Dazheng Hall
Octagonal, with the Ten Princes' Pavilions.
Techyan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · Krastek — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. — CC0 · Gary Todd — CC0
The first imperial palace of the Qing dynasty before it moved to Beijing; Nurhaci, founder of the Later Jin state, began it in 1625, his successor Hong Taiji added many buildings, the early Qing rulers lived here until 1644, and it then became a regional palace where emperors stayed on their visits; UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 2004 together with Beijing's Forbidden City. The palace covers some 60,000 square metres, with more than 300 buildings around 20 courtyards, laid out like the Forbidden City with touches of Manchu architecture. The east section holds the octagonal Dazheng Hall, roofed in yellow tiles trimmed in green, flanked by the Ten Princes' Pavilions for the leaders of the Eight Banners; the middle section has Chongzheng Hall, where the ruler held court, the Fenghuang Building on a four-metre brick platform for banquets, and living quarters with Manchu-style heated platforms and a chimney at the back; the west section, with the Wensu Pavilion library and a stage, was added under the Qianlong Emperor. Tickets cost CNY 50, and the palace is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 4.15 pm, closed on Mondays except public holidays, per visitor guides. Next door runs Zhongjie, the city's oldest shopping street.
Octagonal, with the Ten Princes' Pavilions.
On its raised platform.
With their stoves and chimney.
Shenyang Road, Shenhe District, central Shenyang
Mukden Palace is smaller and earlier in the Qing story, built before the dynasty moved to Beijing in 1644, and it shows Manchu touches such as the octagonal Dazheng Hall and heated platforms; the two share one World Heritage listing.
North-eastern Chinese cooking relies heavily on pork, but the city has restaurants run by Hui Muslims under the halal sign, so look for one before ordering.
