中正仁和殿

Zhongzheng Renhe Hall

The Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxi Dian)

During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was used to produce items used by the royal family. After Emperor Yongzheng converted this place into his bedchamber, a total of eight emperors lived and handled government affairs here.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation has a horizontal H-shaped layout, with its front and rear halls connected by a corridor. It was also the first palace in the Forbidden City to be equipped with glass windows.

In the middle of the front hall is Zhongzheng Renhe Hall, where the emperor met ministers to discuss government affairs. In the southwest of the East Warmth Chamber is a large glass window, which is called the "bright window" because of the abundant sunlight. At 0:00 a.m. on the 1st day of the first lunar month each year, the emperor held a ceremony called "opening the pen by the bright window" to write auspicious words and numbers, praying for good luck in the new year. In the late Qing Dynasty, empress dowagers attended to state affairs behind a yellow curtain in the East Warmth Chamber, when Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu were still young.

On the western side is Qinzheng Qinxian Hall, where the emperor read and approved memorials submitted by officials and discussed important affairs with ministers. On the westernmost side are the studies of Emperor Qianlong — the Cabinet of Three Rare Treasures (Sanxi tang) and the Study of Everlasting Spring (Changchun shuwu).

With an area of only four square meters, the Cabinet of Three Rare Treasures was so named because of the three precious calligraphic works collected by Emperor Qianlong here. The rear hall was the emperor's bedroom, and the chambers on both sides were where imperial consorts resided.

As the center of political power since the period of Emperor Yongzheng, the Hall of Mental Cultivation witnessed both the flourishing age of Emperor Qianlong and the dynasty's gradual decline during subsequent reigns.

養心殿外景

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation

養心殿

康熙年間，養心殿曾是專門制作宮廷御用物品之處。雍正皇帝把這里改為寢宮后，共有八位皇帝在此居住和處理政務。

養心殿為工字形建筑，前殿、后殿以穿堂相連，且是紫禁城中第一個裝上玻璃的宮殿。前殿中間為中正仁和殿，用于召見朝臣、議商政務。東暖閣西南部安裝有整片的大玻璃窗，因光線充足敞亮，稱為“明窗”。皇帝每年正月初一零時在此“明窗開筆”，書吉語數字，祈禱一年平順。清晚期“垂簾聽政”即在東暖閣，在同治、光緒帝尚年幼時，政務由坐在黃紗簾后的兩宮皇太后裁決。

西側有皇帝批閱奏折、與大臣密談的勤政親賢殿。最西側則是乾隆皇帝的書房三希堂和長春書屋。三希堂僅4平方米，因乾隆皇帝鐘愛的三幅著名稀世書法作品而得名。后殿是皇帝寢宮，兩側為后妃隨居之所。

養心殿作為雍正以后的政治權力中心，見證了乾隆盛世，也目睹了清的由盛轉衰。