Shen Yang in Manchuria...
Strong echoes of the Forbidden City exist in the design of the walled Imperial Palace, dating from 1625, although it’s mainly Manchu in concept. The palace is smaller than its counterpart in Beijing, but it was here that the Qing Dynasty was inaugurated before going on to consume the rest of China.
The Imperial Palace in Shen Yang was constructed during the reign of Nu’erhachi (Emperor Taizu of the Qing Dynasty) and Huangtaiji (Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty) before the Qing troops entered Shanhaiguan Pass. After the Qing ruled the whole China, it also served as the imperial palace in the alternate capital as well as a temporary residence for the Qing emperors who visited the northeastern region. As one of the two existing architectural groups of ancient imperial palaces in China, the Imperial Palace in Shen Yang is world renowned for its unique characteristics of the Manchu Nationality.
The Imperial Palace was the founding base of the Qing Dynasty. In 1616, Nu’erhachi, the chieftain of a Nuzhen tribe in Jianzhou in the Ming Dynasty, unified all Nuzhen tribes, declared himself a Khan after establishing a kingdom in Hetu’ala in the territory of today’s Xinbin in Liaoning Province, and established the late Jin local regime. In 1621, the regime advanced into Liaoshen region. In 1625, it moved its capital city from Liaoyang to Shen Yang, and began to construct the Imperial Palace. After Huangtaiji inherited the throne of Khan in 1626, he continued the construction of the palace. In 1636, he formally ascended the throne in this palace, and changed the name of the kingdom into Da Qing (the Great King).
After the Qing regime moved its capital to Beijing in 1644, it preserved and continued to expand the Imperial Palace. During 1671-1829, the Qing emperors who visited the northeastern region and offered sacrifice to the tombs of their ancestors, including Kangxi, Qianlong, Jiaqing and Daoguang, all stayed in the palace, where they held celebrations and sacrifice ceremonies.
The Imperial Palace occupies an area of 60,000m2, and has 114 historic buildings. The eastern section consists of Dazheng Hall and Shiwang Pavilion, constructed during the reign of Nu’erhachi. The Middle section consists of the main buildings constructed during the reign of Huangtaiji, including Daqing Gate, Chongzheng Hall, Fenghuang (Phoenix) Pavilion and Qingning Palace; and on both sides of the main buildings stands the temporary palace and the Royal Ancestral Temple, constructed during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. The western section consists of Wensu Pavilion and the Opera Platform built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.
The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shen Yang used to be a forbidden area. It was opened to the public in 1926, and was included into the first batch of key national cultural relic protection units in 1961. In 2004, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List.