body and hall, forming a corridor. The wall of the cloister was inlaid with colored glaze, and the Ode of Longevity Without Territory was written by the ministers to celebrate Cixi's birthday.

　　The Palace of Gathered Elegance is a single-eave hilltop with five wide faces and a front porch. Dougong is placed under the eaves, and the beams are decorated with elegant Soviet-style paintings. The door is made of nanmu wood with swastika brocade on the bottom, five bats holding longevity, and Wanfu longevity skirt board partition door; the window is decorated with swastika round longevity pattern and step by step brocade. The decoration of the inner eaves is exquisite and gorgeous. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there is a throne on the ground screen, with five red sandalwood screens inlaid with longevity characters, and a plaque of "Great Round Treasure Mirror" hanging on it.

　　On the east side, there is a glass partition of Huali Wood Carving Bamboo Pattern Skirt Board, and on the west side, there is a glass partition of Huali Wood Carving Magnolia Pattern Skirt Board, which separates the East and West sub-spaces from the Ming space. Dongci and Shaojing are separated by a rosewood floor cover carved with twining grape patterns; Xici and Shaojing are separated by a rosewood Wanfu Wanshou pattern as a frame with a large glass partition, which is equipped with a shelter partition, and Xichao is used as a warm pavilion, which is a bedroom for living.

　　The courtyard of the Palace of Gathered Elegance is spacious and quiet, with two vigorous ancient cypresses standing among them. A pair of bronze dragons playing with pearls and a pair of bronze deer with plum blossoms are placed on the east and west sides of the base of the hall, which were cast in the tenth year of Guangxu Cixi's fiftieth birthday. The east and west side halls are Hall of Cultivating Harmony and Suifu Hall, both of which are hard hilltop buildings with three wide faces.

　　Hind hall is Bower of Enchanting Scenery, face wide 5, sheet eave is hard on the top of a hill, have thing side hall Yue fengguang room, Yi orchid hall. After entering the palace, Cixi lived in the rear hall of the Palace of Gathered Elegance, where she gave birth to the Tongzhi Emperor. In the tenth year of Guangxu, Cixi moved to Palace of Gathered Elegance on her fiftieth birthday, and named the rear hall Bower of Enchanting Scenery.

　　-- Palace of Longevity and Health --

　　Palace of Longevity and Health was built in December of the 13th year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign (1735) and completed in October of the first year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1736). It was built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother, the Empress Dowager of Chongqing, and later became the palace for the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Jiaqing, Emperor Daoguang, Emperor Xianfeng and Emperor Guangxu, it was renovated many times, but the layout was basically the same as when it was first built.

　　Palace of Longevity and Health has three courtyards in the north and south. There are lanes on the east, west and north sides of the courtyard wall, and there are several rooms outside the west lane. The Shoukang Gate at the southern end of the courtyard is a glazed gate, which is a closed small square, and the right gate of Huiyin is on the east side of the square, which can pass through the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.

　　The main hall inside the Gate is the Palace of Longevity and Health. The hall faces south, with five rooms wide and three rooms deep. The yellow glazed tiles rest on the top of the hill. The front corridor, the Ming room and the second room are equipped with four three-handed and six-rhombus doors, and the tip room is equipped with four three-handed and six-rhombus windows. The back eaves are the same as the front eaves, and the rest are open windows. Hanging in the hall is a plaque inscribed by Emperor Qianlong, which reads "Ci Shou Ning Xi". The east and west parts of the hall are called the Nuan Pavilion. The East Nuan Pavilion is the Buddha Hall where the Empress Dowager worships Buddha daily. There is a platform in front of the hall, three steps in front of the platform, an imperial road stone in the middle, and one step on each side of the platform.

　　The east and west side halls of Palace of Longevity and Health are three rooms wide, with yellow glazed tiles on the top of the hill and a corridor in front. The east side hall is equipped with a fan door, while the west side hall is equipped with a fan door and a wind door, which were later refitted. The second room is a threshold window, each room is divided into two groups with columns, and the window lattice is a three-piece type. In the south of the two side halls, there is an ear room, and in the north, there is a ridge room with eaves, which is connected with the back cover room.

　　To the north of Palace of Longevity and Health is the second courtyard. The rear hall is the bedroom hall of Palace of Longevity and Health. The forehead says: "Changle Fuhua". There is a corridor connecting with Shoukang Palace. The hall is five rooms wide and three rooms deep, with yellow glazed tiles on the top of the hill. Front eaves out of the corridor, Ming between the installation step brocade fan, glass air door, the second, slightly between the window, the top is step brocade pane, the bottom is glass square window. The room is divided into 5 rooms by fan. There is a door between the back eaves, which is connected to the back cover room through the hall.

　　Palace of Longevity and Health was the residence of the empress Dowager and the empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty. The imperial concubines and the imperial concubines lived here. The emperor came here every two or three days to ask for peace. Empress Dowager Xiao Shengxian in Qianlong Dynasty, Imperial Concubine Ying in Jiaqing Dynasty and Empress Dowager Kang Ci in Xianfeng Dynasty all lived here. After the death of Empress Dowager Xiaoshengxian, Emperor Qianlong still went to Shoukang Palace to offer incense and worship on the day before Christmas and Shangyuan Festival every year to pay his respects to the throne in order to express his grief.

　　05. The Palace of Tranquil Longevity area

　　-- The Hall of Imperial Supremacy --

　　The Hall of Imperial Supremacy is the main building of Ningshou Palace area, which was built in the twenty-eighth year of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty (1689) and named Ningshou Palace at the beginning. From the 37th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1772) to the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1776), when the first district of the Ningshou Palace was rebuilt, the Ningshou Palace was renamed the Hall of Imperial Zenith, where Emperor Qianlong was congratulated after he returned to power.

