Palace of Earthly Tranquillity

Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central


This palace was originally the residence of the empress, and in later times became the imperial couple’s bridal chamber (they only spent the first two days of their marriage here) and the centre of operations for the palace harem.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central attractions

1. Hall of Union

0.02 MILES

The middle of the three outer halls, the Hall of Union was the place for the empress to receive greetings from her high-ranking subjects during major…

2. Imperial Garden

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At the northern end of the Forbidden City is the Imperial Garden, where emperors and their consorts could retreat to read, relax, sip tea and stroll among…

3. Palace of Heavenly Purity

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This hall was the principal residence of the emperor in the Ming and early Qing dynasties, where the son of heaven slept and worked. Later in the Qing…

4. Palace of Celestial Favour

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One of the six eastern palaces, this dates from 1420, and was used as a residence of imperial concubines. Today it houses a museum displaying a range of…

5. Palace of Gathered Elegance

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This hall contains interesting photos of the last emperor Puyi, who lived here as a child ruler at the turn of the 20th century. Empress Dowager Cixi also…

6. Palace of Accumulated Purity

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One of the Forbidden City's six eastern palaces, this is notable for being the former residence of the young Xianfeng Emperor, who lived here with his mum.

7. Hall of Imperial Peace

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This attractive double-eaved hall is the only Taoist temple located on the central axis of Beijing.

8. Palace of Eternal Longevity

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One of the six western palaces in the Forbidden City, this was the residence of various empresses and imperial concubines. The Chongzhen Emperor (1628…