Hall for Ancestral Worship

Located in the eastside of the Inner Court of the Forbidden City, the Hall for Ancestry Worship (Fengxiandian) was the place for the imperial household of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties to worship their ancestors just as the name indicates. The hall was constructed in the Ming Dynasty, rebuilt in 1657, the fourteenth year of the reign of Qing Shunzhi (1644-1661), and restored many times later. Surrounded by lofty walls, the Hall for Ancestry Worship is a "工-shaped" structure with a white base of Buddhist style. It has both a front and a rear hall connected by a lobby. The front hall is the main hall, 9 bays wide and 4 bays deep, covering an area of 122,500 square meters. It has double-eaved roof and glazed facing tile. The door was opened in the front fifth bay and the back fifth bay meets the lobby. The rear hall is the bed chamber, 9 bays wide and 2 bays deep, covering an area of 75,500 square meters. It has single-eaved roof and glazed facing tile. The front fifth bay of the rear hall connects the lobby. The interior floor was paved with gilded bricks and the ceiling caved with the gilded pattern of canary-creeper and float flower. The Hall for Ancestry Worship has no annex buildings around it. In the south outside the Gate for Ancestry Worship stand a cluster of rooms, serving as Sacred Warehouse and Sacred Kitchen. While in the east outside the Gate for Ancestry Worship is a small part itself, including 3 small halls, set up for the Emperor Jiajing (1522-1566) of the Ming Dynasty to worship his father.

Now the hall has been converted into an exhibition hall dedicated to clocks and watches. Some were manufactured by the imperial workshop or made in Guangzhou (in Guangdong Province) and Suzhou (in Jiangsu Province); others were imported from England, France, German, Swiss, America and Japan, or were sent as gifts to the emperors. They are of different shapes and styles and amaze visitors with their consummate performance. Though they were made over two thousands years ago they still work well to this day. In addition, a video system in the hall shows how these exquisite clocks operate.

Admission Fee to Hall for Ancestral Worship will be at CNY 10 and its opening hour is 08:30 to 16:20 (Oct. 16 to Apr.15) and 08:30 to 17:00 (Apr. 16 to Oct. 15).