　　The Hall of Imperial Supremacy is located in the front of the central axis of the Ningshou Palace area, and the front and back of the Ningshou Palace are arranged on the single-layer stone platform. The seat of the hall faces south, with 9 rooms wide and 5 rooms deep, taking the system of Emperor Zun 95. The yellow glazed tiles have double eaves on the top of the hall, the front eaves are out of the corridor, and the golden dragon and sparrow are under the Fang. In the Ming Dynasty, there is a gate in the left and right rooms, and a threshold wall is built under the rest rooms. The back eaves are bright and the second room is the back door of the hall, which can reach the Ningshou Palace, and the rest of the rooms are built with walls. In the hall, there are four golden dragon pillars, an octagonal golden dragon caisson on the top, and a throne under it, which is second only to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

　　06. Palace of Compassion and Tranquility garden area

　　Palace of Compassion and Tranquility Garden is located in the south of Palace of Compassion and Tranquility and Shoukang Palace. It was the place where the empress dowagers and imperial concubines of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshipped Buddha and had a rest. It was first built in the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1536). In the 30th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1765), in order to meet the needs of the Empress Dowager Xiaoshengxian, the mother of Emperor Qianlong, who believed in Buddhism and lived in Shoukang Palace for many years, the garden.

　　The garden is 130 meters long from north to south and 50 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of 6800 square meters. There are 9 buildings in the garden, including Xianruo Hall, Ciyin Tower, Jiyun Tower, Baoxiang Tower, Yanshou Hall, Hanqingzhai and Linxi Pavilion, which are mainly concentrated in the north of the garden, among which Xianruo Hall is the main building of the garden.

　　After the completion of the renovation of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility Garden, it was opened to the public in the form of an original display, mainly displaying more than 1000 religious relics displayed in the Buddhist Hall of Xianruo Hall, and opening the Linxi Pavilion for visitors to enjoy the scenery and rest.

　　Xianruo Hall is located in the northern part of Palace of Compassion and Tranquility Garden. The main hall is built on the top of the hill with yellow glazed tiles, and the top of the hill is surrounded by a mansion and a shed. Each of the six upturned wings has a copper bell. It was originally a place for worshipping Buddha statues and storing scriptures.

　　The north of Xianruo Hall is Ciyin Tower, and the east and west sides are Baoxiang Tower and Jiyun Tower. There is a pool in the south of the garden, across the white marble bridge, on which there is a Linxi Pavilion, opposite the Xianruo Pavilion in the north. These buildings have also been renovated. The Palace of Compassion and Tranquility garden is spacious and pleasant, which can accommodate more visitors to visit and take a short rest after opening.

　　Permanent library area

　　01. Painting and Calligraphy Museum

　　The Painting and Calligraphy Museum is located in the Hall of Literary Brilliance. The Hall of Literary Brilliance was built in the early Ming Dynasty, located in the east of the Outer Xiehe Gate, facing the Hall of Martial Valor from east to west. At the beginning of the Hall of Literary Brilliance, it was the palace of the Emperor Chang Yu, and in the two Dynasties of Tianshun and Chenghua, before Prince Jian Zuo, it was taken in Hall of Literary Brilliance. In the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1536), it was still changed into the Emperor's Bian Dian, and later became the place for the feast of the classics of the Ming Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the 22nd year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1683).

　　The main hall of the Hall of Literary Brilliance is an I-shaped plane. The former hall is Hall of Literary Brilliance, south, five wide, three deep, yellow glazed tiles on the top of the hill. There are 6 three-cross and six-rhombus doors in the bright room, and 4 three-cross and six-rhombus windows in the secondary room and the top room. There is a square window on the east and west gables. Out of the platform in front of the hall, there is a road leading directly to the Gate of Literary Brilliance. The rear hall is called the main worship hall, which is slightly similar to the Hall of Literary Brilliance and slightly shallower in depth. The front and back halls are connected by a corridor. The east and west side halls are Hall of Original Benvolence and Hall of Collected Rightiousness respectively. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, every year in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, a banquet was held in Hall of Literary Brilliance. The imperial examinations of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were also held in Hall of Literary Brilliance.

　　The Palace Museum has a rich collection of ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy. Among them, there are not only rare copies of Jin, Tang, Song and yuan Dynasties, but also representative works of famous painters of Ming and Qing Dynasties, which can clearly and systematically reflect the development of ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting art. The exhibition is divided into nine phases to display the development history of ancient calligraphy and painting from the Jin and Tang Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Two to three phases are exhibited in spring, summer and autumn every year. Each phase contains nearly 70 pieces of fine works of paper and silk calligraphy and painting. The exhibition is closed every winter. For the specific exhibition time and exhibition catalogue, see the exhibition catalogue on the website of the Palace Museum.

　　02. Ceramic Museum

　　The main exhibition halls of the Ceramic Museum in Palace Museum are the main hall of the Hall of Martial Valor, the "Gong" corridor and the Jingsi Hall of the rear hall. According to the order of the times, the development process of Chinese ceramics from the Neolithic Age to the Republic of China is displayed with 10 themes (that is, the general history display), and independent display cabinets are set up to highlight the large exhibits such as "various glazed bottles".

　　The Hall of Martial Valor was built in the early Ming Dynasty, located in the west of the Outer Xihe Gate. The main hall is Hall of Martial Valor south, 5 wide and 3 deep, with yellow glazed tiles on the top of the hill. Sumeru Block is surrounded by white marble railings, and there is a road leading directly to the Gate of Martial Valor in front of the platform. The rear hall, the Jingsi Hall, is similar to the Hall of Martial Valor in shape, and the front and rear halls are connected by corridors. The east and west side halls are respectively the Ningdao Hall and the Hall of Luminous Appeals, with a total of 63 corridors on the left and right. There is a Studio of Eternal Longevity in the northeast of the courtyard and a bath hall in the northwest.

　　The "Ceramic Museum" of the Palace Museum was founded in 1952, with more than 360000 ceramic cultural relics, most of which belong to the Qing Dynasty Palace collection. It was originally located in the Cining Palace area, and since then, it has been moved and changed several times.

