Palace in the Area of Palace of Tranquil Longevity (Ningshou gong), a part of the Treasure Gallery in Palace Museum (the Forbidden City) in Beijing.

© lingling7788/Shutterstock


In the northeastern corner of the complex is the Treasure Gallery (or Complete Palace of Peace and Longevity, 宁寿全宫, Níng Shǒu Quán Gōng), a complex that architecturally resembles the Forbidden City in miniature. During the Ming Dynasty, the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines lived here. Today it comprises a number of atmospheric halls, pavilions, gardens and courtyard buildings that hold a collection of fine museums.

Among the many exhibitions, highlights include the beautiful glazed Nine Dragon Screen, one of only three of its type left in China, and the Belvedere of Cheerful Melodies, a three-storey wooden opera house, which was the palace’s largest theatre.

Enter the complex from the south – not far from the Gallery of Clocks; afterwards you'll exit at the northern end of the Forbidden City.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Hall of Imperial Supremacy

0.04 MILES

The main hall of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity (宁寿宫, Níng Shǒu Gōng) built around 1771 for Qing emperor Qianlong's retirement, though he never moved in…

2. Nine Dragon Screen

0.07 MILES

The Nine Dragon Screen, a 5m-tall, 27m-wide spirit wall, is one of three such screens in China. It's a spectacular composition of coiling dragons picked…

3. Hall for Ancestral Worship

0.07 MILES

The hall where emperors worshipped their ancestors (under restoration at time of research). Once held the spirit tablets of deceased Qing emperors.

4. Gallery of Clocks

0.08 MILES

The Gallery of Clocks is one of the unmissable highlights of the Forbidden City. Relocated from the Hall for Ancestral Worship in 2018 (in order that the…

5. Belvedere of Cheerful Melodies

0.09 MILES

This three-storey wooden opera house, built in 1776, was the Forbidden City’s largest theatre. Note the trap doors that allowed actors to make dramatic…

6. Hall of Spiritual Cultivation

0.1 MILES

Built in 1776, the Hall of Spiritual Cultivation was intended to be used for Qing emperor Qianlong's retirement. He never moved in, although he did throw…

7. Palace of Prolonging Happiness

0.11 MILES

The most unique of the Forbidden City's six eastern palaces, the Palace of Prolonging Happiness features an unfinished 20th-century Western-style building…

8. Palace of Eternal Harmony

0.13 MILES

Built in 1420, this palace has been the residence of numerous empresses, imperial concubines and consorts. It's one of the six eastern palaces in the…