Hall of the Supreme Principle
Hall of the Supreme Principle (simplified Chinese: 太极殿; traditional Chinese: 太極殿; pinyin: Tàijí Diàn) is one of the Six Western Palaces in the inner court of the Forbidden City.[1] The palace is west of the Palace of Eternal Longevity, north of the Palace of Eternal Spring, and south of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
History[edit]
It was built in 1420 and named "Palace of Endless Good Omens" (启祥宫; Qǐxiáng Gōng) by the Jiajing Emperor in 1535, then renamed the "Hall of Supreme Principle" in 1741. In 1860, it was connected with Palace of Eternal Spring by converting its back hall, Tiyuan Hall, into an opera stage with veranda, where Empress Dowager Cixi could watch performances.
The Hall of the Supreme Principle has five rooms, two side halls, and a back hall. The Qixiang Gate is equipped with a wooden screen, believed to protect the house from mischievous spirits. The main hall has a gabled roof covered with yellow glazed tiles like most palaces in Forbidden City.[2] The beams are decorated with Suzhou style paintings, golden dragons, and phoenixes. The walls are intricately decorated with medallions of phoenixes sitting on the mountain, atypically for other palaces.
Residents[edit]
Ming dynasty[edit]
| Year | Emperor | Imperial consort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1476–1522 | Chenghua | Empress Xiaohui | She became Empress Dowager Shou'an,[3] but didn't receive her own residence |
| 1590 | Wanli | It became the his temporal residence after the three main palaces of the Inner Court burnt down | |
| 1640–1642 | Chongzhen | Imperial Noble Consort Gongshu | She moved from the Palace of Heavenly Grace[4] |
Qing dynasty[edit]
| Year | Emperor | Imperial consort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861–1874 | Xianfeng | Empress Dowager Cixi | She also lived in the Palace of Eternal Spring as regent for the Tongzhi Emperor |
| 1872–1924 | Tongzhi | Imperial Noble Consort Xianzhe | She followed Puyi when he was forced to leave the Forbidden City |
| 1908–1913 | Guangxu | Empress Dowager Longyu | She moved out from the Palace of Accumulated Purity[5] |
Gallery[edit]
-
A screen in the Hall of the Supreme Principle
References[edit]
- ^ 魏/Wei, 莉/Li (2004). 从北京故宫到避暑山庄/"A review of the Forbidden city in Peking". 山东画报出版社/Shandong Typography. p. 42.
- ^ "清朝宫廷陈设欣赏,明清古典家具,红木家具,家具历史,家具文化_历史传承_中华古典家具网". www.cfucn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
- ^ "香艷叢書"十六集卷四 /"The stories of Beauties", book 16, volume 4.
- ^ "田贵妃犯了大忌-生活日报数字报". paper.dzwww.com. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
- ^ "Hall of the Supreme Principle (Taiji dian)|The Palace Museum". en.dpm.org.cn. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
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