Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum Collection of Fine Art Treasures - Painting Volume (Part 1)

Author: Wu Bin / Li Yingjian (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: This book, "Essentials of the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum Collection (Volume 1: Paintings)," divides the Shenyang Imperial Palace architecture into three routes: Eastern, Central, and Western. It began construction in the 10th year of the Tianming era of Later Jin (1625) and was largely completed by the 2nd year of the Chongde era of the Qing Dynasty (1637), establishing the initial scale of the palace complex. After the Qing Dynasty took control of the Central Plains, the Eastern and Western palaces, Shengjing (Grand Temple of Shengjing), and Jiyintang (Hall of Auspicious Shade) and Wen Susu (Hall of Literary Pursuits) in the Western route were gradually added between the 11th and 48th years of the Qianlong era (1746–1783), forming the overall layout of the existing ancient architectural complex of Shenyang Imperial Palace. To this day, there are 114 ancient buildings remaining within the palace, covering an area of 60,000 square meters. In 1926, a museum was established on the ruins of Shengjing Palace; in 1961, it was designated as a national-level protected cultural relic site by the State Council; and in 2004, it was listed as a World Heritage Site.
Shenyang Imperial Palace was personally built by Nurhaci and Hong Taiji, the two founding emperors of the Qing Dynasty. To this day, the palace still houses a number of heirlooms from the Later Jin and early Qing periods, each piece reflecting the arduous years of the "martial emperor" who fought countless battles and bled in battle during the early stages of the dynasty's founding. During the Later Jin period before the official establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the Jurchen people were still in the process of formation and expansion, with their social system transitioning from a military-democratic slave system to an early feudal system. The Jurchens were also gradually shifting from a hunting lifestyle to agricultural economy, with armed conflict and warfare being the dominant theme of their lives. As a result, the historical palace artifacts preserved in Shenyang Imperial Palace from this period are mostly personal weapons used by the emperor, such as the "Dragon and Tiger General Sword of Emperor Taizu Nurhaci of the Qing," the "Sword Used by Emperor Shunzhi Hong Taiji of the Qing," and the "Horn Bow and Signal Arrow Used by Emperor Shunzhi Hong Taiji of the Qing."