Mukden Palace (Chinese: 盛京宮殿) also known as Shenyang Imperial Palace (瀋陽故宮), which is located at the center of Shenyang (瀋陽), Liaoning (遼寧) Province, China. The palace has been converted to a museum after the collapse of the Qing empire.
The layout of Dazheng Hall (大政殿) and Shiwang Pavilion (十王亭) constitute a complete group of buildings in the East Section.
Dazheng Hall (大政殿) built in the Nurhachi (努爾哈赤) period, which was founded in 1625 and is the place where the emperor held the ‘Great Ceremony’.
Mukden Palace fully combines the integration of the architectural features of Han (漢), Manchu and Mongolian ethnic minorities.
The Mukden Palace covers an area of around 60,000 square meters, with over 300 buildings and 20 courtyards.
Qingning Palace (清寧宫) was built from 1627 to 1635, it was the living palace of Emperor Hong Taiji (皇太極).
After the Qing (清) dynasty replaced the Ming (明) dynasty in 1644 in Beijing, the Mukden Palace lost its status as the official residence of the Qing emperor, it became a regional palace instead.
There are other living palaces for the other consorts of Hong Taiji, but they almost look the same.
Only Yongfu Palace (永福宮) is special, since it was the living palace of Empress Dowager Zhaosheng (孝莊太后), she was the mother of the Shunzhi (順治) Emperor, and the grandmother of the Kangxi (康熙) Emperor.