　　In 2021, after more than two years of preparation, the newly renovated Ceramic Museum will meet the audience in Wuying Palace District. In terms of content, this renovation still takes advantage of the advantages of the Palace Museum in the collection of ancient ceramics, such as large quantity, complete variety and reliable age, and takes the development history of Chinese ceramics as the key link to show the continuous development process of Chinese ceramics for about 8000 years, but the whole content has been greatly enriched and improved, from 11 of the original ceramics museum. The six additional themes are aimed at further highlighting the characteristics of ancient Chinese ceramics in the Palace Museum. The "Five Famous Kilns" and the imperial kilns of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are the highlights of the collection of porcelain in the Palace Museum.

　　03. Hall of Clocks

　　The Hall of Clocks of the Palace Museum is located in the south group housing area on the south side of the Gate of Hall for Ancestral Worship. Since the establishment of the Hall of Clocks Palace Museum in the 1930s, it has been located in Palace of Eternal Harmony, Hall of Ancestral Worship and Hall of Preserving Harmony.

　　At the end of September 2004, the Hall of Clocks was again relocated to the Hall of Ancestral Worship. After more than ten years of exhibition, the Hall of Clocks display equipment is becoming obsolete. According to the adjustment of the exhibition plan of the Palace Museum, the Hall of Clocks of the Hall of Ancestral Worship will be changed to the original display of the Hall of Ancestral Worship, and the South Group Room area on the south side of the Gate of Hall for Ancestral Worship will be changed to the new clock hall.

　　Since January 17, 2019, the new Hall of Clocks has been completed and opened to the public. The new Hall of Clocks displays 82 fine clocks and watches in the Palace Museum collection, including 21 Chinese clocks and watches and 61 foreign clocks and watches. Of the 82 clocks and watches, 20 were exhibited for the first time.

　　The exhibition shows the situation of the Qing Dynasty clocks and watches collected by the Palace Museum through six units, namely, the Qing Palace Office clocks and watches, Guangzhou clocks and watches, British clocks and watches, French clocks and watches, Swiss clocks and watches, and multinational clocks and watches, as well as two scenes. Although the new exhibition room area and the number of exhibits have been reduced compared with the Hall of Ancestral Worship, the fine works and representative works in the original Hall of Clocks have been preserved as much as possible in the new Hall of Clocks. For example, the famous "star" clocks and watches, such as the gold-plated copper writing clock and the gold-plated copper elephant chariot watch, are still in use.

　　04. Treasure Museum

　　The Treasure Museum of the Palace Museum is located in the West Room of the Hall of Imperial Zenith, part of the East Room, the Hall of Cultivation, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, and the Summer Palace. It displays various materials of Ming and Qing handicrafts, ritual relics, furnishings and Buddhist relics.

　　Most of the cultural relics displayed in the Treasure Museum are made of precious materials such as gold, silver, jade, emerald, pearls and various precious stones, and are designed and manufactured by famous craftsmen from all over the country. They spare no effort in ingenuity and cost, and their craftsmanship represents the highest level at that time.

　　The famous exhibits in the museum include the phoenix crown of Empress Xiaoduan, the yellow jade Buddha's hand flower arrangement of the Qing Dynasty (the west room and part of the east room of the Huangji Hall above), the twenty-five treasures of the Qing Dynasty, the gold inlaid treasure of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, the golden Ou Yonggu cup, the gold inlaid pearl celestial instrument, the gold chime bells and the jade painted golden dragon pattern chime stones (the Yangxing Hall above), the Jade Mountain of the Qing Dayu Water Control Picture, the blue jade chrysanthemum petal Qing Dynasty gold silk inlaid with turquoise mandala, gold tire silk enamel inlaid with precious stones, high foot covered bowl (above Yihe Xuan) and so on.

　　05. Sculpture Museum

　　The Sculpture Museum in Palace Museum, located in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, is divided into five parts, namely, the Sculpture Gathering Museum, the Pottery Museum of Han and Tang Dynasties, the Brick and Stone Portrait Museum, the Xiude White Stone Museum and the Buddhist Statue Museum, with an exhibition area of about 1375 square meters and a total of 425 exhibits.

　　The cultural relics on display in the Sculpture Museum mainly cover three categories: pottery figurines, portrait bricks and stones, and Buddha statues. From the Warring States Period to the Ming Dynasty, pottery figurines, including Terra Cotta Warriors, were mostly in the Han and Tang Dynasties. The stone reliefs unearthed in northern Shaanxi and southwestern Shanxi have rich connotations and unique shapes. From the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Baishi Buddha statues in Quyang, Hebei Province were arranged in an orderly manner, and the method of hollow carving was used to enrich the creation techniques of Buddha statues.

　　The predecessor of the Palace Museum is the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The bronze statues of Xizangan Buddhism in Yongle and Xuande in the old palace collection reflect the characteristics of the palace style in the early Ming Dynasty. The statue of the 6th Panchen Lama in the Qing Dynasty is a representative work of Xizangan Buddhist statues in the Qing Palace.

　　06. Furniture Museum

　　There are more than 6200 pieces of Ming and Qing furniture in the Palace Museum, the number of which is the highest in the world. Previously, these precious furniture and cultural relics had been hidden in the palace storehouse. In order to further expand the exhibition area and increase the number of cultural relics on display, the Palace Museum of 2015 designated the Nandaku in the southwest corner of the Forbidden City as a special exhibition venue for palace furniture, and rectified the nearly barren Nandaku area at that time.

　　On September 19, 2018, the Furniture Museum of the Palace Museum was officially opened to the public. The first exhibition hall of the Furniture Museum is located in the Nandaku area in the southwest corner of Forbidden City, where more than 300 pieces of Qing Dynasty furniture are exhibited in the "Nandaku Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture Exhibition".

　　The furniture hall is divided into three exhibition halls. In addition to the warehouse display of more than 300 pieces of Qing Dynasty furniture, there are more than 30 pieces of fine furniture, mainly Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong period furniture, according to the courtyard, study, piano room and other themes of scene design, combined with multimedia technology and lighting, to form different cultural spaces for the audience to enjoy at close range and wander in the meantime.

