Shenyang 沈阳市 - Shenyang Imperial Palace 沈阳故宫

Shenyang Imperial Palace, the only integrated royal architectural complex in China besides the Forbidden City in Beijing, is displaying royal life—the so-called “Parade of Royal Protocols”---to tourists. Built in 1625 and covering an area of 67,000 square meters, the Shenyang Imperial Palace was the palace used by the Nürhachi (1559-1626), founder of Later Jin and predecessor of the Qing Dynasty and Huang Taiji (1592-1643). In 1644, the Qing ruler Shunzhi built the Qing capital in Beijing and Shenyang was named the “accompanying capital.”

Based on the recorded history of the Qing court, the show reenacts royal protocol between the emperor and his ministers, the emperor and his daughters and the emperor and his people. The royal protocols selected can best express the dignified royal family and their lives to replay the history and customs of Shenyang for more than 360 years. In the performance, history of the Qing Dynasty combines with some interesting episodes, including the wedding ceremony of the princess. Since its debut in 1998, more than one million people have appreciated the show, which has won acclaim from Chinese and overseas tourists. It has been designated as a key element to promote the development of the city’s tourism industry. The costumes, the decorations and the performances are well arranged. There are some similarities between the dances of Qing’s royal courts and those of China. The most impressive scene might be the wedding ceremony of Princess Gulun, the third daughter of Huangtaiji. During the Qing Dynasty, the emperor’s daughter was named “Gulun,” which means “country” in Manchu. Most “Gulun” married Mongolian aristocrats as a way to consolidate the relationship between the two ethnic groups.

The Shenyang Imperial Palace has undergone full-scale renovations before it was listed as a World Heritage site. Some historic buildings in the palace had been worn down over the years due to lack of protection, and the surrounding environment was occupied by markets and other inappropriate buildings. The renovation project ran from April to October 2002 and restored the original flavour of the palace by refurbishing the historic buildings and cleaning up the surrounding environment. About 22.7 million yuan (US $ 2.7 million) of World Bank loans was fed into the project. Coloured paintings, glazed-tiles and painted decorations on the buildings had faded over the years and have been refurbished as well. The palace will also improve its service to meet world standards. Multi-functional demonstration halls, electronic guides and touching screens will help tourists learn about the large number of priceless historic treasures in the palace. In addition, about 10,000 square meters of inappropriate buildings such as markets, mansions, office buildings and fire-fighting facilities have been demolished or removed.

Although the Shenyang Place is smaller than the Forbidden City in Beijing, it has unique features and special historical artistic and scientific value. Its architecture mirrors local customs and the blend of local ethnic groups at the time of its construction. From this palace, the visitor can know a lot about the Qing Dynasty at its incipient stage. The palace boosts remarkable achievements in architecture, sculpture and painting, which make it an outstanding cultural treasure.

The Shenyang Imperial Palace, Yongling (former name for Xingjingling, four tombs including Zhao肇, Xing兴, Jing景and Xian显, located in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County位于辽宁新宾满族自治区) Zhaoling (Beiling Tomb) and Fuling Tomb (Dongling Park) were inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2004 by UNESCO。

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