Shenyang Imperial Palace (Mukden Palace)
The imperial palace begun in 1625 after Nurhaci of the Later Jin moved the capital to Shenyang (then named Shengjing) and completed under Hong Taiji; the most complete palace complex surviving in China after the Forbidden City in Beijing, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2004 as an extension of the Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- 08:30-17:30 (Apr-Oct) / 09:00-16:30 (Nov-Mar)
- Ticket
- CNY 50
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
The imperial palace begun in 1625 after Nurhaci of the Later Jin moved the capital to Shenyang (then named Shengjing) and completed under Hong Taiji; the most complete palace complex surviving in China after the Forbidden City in Beijing, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2004 as an extension of the Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The layout is divided into east, central and west axes: on the east axis the Dazheng Hall stands at the center with the Ten Princes' Pavilions splayed in "tent-palace" formation, recreating the grassland arrangement of Eight Banners councils; on the central axis, Chongzheng Hall, Phoenix Tower and Qingning Palace were where Hong Taiji governed and lived—Phoenix Tower was once the tallest building in Shengjing, and "Dawn Sun over Phoenix Tower" ranks among the Eight Scenic Views of Shengjing; Qingning Palace preserves its shamanist ritual shrine and swastika-patterned kang layout, steeped in the atmosphere of Manchu court life.
Getting there: Metro Line 1, Zhongjie Station
Photos
More in Shenyang
- Zhaoling Mausoleum (Beiling Park)
Tomb of Qing Taizong Hong Taiji and Empress Xiaoduanwen, begun in 1643; Shenyang's largest imperial tomb, inscribed on the World Heritage List together with Fuling as an extension project
- Fuling Tomb (Dongling Park)
Tomb of Qing Taizu Nurhaci, begun in 1629, facing the Hun River and backed by Tianzhu Mountain; inscribed on the World Heritage List as an extension project
- Marshal Zhang's Mansion Museum
Official residence and private home of Zhang Zuolin and his son Zhang Xueliang, built from 1914 and popularly known as “Dashuai Fu” (Grand Marshal's Mansion), arguably the stage on which half of Northeast China's modern history unfolded
- Shenyang Finance Museum
A finance-themed museum converted from the former Bianye Bank building, separated from Marshal Zhang's Mansion by just one wall and covered by a combo ticket
- Zhongjie Pedestrian Street
The “First Street of Northeast China” with over 380 years of history, formed alongside the city of Shengjing (old Shenyang) and one of China's earliest commercial streets, converted into a pedestrian street in 1997
- 9.18 Historical Museum
A national-level museum built near the site of the incident; the Broken Calendar stele at the entrance is cast in the shape of a desk calendar for September 18, 1931, its body riddled with bullet marks, freezing in time the explosive night of the Liutiaohu Incident