　　07. Jade Museum

　　The Palace Museum in Beijing, established on the basis of the imperial relics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, has a considerable collection of jade articles, of which more than 10000 were collected, used and manufactured in the Qianlong Dynasty.

　　The Jade Museum is located in the Palace of Accumulated Purity of Dongliugong District of the Inner Court, displaying fine jade articles of past Dynasties, with the theme of "Lin Lang in the Flourishing Age-Exhibition of Fine Jade Articles of Qianlong Dynasty in Palace Museum". The exhibition will be closed on August 1, 2013, and the famous "Tongyin Lady" jade carvings will be displayed here.

　　At the beginning of 2021, the Palace Museum released the news of the completion of the second phase of the renovation project of the Treasure Museum, and the theme exhibition of bonsai and jade cultural relics will be carried out in the exhibition halls of the west, south and north of the Hall of Imperial Zenith with a brand-new appearance.

　　08. Gold and Silver Museum

　　The Gold and Silver Museum is located in the Palace of Great Brilliance of the East Six Palaces of the Inner Court, exhibiting the fine gold and silver wares of the Qing Palace, with the theme of "Jinzhao Yinhui-Special Exhibition of Royal Gold and Silver Wares of the Qing Dynasty", where the famous Golden Hair Pagoda and Tiliang Pot are displayed.

　　09. Bronze Museum

　　The Bronze Museum is located in the Chenggan Palace and the Palace of Eternal Harmony of the East Six Palaces of the Inner Court. The Palace Museum has a collection of more than 15,000 bronzes of past Dynasties, including nearly 1,600 bronzes with inscriptions in the pre-Qin period alone.

　　The new exhibition is divided into four themes: bronze and ritual, bronze and military, bronze and music, bronze and production and life. The names and inscriptions of bronzes have detailed phonetic notation and easy-to-understand explanations. The exhibition will also set up a special topic of "Taipei Palace Museum and Overseas Collection of Chinese Bronzes", using multimedia technology, so that the audience can have a "glimpse of the leopard" understanding of the status of ancient Chinese bronzes in world museums and in the history of world art.

　　10. Stone Drum Hall

　　The Stone Drum Hall is located in the East Room of the Hall of Imperial Zenith, displaying ten stone drums of the Warring States Period, with the earliest known stone inscriptions in China.

　　11. Museum of Ancient Architecture

　　The overall area of the Museum of Ancient Architecture covers four parts: the city wall from the Meridian Gate to the East Prosperity Gate, the southeast corner tower, the East Prosperity Gate and the Luanyiwei. There is no special exhibition in the city wall section, which is the main passageway of ancient buildings and the focus of outdoor environment display.

　　The special exhibition of "Wood Structure of Ancient Architecture" will be set up in the turret exhibition area. The exhibition contents and facilities mainly include: multimedia turret film and television works, turret mapping drawings, triangular pyramid rotating display boards, turret building body and turret model. In the exhibition area of East Prosperity Gate, a special exhibition of "Ancient Architecture Design Craftsman" is set up, which is divided into four parts: "Planning Craftsman", "Inner Eaves Decoration Craftsman", "Tile Work Craftsman" and "Color Painting Craftsman". In the Luanyiwei exhibition area, a special exhibition on "Stone Works and Protection of Ancient Buildings" was set up. The exhibition is divided into storage stone cultural relics exhibition area, stone cultural relics protection studio and audience rest area.

　　12. Military readiness Hall

　　"Don't forget military equipment because of peace." During the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty, an archery hall appeared in front of the Hall of Ancestral Worship for ancestor worship, and archery with bows and horses became the core of military equipment in the Qing Dynasty.

　　Emperor Kangxi had personally led the princes and the bodyguards who were good at shooting arrows here. During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, it was renamed the Arrow Pavilion. Here, Emperor Qianlong summoned Wu Jinshi, who had the best results in the imperial examination of bows and horses, and personally tested his skills. During the reign of Emperor Jiaqing, the imperial examination of Jinshi was held in Ziguang Pavilion, and the Arrow Pavilion was also opened up as an examination venue for bow and knife stones.

　　13. Opera Museum

　　Changyin Pavilion Opera Museum, located in the Taishang Palace built by Emperor Qianlong for his retirement, is a complete "Grand Theatre" of the Qing Dynasty, consisting of Changyin Pavilion (Theatre Building), Dressing Theatre Building (Backstage) and Reading Theatre Building (Auditorium).

　　Changyin Pavilion, originally designed for major festivals and performances, was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1420). The Changyin Pavilion that people see today was built in the 37th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1772), and was renovated successively in the 7th year of the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1802) and the 17th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1891). It is the only three-story grand stage built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty that has been preserved to this day.

　　The Opera Museum displays a large number of existing opera relics in the Palace Museum, displaying them from the aspects of performing institutions, costumes, scripts, stage, emperors and empresses, and selecting the records of famous actors who entered the palace to restore and play, so that the audience can fully experience the palace opera activities of the Qing Dynasty from the visual and auditory aspects.

　　14. Donation Library

　　The Donation Hall is located in the Palace of Great Benevolence of the East Six Palaces of the Inner Court. Since the Palace Museum received the first batch of private donations of cultural relics in 1939, it has received more than 700 private donations of cultural relics, totaling more than 30,000 pieces, including many national precious cultural relics, so it has set up a special exhibition hall to display them in categories and batches, and engraved the names of donors in the exhibition hall to show respect and gratitude.

