Mukden Palace, Imperial palace in Shenyang, China.
Mukden Palace is a walled palace complex in Shenyang with over 300 buildings and 20 courtyards, divided into East, Middle and West sections. The East Section's Dazheng Hall and Ten Princes' Pavilions were built in 1625; the Middle Section, arranged on a central axis, dates from 1627–1635. Yellow glazed tiles with green borders top red-walled halls on low stone bases.
The palace was built in 1625 under Nurhachi's leadership and served as the home of the first three Qing emperors. It lost its role as the main seat when the court moved to Beijing in 1644.
The design blends Han, Manchu, and Mongolian influences, showing the mixed heritage of the early Qing dynasty. You can see this blend in the decorations, column styles, and how spaces connect.
The complex is open daily and allows visitors to explore the rooms and courtyards at their own pace. Plan several hours to walk through all the sections and see the different areas.
The Wensu Pavilion in the West Section, built in 1781, stored the Wensu edition of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries. Its roof has black glazed tiles with green borders, and the building appears as two storeys outside but has three inside. A stele pavilion southeast of it carries the Qianlong emperor's essay on the library.
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