Hall of the Supreme Principle
# Hall of the Supreme Principle

Hall of the Supreme Principle (pinyin: Tàijí Diàn) is one of the Six Western Palaces of the Forbidden City, which used to be the residences of imperial concubines. The palace is west of the Palace of Eternal Longevity, north of the Palace of Eternal Spring, and south of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. They are all found in Beijing, China.

## History

The palace was built in 1420 and named "Palace of Endless Good Omens" (Chinese: 启祥宫; pinyin: Qǐxiáng Gōng) by the Jiajing Emperor in 1535. The palace was renamed as "Hall of Supreme Principle" in 1741. In 1860, Taiji hall was connected with Changchun Palace by converting its rear, Tiyuan hall, into an Opera stage with veranda, where Empress Dowager Cixi could watch Peking opera performances.

The Hall of the Supreme principle has five rooms, two side halls, and a rear hall. The Qixiang gate is equipped with a wooden screen, believed to protect the house from mischievous spirits. The main hall has a gabled roof covered with yellow glazed tiles like most palaces in Forbidden City. The beams are decorated with Suzhou style paintings, golden dragons, and phoenixes. The walls are intricately decorated with medallions of phoenixes sitting on the mountain, untypically for other palaces.

## Residents

### Ming Dynasty

| Year | Emperor | Imperial Consort | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1476-1522 | Chenghua | Empress Xiaohui | She became Empress Dowager Shou'an but didn't have her own residence as empress dowager |
| 1590 | Wanli | | The palace became the emperor's temporal residence because the 3 main palaces of the Inner Court burnt down. |
| 1640-1642 | Chongzhen Emperor | Imperial Noble Consort Gongshu | She moved out from Chengqian palace |

### Qing Dynasty

| Year | Emperor | Imperial Consort | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1861-1874 | Xianfeng/Tongzhi | Empress Dowager Cixi | She was also living in Changchun palace as a regent of the Tongzhi Emperor |
| 1872-1924 | Tongzhi | Imperial Noble Consort Xianzhe | She followed Puyi, who was forced to leave the Forbidden City |
| 1908-1913 | Guangxu | Empress Dowager Longyu | She moved out from Zhongcui palace |

## Gallery

* Taiji hall's screen