　　Collection of treasures

　　-- Gold Chalice of Eternal Stability --

　　Qing Qianlong Gold Inlaid Gold Chalice of Eternal Stability is 12.5 cm high and 8 cm in diameter. Cup gold, tripod style, round, straight mouth. Along the mouth, there is a circle of frets, with the seal character "Jin'ou Yonggu" in the middle of one side and the four-character "Qianlong Year System" on the other side. The outer wall is full of precious flowers, and the stamens are mainly pearls, rubies and sapphires. There is a deformed dragon ear on each side, and there are beads on the dragon head. The three feet are all elephant heads, with slightly smaller ears, long teeth and curled nose, and jewelry inlaid on the top of the forehead and between the eyes.

　　During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, four Gold Chalice of Eternal Stability were made, one in the fourth year of Qianlong, two in the fifth year of Qianlong and one in the second year of Jiaqing. In 1860, Dupin, a colonel of the French army, plundered the Qing Dynasty Qianlong Gold Inlaid Golden Gold Chalice of Eternal Stability (1 gold and 1 bronze gold) from the Old Summer Palace. In 1872, Sir Wallace bought the Qing Qianlong Gold Inlaid Gold Chalice of Eternal Stability (1 gold and 1 bronze) at a London auction.

　　It is now in the collections of the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Palace Museum in Taipei and the Wallace Museum in London.

　　-- Stone Drum --

　　Stone Drum, also known as Chencang Stone Drum, is one of the nine treasures of China and the "Oriental Red" of the Great Qin Empire. It was praised by Kang Youwei as "the first antique in China". It was discovered in Chencang Mountain (now Shigu Mountain, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province) in Chencang, Fengxiang Prefecture in 627.

　　There are ten stone drums, two feet high and more than one foot in diameter. The image of the drum is thin at the top, thick at the bottom and slightly round at the top (actually in the shape of a tablet). Each of the ten stone drums made of granite weighs about one ton. Each stone drum is engraved with a "stone drum inscription" (big seal). Because there are many words about fishing and hunting in the inscription, it is also called "Hunting Tablet". The ten-sided stone drums are the drum, the Che Gong Drum, the Tian Che Drum, the Luan Che Drum, the Yu Drum, the Zuo yuan Drum, the Er Shi Drum, the Ma Jian Drum, the Wu Shui Drum, and the Wu Ren Drum.

　　Stone drum inscriptions record the history of Qin Shihuang before his unification, which is unknown to later generations. They are the earliest stone inscriptions in China and the ancestor of seal script. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, one word is worth ten thousand gold, creating a miracle in the history of Chinese cultural relics.

　　-- Sapphire dragon tattoo furnace --

　　The jade stove with cloud and dragon patterns of the Song Dynasty is 7.9 cm in height and 12.8 cm in caliber. It has a round body, a mouth, no neck, a hanging abdomen, and a ring foot outside. It is symmetrically decorated with animal heads and swallowing ears on both sides, like bronze ware. The belly of the stove is decorated with double hooks and the word "Gong". The ground pattern hides the dragon ascending the cloud. The posture of the walking dragon is that the hind limbs and the tail are supported above the sea waves, the middle limbs are bent back, the forelimbs are suspended in the air, the thin neck is bent, the head of the dragon looks forward, and the long tail is draped back, which is between the walking dragon and the coiled dragon.

　　A seven-character poem inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty is engraved on the inner bottom of this furnace: "When did the temple vessels praise the Heavenly Sutra and carve it as the Four Spirits of the Flying Dragon Hall". Mao Bo Xing Hou different Zhou system, Zu Ding Fu Gui like Shang shape. "I still read the sea of mulberry, but it's a pity that when I meet Bingding, the earthy suet Xu is changing, and only the clouds and water are light and green." At the end of the book, "Qianlong Wuxu Mengqiu Imperial Inscription".

　　Sapphire dragon tattoo furnace is the representative work of the Palace Museum jade, and also the model of antique jade in Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, under the influence of Neo-Confucianism's thought of "investigating things to gain knowledge", the appreciation of literary play became fashionable, and the study of bronze wares in Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties was quite fruitful, so in the Song Dynasty, jade wares imitating ancient bronze wares appeared, that is, antique jade wares.

　　-- Cloisonne enamel furnace branch lotus patterns around the elephant --

　　In the yuan Dynasty, it is 13.9 cm in height, 16 cm in caliber and 13.5 cm in foot diameter. Old Collection of Qing Palace. Furnace copper body, round, bulging belly, like the head of the nose and ears, ring feet. The neck of the stove is decorated with 12 yellow, white, red and purple chrysanthemums. The abdomen is covered with sapphire blue glaze, decorated with six lotus flowers twined with red, white and yellow silk enamel. It is decorated with a circle of lotus petals.

　　The enamel of this ware is lustrous, some parts of the enamel are transparent like glass, the enamel color is rich and harmonious, rich and elegant, which is a high-level enamel work of the yuan Dynasty. Only its copper gallbladder, elephant ear and ring foot are matched later.

　　-- Along the River During the Qingming Festival --

　　"Along the River During the Qingming Festival", written by Zhang Zeduan in the Northern Song Dynasty, is 24.8 cm in length and 528 cm in width. It is one of the ten famous paintings handed down from generation to generation in China.

　　This painting depicts the prosperous and lively scene of Bianjing (now Kaifeng, Henan Province), the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, during the Qingming Festival. The picture is rich and vivid in content. It summarizes the detailed image of the metropolis's commerce, handicraft industry, folk customs and architecture in the heyday of the Northern Song Dynasty in the 12th century. It has important artistic and historical value.

　　"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" is in the form of a long scroll, using the bird's-eye view panoramic composition method. In the five-meter-long scroll, it draws a large number of various characters, cattle, mules, donkeys and other livestock, cars, sedan chairs, large and small boats and other means of transportation. The picture is long but not redundant, complex but not disorderly, tight and compact, such as at one go.

　　-- Thousand miles of mountains and rivers --

　　Thousand miles of mountains and rivers, written by Wang Ximeng in the Northern Song Dynasty, is 51.5 cm in length and 1191.5 cm in width. Wang Ximeng (AD 1096 —?) A student of the Northern Song Dynasty Painting Academy, he was personally instructed by Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. He was talented and precocious in painting. When he was 18 years old, he spent half a year painstakingly completing Thousand miles of mountains and rivers, and soon died.

