Gu Gong (Imperial Palace)

Description:

• For those who have visited its predecessor in Beijing, the first and most obvious difference will be size. Shenyang's humble imperial abode covers roughly 60,000 sq. m (645,835 sq. ft.), less than a 10th the area of the Forbidden City. This means you don't have to run a tourist marathon to see all the offerings, nor do you need to devote an entire day to exploration.

  The palace is largely modeled after Beijing's Gu Gong, but architecturally blends intricate Mongolian- and Tibetan-influenced carvings favored by the early Qing. Unfortunately, many of the exhibitions are poorly cared for, such as Zhong Zheng Dian, where emperor Abahai once attended to political affairs. Viewed from afar, the carved oak throne and emperor-yellow cushion have faded under a thick layer of dust into dull wood and a sickly pale color.

  On the northeastern side is the oldest and most impressive structure in the Gu Gong: Da Zheng Hall (Da Zheng Dian) and the surrounding Pavilion of Ten Kings (Shi Wang Ting). The original gate housed to the east of the main entrance is now closed to the public, so visitors will stumble upon this homage to the Manchurian army either from a small door on the west, or from the back. The two pavilions closest to the hall display the offices of the left and right wings, while the remaining eight pavilions display various Qing weaponry and replicas of the armor and the colorful banners (two each of yellow, red, blue, and white) of the eight divisions of the Manchu army. Da Zheng Hall is where Dorgon, Huang Taiji's younger brother and regent to his successor Shunzhi (the first Qing emperor to rule from Beijing), is said to have given the orders to invade China.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010