Palace of Earthly Tranquility

I am the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the northernmost of the three main halls in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City, first built in 1420, the 18th year of the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty. My name comes from the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, meaning 'the earth is tranquil. ' During the Ming dynasty, I served as the residence of the empress. But in 1644, when Li Zicheng's rebel army entered Beijing, Empress Zhou of the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide here, casting a tragic shadow over my history. In the 12th year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing dynasty, I was rebuilt after the model of Qingning Palace in Shengjing, becoming a major site for Shamanist worship, yet my status as the central palace remained unchanged. Emperors Kangxi, Tongzhi, Guangxu, and Puyi all held their weddings here, spending their wedding nights in the Eastern Warm Chamber. Since 1959, my interior has been preserved as an original display, showcasing scenes of imperial weddings and Shamanist rituals. I am the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, having witnessed the joy of imperial unions and the smoke of sacrifices, quietly telling a six-hundred-year story within the Forbidden City.