Palace of Extending Happiness in the Forbidden City

In the early years of Daoguang reign, several insignificant consorts of the Emperor lived here. One of them was Changzai (the seventh imperial consort entitled Being There All the Time) Lin Though her position was very low, she gave birth to Yi Xuan. the seventh prince, who was the father of Emperor Guangxu and grandfather of Emperor Xuantong.

It was said that this Palace was with no blessings and often caught fire without reasons. In 1845, the 25th year of the Daoguang reign, one big fire burned it down to dust. Fengshui practitioners were invited to the Palace and concluded that the bad location of the Palace caused the endless lightening strikes. They suggested not rebuilding the Palace in the same location. Therefore, there was no construction on this site any more during the reigns of Emperor Daoguang and Emperor Xianfeng.

This Palace has become the research centers of ceramics, paintings and calligraphy.

Relevant attractions in the Forbidden City

Palace of Cherishing Essence
Palace of Revering Yang
Palace of Obeying the Heaven
Palace of Eternal Harmony
Palace of Revering Benevolence
Palace of Extending Happiness
Palace of Abstinence