How to Enjoy Changchun Puppet Emperor’s Palace, A Look at The Last Emperor’s Daily Life

Tongde Hall is located inside the Changchun Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. It started construction in 1937, and was completed at the end of 1938. With a building area of 5,758 square meters, this is a 2-story palace building for political activities, everyday life, and entertainment. In order to be of one mind with the Japanese invaders, Pu Yi named it as Dongde Hall. The first story of TongdeHall is where Pu Yi worked and entertained guests. It had a main wide room, worship room, waiting room, meeting room, China room, piano room, billiard room, Japanese room and movie room. The second story of the building was originally for the bedroom of Pu Yi and the last empress Wanrong. Pu Yi suspected that the Japanese had installed tapping devices, thus this room was never used.

Qinmin Building is located inside the Changchun Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. The construction started in 1914, and with building area of 1,392.7 square meters. It is a 2 story European style building. It was originally the office of the JiHei Transportation Bureau, and it was then renovated to be Pu Yi’s office. On Feb 1932, Pu Yi took the office of the Wei Manchukuo, and it was believed that the returning of the Qing Dynasty and its ancestral had arrived. Deriving from the ancestral exhortation, diligence and love for the people, it then got the name of Qinmin. Qinmin Building has 4 waiting rooms. It’s the waiting room for the Japanese Wei officers who are entitled to meet Pu Yi. Office of the Military Attaché to the Court of Emperor, Yasunao Yoshioka, is located at the first floor. At the 2nd floor, there’s the main Qinmin Hall where the accession ceremony is held. There’s also the East Hall, West Hall, the Banquet Hall, and the Buddhis worship room.

Jixi Building is located inside the Changchun Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. The construction started in 1914, and with building area of 1,036 square meters. It’s a 2 story European style building built with blue brick and iron roof. Jixi Building was originally the office of the Jihei Transportation Office. It was renovated before April 03, 1932 to be the sleeping palace of Pu Yi, empress Wanrong and Tan Yuling. Pu Yi named the building after a phrase in Major Court Hymns in the Book of Rites. The west side of the first floor was originally Pu Yi’s living room. It was then renovated to Tan Yuling’s living area after she moved in 1937. On the east side of the first floor was the living area of the palace girls and the eunuchs. On the west side of the 2nd floor is Pu Yi’s living area, while the east side is the living area of Wanrong.

Painting and Calligraphy Building: the place where Pu Yi stored the precious Qing Dynasty cultural relics. The Painting and Calligraphy Building is located inside the Changchun Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. It was constructed in 1936, with a building area of 670 square meters. It was a small 2-story building. Rare books and celebrity paintings which Pu Yi brought from the Forbidden City were stored in this building. At the east side of the building, there’s a room with 30 boxes of scrolls - about 1300 pieces in total, including Cao Yu’s tombstone, Wang Xizhi’s work, Zhong Yao’s work, Monk Huaisu’s writings, Ouyang Xun’s writings, Wang Wei’s portrait, Yan Liben’s authentic works and other precious paintings and writings national treasures. On the west side of the first floor, it stored 32 boxes of books from the Song Dynasty, which includes the original manuscript of Sima Guang’s Zizhi Tongjian, temple books 3 boxes, Qing Dynasty emperors’ handwritings 2 boxes, and other precious books. During the fall of the Wei Manchukuo and escape of Pu Yi from the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo, he picked 57 boxes of precious collections, and all were transported to Tonghua Dali Ziguo, and the rest went missing.

Huaiyuan Building: where Pu Yi pays his respect to the ancestors Huaiyuan Building is located inside the Changchun Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. The construction ended in 1934, with a building area of 1,483.69 square meters. It’s a 2-story blue brick building, and it’s where Pu Yi pays respect to the ancestors. Pu Yi named it from the Book of Rites, “Rouyan people come back from all directions, appease the princes, and the world will fear you.” The first floor of Huaiyuan Building is where the military office, Imperial Household Administration office, Emperor’s servant office, and master of ceremony office are located. Aside from the Fengxian Chapel where Pu Yi worshipped his ancestors, there’s also an office for the imperial secretariat and Qing Banquet Hall.

Jiale Hall: it’s the tea room and royal kitchen of Pu Yi during the Wei Manchukuo Jiale Hall is located at the northwest part of the Changchun Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. It’s the biggest banquet hall inside the Wei Imperial Palace. It’s now the From Emperor to Citizen exhibition hall. The west wing of the Jiale Hall was Pu Yi’s royal kitchen and team room during the Wei Manchukuo period. It’s main purpose is to provide Pu Yi’s Chinese pastries, fruits, drinking water/tea and sacrifice offerings. Inside the hall exhibits how Pu Yi drastically changed from being the emperor to a citizen. In his life, there were 3 times he ascended as the emperor. He transformed to a new ordinary Chinese citizen in the Fushun War Criminals Management Center. The exhibit is composed of Pu Yi’s life: interesting facts about when he ascended as the emperor at 3 years old; country within a country; enlightenment education; opportunistic restoration; Pu Yi’s wedding; expelled from the palace; betraying his country; puppet Manchukuo emperor; visiting Japan; imprisonment in the Soviet Union; 10 years restoration; new family life; returning to motherland; and bidding farewell.