　　Thousand miles of mountains and rivers is a long scroll of green landscape painting created by a whole silk, with grand spirit, rigorous composition, fine depiction and gorgeous color, which fully demonstrates the style of Chinese landscape painting. Painters are ingenious in layout, making it "interesting for thousands of miles".

　　This painting uses fine brushwork, which can not only grasp the ups and downs of landscape scenery, but also depict each part in detail. The picture is rich, dignified and harmonious. Commenting on the painting, the people of the yuan Dynasty said, "The bright colors and magnificent layout made Wang Jinqing and Zhao Qianli short of breath when they saw it.". In the small scene of ancient and modern painting, you can walk alone for thousands of years, which is the lonely moon ear of the stars.

　　-- Five Oxen --

　　The author Han Wei (723-787), whose courtesy name was Taichong, served successively as the prime minister and the military governor of Zhejiang and Zhejiang during the reign of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, and was granted the title of Duke of Jin. He was a landlord politician who supported unification and opposed separatism. He is good at painting figures and animals, describing cattle, sheep, donkeys and other animals with vivid expressions, especially cattle. The cattle he painted are vivid and vivid, with a vigorous and simple style. It is famous for its family customs and cattle and sheep.

　　"Five Oxen" is 20.8 cm in length and 139.8 cm in width. Five Oxen with different expressions, personalities and ages are drawn on the horizontal scroll. From right to left, the first is an old brown cow, depicted as biting and itching beside the miscellaneous trees, with a leisurely mood; the second is a black and white mixed flower cow, with a strong body, wagging its head and tail, and a steady walk; the third is a dark ochre old cow, with bony bones, standing and singing, white mouth and white eyebrows, and an old age; the fourth is a yellow cattle, with a tall body, towering horns, and looking back; The fifth ox, standing on its head, has a rich body, a thoughtful concentration, and a stubborn personality in its eyes.

　　According to the inscriptions and postscripts on the picture scroll of Five Oxen, it can be seen that it once flowed into Neifu in the Southern Song Dynasty, was collected by Zhao Boang, Zhao Mengfu and Prince yuan in the yuan Dynasty, and was collected by Xiang yuanbian in the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, it was collected in Wang's Qiushi Zhai in Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province. Jin Nong twice watched Five Oxen, the last time in December of the 11th year of Qianlong (1746). Since then, Wu Niu Tu has flowed into the Qing Palace.

　　Qianlong's poem in the painting reads: "Between one ox and four oxen, the scene is grand and the feelings are high in the imagination; licking only the song of praise, it is necessary to know the difficulties of the people because of asking for breathing.". At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the painting was transferred to Yingtai in Zhongnanhai for preservation. In 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces looted Forbidden City, and the painting was taken out of the country and never heard from again. "Five Oxen" was bought by Hong Kong entrepreneur Wu Yisun after several rounds. Later, Premier Zhou gave instructions to the Ministry of Culture to welcome the famous paintings back to the motherland with HK 000.

　　-- Ping Fu Tie --

　　Ping Fu Tie, 23.7 cm in length and 20.6 cm in width, is a calligraphy work of Lu Ji in the Western Jin Dynasty. It is named for the words "fear of being difficult to recover" in the full text. It was written more than 1700 years ago, and it is the earliest and authentic Fatie of the Western Jin Dynasty, and has the reputation of "the ancestor of Fatie".

　　"Ping Fu Tie" is actually a letter written by Lu Ji to greet his friend about his illness. It is written on hemp paper with a bald pen, with a total of 9 lines and 86 characters. Its font is cursive official script, the ink is slightly green, the brushwork is tactful, and the style is plain and plain. Ping Fu Tie has an important position in the history of Chinese calligraphy, and has an important reference value for the study of the changing history of ancient Chinese literature and calligraphy.

　　-- Plum Magpie Picture --

　　Plum Magpie, 104 cm in length and 36 cm in width, is one of the few surviving works of Shen Zifan, a famous silk tapestry craftsman in the Southern Song Dynasty, and is also an outstanding representative work of silk tapestry in the Southern Song Dynasty.

　　Silk tapestry is the most precious variety in traditional silk weaving technology, which takes a long time to make and is inextricably linked with its craftsmanship. In addition to skilled craftsmanship, it also requires a considerable degree of artistic accomplishment in painting and calligraphy, so there is an ancient saying that "one inch of silk tapestry is an inch of gold".

　　The axis of this drawing is woven according to the drawing, with exquisite workmanship. With the small shuttle of fifteen or sixteen kinds of color silk, the ingenious collocation outlines the harmonious picture of color and luster, and well reflects the simple and unsophisticated interest of the original painting, the picture is vivid, beautiful, elegant and amazing. At the bottom of the picture, there are marks such as "Zi Fan System", "Secretary of Prince Guo's Mansion", "Appreciation of Qianlong", "Treasure of Jiaqing Imperial Palace" and "Treasure of Palace of Many Splendors", which show that it occupies an important position in the collection of the Qing Palace.

　　-- "Zhang Chengzao" rhinoceros moire plate --

　　"Zhang Chengzao" rhinoceros moire plate was made by Zhang Cheng, a famous lacquerware master in the late yuan Dynasty. It is 3.3 cm high and 19.2 cm in diameter. It is famous at home and abroad for making red rhinoceros ware, but rhinoceros ware is rare. At present, there are only two pieces of Zhang Cheng's rhinoceros picker in China. Apart from the rhinoceros picker cloud pattern plate collected by the Palace Museum, the other one is the rhinoceros picker cloud pattern lacquer box collected by the Anhui Museum, so it is extremely precious.

