The Forbidden City is rightly one of China's most famous landmarks. However, it is also so well known that even your ancient grandmother has probably heard of it. Here, we've selected a couple of other royal residences that aren't as widely visited but are definitely worth a trip.
Shenyang Imperial Palace
Aside from the Forbidden City, this is the only imperial Chinese palace still extant. Construction was started in 1625 by Nurhaci, the Manchu ruler who set the stage for Qing control of the entire Middle Kingdom by successfully invading Liaoning. It was on the site of today’s Shenyang that Nurhaci began erecting his imperial mansion, as both a symbolic and practical powerbase in the region. Wandering through the quiet alleyways that connect the courtyards, feet crunching on crisp snow, the scene is very reminiscent of the Forbidden City, though the design also contains distinctive Manchu elements, notably in the brickwork. Just like Beijing’s palace, today one can see a variety of museum exhibits inside the numerous halls, including the swords of several Qing rulers, copper cannons and porcelain treasures.
The oldest portion of the palace – dating to Nurhaci’s reign – is found to the east. Dominating the view, the ornate, double-eaved Dazheng Dian (commonly called the Hall of Great Affairs in English) stands at the head of a courtyard. It was in this octagonal building that the early Qing emperors ascended the throne – the intricately decorated chair can still be seen inside.
Flanking this structure are the Ten Kings Pavilions, where important personages would gather to meet the emperor. The architecture and layout are meant to recall tents erected around a central meeting place – an homage to the Jurchen heritage of the Manchu people.
Along the central axis are the extensions built by the second Qing emperor, Hong Taiji, among them the impressive Phoenix Tower, once the tallest thing in Shenyang. The west contains the newest additions, including a striking green edifice that contrasts with the predominantly red-hued walls and once housed a library of sorts.
At around 60,000 square meters, the Mukden Palace (as it is also known) is one-twelfth the size of the Forbidden City. Though the Qing emperors moved to the larger residence after conquering Beijing, early rulers continued to pay regular visits to the former seat of power, honoring the place where almost four centuries of Manchu domination began.
Price: RMB60
While you’re in town: Pay your respects at one of the imperial mausoleums. Zhaoling Tomb (RMB30 November-March, RMB50 April-October), inside Beiling Park, is much easier to reach and houses the remains of Hong Taiji, but Fuling Tomb (RMB30 November-March, RMB40 April-October) honors the big man, Nurhaci. Both date to the mid 1600s.
Chengde Mountain Resort
While the Mukden Palace is dwarfed by the Forbidden City, the Chengde Mountain Resort is much, much larger – 2 square kilometers bigger, in fact, than the extensive Summer Palace. Built as a summer getaway for the royal family when the heat of Beijing became too much, its construction began in 1703 and took an incredible 89 years to complete.
Entering from the front gate, one comes first to the main palace, which exhibits the same quintessential features of imperial Chinese architecture as well as a smattering of relics. It is modest compared to the examples in either Shenyang or Beijing, however, and if you’ve already seen either of those you’ll be far more interested in the vast attached grounds.
A total of 72 scenic spots were identified by successive emperors, but don’t worry about seeing all of them – some no longer exist, others are barely worth registering. That said, there is still an enormous distance to cover, and an entire day spent here is ideal if you want to traverse the whole area.
The park is loosely divided into three parts. Closest to the palace buildings is the lake district, offset by whimsical bridges, restful pavilions and artful rockeries. Amongst the most popular spots here is the beautiful Tower of Mist and Rain, set on its own island and made in imitation of a similar structure in Zhejiang Province. It is one of a number of famous replicas dotted about the Mountain Resort – there’s even a miniature Great Wall framing it all.
Further in, water features give way to yurts and grasslands, where horses were once paraded and raced for the pleasure of the emperor. Forested slopes complete with pagodas round out the attractions. Climb to the top of one of these hills for views of the entire Mountain Resort in all its extravagance.
Price: RMB90 November-March, RMB145 April-October
While you’re in town: Surrounding the resort are the so-called Outlying Temples, a series of eight religious retreats, each displaying a different architectural style. Perhaps most interesting is the Putong Zongcheng Temple (RMB60 November-March, RMB80 April-October), which bears more than a passing resemblance to Tibet’s Potala Palace.
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