Hall of Benevolence and Longevity

When you enter the East Palace Gate it means walking into the administrative area of the Emperors. The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity is the first architectural complex that visitors see. It was built in 1750, burned down in 1860 by the Anglo-French allied forces, and was reconstructed in 1888.

Actually, the Emperors' administrative hall was originally called "Qinzheng Hall" to inspire rulers to manage state affairs diligently. However, during Emperor Guangxu's time (1875 - 1908), the hall's name was changed to "Renshoudian" (Hall of Benevolence and Longevity), from the famous Confucian saying -"the ruler who reigns benevolently will have a long life".

In the hall, a throne, a wall screen, decorative fans made of peacock feather, incense burners, crane-shaped lights remain laid out as they originally were. The wall screen is quite exceptional, for it has nine dragons and 226 examples of the Chinese character for'Longevity', in different styles.

In front of the hall, there are bronze phoenixes and dragons, with hollow abdomens. When incense was burnt inside, they would smoke, adding aroma to the atmosphere during the ongoing court in the hall. In the courtyard, four unusual stones, dark in color and with holes, represent the four seasons of the year. To the north of the hall, visitors may observe a well, Yannianjing (Well of Prolonging Life). Empress Dowager Cixi is said to have recovered from sunstroke after drinking the water from the well and bestowed on it the name.