Forbidden City >> Attractions >> Outer East Route
Outer East Route in the Forbidden City
The main spectacles in the Outer East Route in the Forbidden City are the Hall of An-Stral Worship outside the Gate of Prospering Fortune and the Complex of Tranquil Longevity(the Gallery of Treasures). They were the Hall of Benevolent Longevity and the Palace of Singing Phoenix, the residences for Grand Empress Dowagers, Empress Dowagers and Concubine Dowagers in the Ming dynasty .n 1689, Emperor Kangxi built the Palace of Tranqui Longevity on the site for Empress Dowager Xiaohuizhan empress of Shunzhi. In 1772, Emperor Qianlong decided to make his area his residence after retirement (as Super-Sovereign) and rebuilt it in accordance with the traditional layout of “court in the front and residence behind”. Therefore, the architectural class of this palace was greatly raised. It became a city within the Forbidden City.
The Hall of Ancestral Worship, which is the family temple where the Qing emperors paid homage to their ancestors, is outside the Gate of Prospering Fortune if you start from the Square before ie Gate of Heavenly Purity. The Complex of Tranquil Longevity is on the east of the Hall of Ancestral Worship. This Palace Complex is well organized, precisely composed and elegantly arranged. The Hall of Imperial Supremacy is an equivalent of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, residence of the Emperor but it copied the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the architectural form. Behind it is the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, a special place for sacrifice and a copy of the Palace of Earthy Tranquility in the architectural form. The well-known “Screen Wall of Nine Drag-ns” is facing the Gate of Imperial Supremacy. The latter part of the Complex of Tranquil Longevity was de-signed for the leisure of the Super-Sovereign. There are the Gar-den of Tranquil Longevity (the Qianlong Garden), the Tower of Pleasant Sounds and the Building of Buddhist Brilliance.
The Hall of Character Cultivation in the middle route of the Complex was copy of the Hall of Mental Cultivation as the office of the Super-Sovereign. The following Chamber of Joyful Longevity, the Lodge for Cultivating Hannon)and the Pavilion of Revering Goodness were intended as residences for him. However, in reality, he never lived here, but Empress Dowager Cixi in the late Qing dynasty often used the area as a temporary residence. The Complex of Tranquil Longevity still keeps its original look in the Qianlong period (1736-1795) and is now the Gallery of Treasures and Gallery of Stone Drums.
Forbidden City Attractions
East Route
Forbidden City Gates Wall Surrouding Water
Hall Of Mental Cultivation
Imperial Garden
Outer East Route
Square Before Heavenly Purity Gate
Square Before Supreme Harmony Gate
Three Rear Palaces
Unopen Areas
West Route
Wings Of Heavenly Purity Palace
Outer East Route Attractions in the Forbidden City China
Screen Wall of Nine Dragons
Hall of Ancestral Worship
Arrow Pavilion
Hall of Imperial Supremacy and the Palace of TranquiI Longevity
Hall of Character Cultivation
Tower of Pleasant Sounds
Chamber of Joyful Longevity
Well of Concubine Zhen
Qianlong Garden