　　"Zhang Chengzao" picks the rhinoceros cloud pattern plate wood tire black lacquer, inside and outside all carves the cloud pattern, carves the work to be mellow. Utensil pile lacquer is very thick, dark shiny, light inside, in the dark deep knife edge section exposed four red lacquer, is the so-called "black red line" in the "Xiu Shi Lu". Near the edge of the foot, there is a needle drawing "Zhang Chengzao", which is Zhang Cheng's usual method of signing. The cloud pattern plate shows that Zhang Cheng is not only a master of picking red, but also a master of picking rhinoceros, which provides a reliable and exquisite example for the study of the technology of picking rhinoceros in yuan Dynasty.

　　-- Blue and white hand-pressing cup --

　　Ming Yongle Blue and White Pressing Cup (flower heart), height 4.9 cm, caliber 9.2 cm, foot diameter 3.9 cm. The body of the cup is like a small bowl, the mouth is slightly skimmed, the waist is bent, the bottom is plump, and the foot is circled. Both inside and outside are painted with blue and white patterns. There is a sunflower in the heart of the cup, and the heart of the flower is the four-character style of the blue and white seal character "Yongle Year System". Plum blossoms are painted under the mouth of the outer wall, and lotus patterns are painted on the abdomen.

　　The hand-pressing cup is a new type of porcelain cup created by Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Factory during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. This cup is exquisitely made, simple and honest in shape, and deep and green in blue and white. Hand-pressing cup is characterized by thick body, center of gravity in the lower part of the cup, slightly outward mouth edge, when holding the cup, it is pressing on the tiger's mouth of the hand, giving people a heavy feeling of pressing the hand, so it is called "hand-pressing cup".

　　-- All kinds of glazed vases --

　　The large glazed vase of Qing Qianlong is 86.4 cm in height, 27.4 cm in caliber and 33 cm in foot diameter. Bottle washing mouth, long neck, long round belly, ring feet outside. An ear is placed on each side of the neck. There are as many as fifteen layers of glaze and color decorated from top to bottom.

　　The overglaze decoration techniques used are gold color, enamel color, famille rose, etc.; underglaze decoration varieties are blue and white; and the combination of overglaze color and underglaze color is Doucai. The types of glaze used are imitation Ge glaze, turquoise green glaze, kiln change glaze, powder green glaze, blue glaze, imitation Ru glaze, imitation official glaze, sauce glaze and so on.

　　The theme is decorated on the belly of the vase, with auspicious patterns of blue glaze painted with gold and famille rose. There are twelve openings, six of which are realistic pictures, namely "Sanyang Kaitai", "Jiqing Youyu", "Danfeng Chaoyang", "Taiping Youxiang", "Xianshan Qiongge" and "Bogu Jiuding". The other six pieces are the characters of "Wan", "bat", "Ruyi", "Panyi", "Ganoderma lucidum" and "flowers", which respectively imply "Wan", "Fu", "Ruyi", "exorcism", "longevity" and "wealth". Turquoise green glaze is applied to the inside of the vase and the foot of the ring, and the blue and white seal script "the year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty" is written in the center of the outer bottom.

　　From the point of view of firing technology, blue and white glaze and imitation official glaze, imitation Ru glaze, imitation Ge glaze, kiln change glaze, powder green glaze, blue glaze and so on belong to high temperature glaze and color, which need to be fired first. Famille rose, enamel, gold and turquoise green glazes are all low-temperature glazes, which need to be baked later. Such a complex process can only be successfully completed under the condition of fully mastering the performance of various glazes and colors.

　　This large vase with various glazes and colors, which integrates various high temperature and low temperature glazes and colors, is known as the "mother of porcelain", which embodies the superb skills of porcelain making at that time, and is the only one handed down from generation to generation, which is precious.

　　-- Lang Kiln red glaze through straight mouth vase --

　　Lang Kiln red glaze bottle with straight mouth, Kangxi, Qing Dynasty, 20.8 cm high, 6.1 cm in diameter, 9.1 cm in foot diameter. The bottle has a straight mouth, a long neck, a hanging abdomen, and a ring foot. The whole body of the ware is coated with red glaze, because the enamel flows down when fired at high temperature, the white body is exposed at the mouth, the red glaze at the bottom is condensed, and the glaze color is strong.

　　The outer sole is glazed with white glaze and engraved with a poem made by Emperor Qianlong: "The halo is as red as the rosy clouds after the rain, and the fire is also slightly roasted.". The cinnabar in the world is not imitated, and the precious stones in the West are not the same. Flower arrangement should make the flower shy, which is more empty than turning over the painting. Shu Dian Xuan Kiln is the most ancient, but who knows that Huang Hu's virtue is especially respected. Emperor Qianlong's Second Emperor Zhong Chunyue's Imperial Inscription. This shows that Emperor Qianlong loved and respected the red porcelain of Lang Kiln.

　　There is a rectangular perforation on each side of the outer wall of the foot, which can be worn with a rope. Ming Gaolian "Zun Sheng Ba Jian" in the record: "Therefore the official elder brother ancient vase, under has two square eyes, for wears the leather strip, ties in several feet, does not make the loss." The tying belt on the container is a traditional method for lifting objects without beams, ties and wrenches, which is easy to disassemble and very practical, and can also fix the objects in the placement position without being damaged.

　　-- Yafangzun --

　　It is 45.5 cm high, 38 cm wide, 33.6 X 33.4 cm in diameter and weighs 21.5 kg. The statue is square, with a mouth, an elephant head at each corner of the shoulder, an animal head between the elephant heads, and eight ridges on the neck, abdomen and feet. The animal face pattern and the Kui pattern are the main decorative patterns, with the thunder pattern as the ground. The inscription cast on the inner side of the mouth is 2 lines and 9 characters: Ya (Yin) Zhe (Yin Si) respects Yi with Da Zi. The main idea of the inscription: The treasures of the subclans offering sacrifices to the queens and princes.

