Palace of Heavenly Purity

The Palace of Heav en ly Pur ity is the largest building in the Inner Court, r ising from a white mar ble ter race and covered by a double -lay ered ro of . The inter ior holds large cer emon ial hall s and chamber s that once served the ruler s ' daily life and st ate affairs .

The palace was built in 14 20 and served as the residence of emperor s until the early Qing period . Later rulers used it mainly for formal receptions and important political meetings .

T he na me tra ns l ate s a s a ref ere nce to the pur ity ex pec ted of rulers in the ir p riv ate liv es , a con cep t deeply ro oted in Con fu cian th ou ght . Walk ing through the in ter ior today, you can see the la rge wooden pil lars and decora ted cei ling s tha t show the car aft sm ansh ip of imper i al workshop s.

The building is open as part of a visit to the For bid den City , with tour s explain ing how each room was used . The best time to visit is late morning , when day light makes the details of the inter ior architecture easy to see .

During the Qing era , the hall temporarily held the coff ins of deceased emperor s before they were moved to the burial grounds . This use turned the building into a space of trans ition between palace life and final rest .