Palace for Gathered Elegance, Palace in Forbidden City, Beijing, China
The Palace for Gathered Elegance is a five-room building in the Forbidden City of Beijing, decorated with mountain-style roofs and wooden doors featuring character patterns and bat motifs. The western section contains heated chambers with glass partitions set in carved wood frames, while the central hall holds a throne platform with a five-panel rosewood screen.
The palace received a major renovation in 1884 to celebrate the fiftieth birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. The work cost 630,000 silver taels and transformed the interior furnishings.
The palace name refers to the gathering of good qualities and reflects the Confucian ideals cultivated at the imperial court. Visitors today see the elaborate rosewood furniture and carved screens that show how imperial chambers were arranged for both official and private purposes.
The glass partitions allow visitors to view the arrangement of private sleeping quarters without touching the furniture up close. The western wing shows the heating systems that provided warmth during the winter months.
Two ancient cypress trees stand in the courtyard as witnesses to the imperial era. Copper dragon and deer statues with plum blossoms complement the plantings and symbolize longevity and fortune.
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