　　This piece of Fang Zun is different from the late Shang Dynasty, and "Yaya" was the name of a clan at that time. Shang Ya Fang Zun is a representative of the Shang Dynasty Qing Mace ritual combination, which is the most intact one in China in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. There is an identical pair of Fang Zun, and the other one has serious foot damage. It is now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

　　-- Black Lacquer Painted Pavilion Fairy Birthday Bell --

　　Black lacquer painted pavilion immortal birthday clock, 185 cm high, 102 cm wide, 70 cm wide side, is a palace clock in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. The Palace Museum has a large collection of sophisticated self-ringing clocks, and this clock is one of the best. The clock has seven sets of mechanical systems, which control the travel time, the time and the movable devices in the scene box respectively. It has a very high technical level and took more than five years to complete the design and manufacture.

　　Black lacquer painted pavilions and immortals birthday bells are two-storey pavilions with wooden bodies and black lacquer paintings. In the center of the first floor is a double-hand clock, with yellow enamel on the dial with the words "Qianlong Year System". The left and right sides of the clock plate are changing scenery boxes, and the themes of the performances are "Haiwu Tianchou" and "Qunxian Birthday Celebration". There are three rooms on the second floor, each of which has a timekeeper. This clock is simple and elegant, with exquisite craftsmanship, reflecting the high professional level of Western watchmakers and mechanics in the Qing Dynasty.

　　-- Sitting statue of Avalokitesvara with white glaze in Dehua Kiln --

　　The white glazed statue of Guanyin in Dehua Kiln of the Ming Dynasty is 28 centimeters high and 13.3 centimeters in diameter. Guanyin lowers her head and eyes, her face is long and round, full and rich, and her expression is kind, as if overlooking all living beings in the world. His hair is in a high bun, with a Ruyi-shaped headdress in the middle, a hood on his head, a long scarf on his body, and a Ruyi-shaped pearl pendant on his chest. His hands were hidden under his clothes, one foot was half exposed and the other was bent. Its natural clothing patterns reveal the body shape of Guanyin through the flowing pleats. For example, the whole body is white glazed, hollow, and the back is stamped with the three-character gourd-shaped seal of "He Chaozong".

　　The white porcelain of Dehua kiln in the Ming Dynasty pursued the perfect jade texture and developed a school of its own in the porcelain altar. This statue was created by He Chaozong, a master of Dehua porcelain sculpture art in the Ming Dynasty, and its technological achievements represent the superb level of Dehua kiln, which is a classic work of He Chaozong's handed down statues.

　　-- Qingyu Dayu Water Control Map Shanzi --

　　Qingyu Dayu Water Control Map Shanzi, Qianlong, Qing Dynasty, 224 cm high, 96 cm wide, 60 cm high, weighing 5000 kg. Yushan is made of dense and hard sapphire from Mileta Mountain in Hetian, Xinjiang, China.

　　The jade is carved into steep mountains, waterfalls and Rapids, ancient trees and pines all over the mountains, and deep caves. On the cliff, groups of laborers are cutting through the mountains to control the flood. This scene is the story of Xia Yu's flood control. The stone in the middle of the front of Yushan Mountain is engraved with the cross seal of Emperor Qianlong's Yin seal script "Five Blessings and Five Generations Hall". The upper part of the back of Yushan Mountain is engraved with the imperial poem of Emperor Qianlong "Inscribing the Jade Dayu Water Control Picture of Mileta Mountain", and the lower part is engraved with the six-character seal of the seal script "The Treasure of Eight Expeditions". The base of Jade Mountain is a brown copper casting base inlaid with gold thread.

　　This jade mountain was carved and chiseled by Yangzhou craftsmen under the jurisdiction of Lianghuai Salt Administration at that time. After large pieces of jade were transported to Beijing from Mileta Mountain in Hetian, Xinjiang, Emperor Qianlong ordered that the scroll of the Song Dynasty's "Dayu Water Control Picture" collected in Neifu should be used as a manuscript, and the paper pattern of Dayu Water Control should be drawn by the Qing Palace Building Office. Jia Quan, a painter, painted it on the jade, and then made it into a wooden pattern and sent it to Yangzhou for carving.

　　The jade was sent to Yangzhou in the 46th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1781) and was carved in Yushan in the 52nd year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1787), which took six years. In the 53rd year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1788), Emperor Qianlong ordered Zhu Tai, a jade engraver in the Ruyi Museum of the Palace Building Office, to engrave the imperial poems of Emperor Qianlong and the two seals on the Jade Mountain. It was finally ordered by Emperor Qianlong and placed in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity of Ningshou Palace, which has a history of more than 200 years.

　　-- Twenty-five Seals --

　　Twenty-five Treasure Seals is the general name of twenty-five imperial national treasures designated by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty to represent the state power. Before the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the exact number of imperial treasures was generally not specified. In the early years of the reign of Emperor Qianlong, there were as many as 29 kinds and 39 kinds of seals, which could be called the imperial treasures of the country. Because the records in the relevant documents were untrue, their uses were unclear, and there were many misunderstandings, resulting in confusion.

　　In response to this situation, in the eleventh year of Qianlong (1746), Emperor Qianlong re-examined the ranking of the imperial treasures of the previous emperors, set the total number of them as 25, and specified their respective scope of use in detail. The twenty-five imperial treasures are: the Treasure of the Qing Dynasty, the Treasure of the Emperor, the The treasure of the world, the treasure of punishing the people, the treasure of controlling the six divisions, the treasure of correcting all nations, the treasure of correcting all people, and the treasure of Guangyun.

　　The rearranged twenty-five treasures have their own uses, and together they represent all aspects of the emperor's exercise of the supreme power of the state. Twenty-five Treasure Seals are usually hidden in the treasures of Forbidden City Hall of Union, one for each treasure. The treasure is twofold, both made of wood and exquisitely made. The treasure is placed on a wooden table, covered with a yellow satin cover embroidered with dragon patterns, and arranged behind and on both sides of the throne. Twenty-five seals are made of silver-plated gold, jade and sandalwood, and the seals are made of dragon, coiled dragon and squatting dragon. They are exquisitely carved and are also cultural relics of important historical value.