Palace of Concentrated Beauty in the Forbidden City

In the Ming dynasty, the Palace of Concentrated Beauty in the Forbidden City was an ordinary palace. It became very famous in the late Qing dyn7nasty as the place of origin of Empress Dowager Cixi. Cixi, neeYehenala and pet named Lan’er (Orchid), was a concubine of’ Emperor Xianfeng (r. 1851-1861). She came from the 0rdered Blue Banner (a political and military organization of Manchu) and was raised to Bordered Yellow Banner after becoming Empress Dowager. In February 1852, 18-year-old L Lan’er entered the Palace and was conferred with the title of “Honorable Person Orchid”. Her first residence in the Imperial Palace was the Palace of Concentrated Beauty, and it was in this Palace that she gave birth to her son and the only son of Lmperor Xianfeng, Zaichun. After Emperor Xianfeng died, her six-year-old son became Emperor Tongzheng (r. 1862-1874) and she became Empress Dowager Cixi. She began holding court behind a curtain together with Emperor Xianfeng’s empress, Empress Dowager Ci’an and ruled over China for 48 years.

In the tenth year of the Guangxu reign (1884), the Qing court spent 630,000 taes of silver to renovate the Palace of Concentrated Beauty, in order to celebrate the 50th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. The Palace became the most luxuryus palace in the Inner Court, the walls of whose corridors are inlaid with blue lass swastikas and inscribed with Odes to Longevity presented by officials.

The Lodge of Beautiful Landscape behind the Palace is now the exhibition gallery showing the life of Puyi.

Relevant attractions in the Forbidden City

Palace of Concentrated Beauty
Hall of Manifesting Harmony
Palace of Assisting the Earth
Palace of Everlasting Spring
Hall of Ultimate Supremacy
Palace of Eternal Longevity
Palace of Universal Happiness