To the east of Cining Palace is Ci 'en Gate, and opposite it is Qixiang Gate.
There is a temple on the left side of Ci 'en Gate, with the middle hall facing the back wall of Cining Palace, and the East Palace and the West Palace on the left and right, also known as the West Third Palace.
In the first month of the twenty-sixth year of Kangxi, the vassal ministers were convened in Zuomen, Yongkang to discuss the etiquette system. At that time, princes sat in a circle according to the hierarchy, but ministers had to kneel when discussing affairs. So some officials protested that it was a courtesy to pay tribute to the princes, but when discussing state affairs, the ministers involved should also sit in that row. Besides, the left door of Yongkang is the forbidden door of the emperor, not the place where ministers pay tribute to princes. Ministers who participate in the deliberation of state affairs are all auxiliary ministers of the emperor, and they should also respect themselves. Princes should greet ministers politely. To this end, the official department and the ritual department issued an order: whenever the court deliberated, the minister should not kneel when he saw the king.
This is a great event that happened in Zuomen, Yongkang in Qing Dynasty.
According to the palace rules of the Qing Dynasty, when the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager live in Cining Palace, both the toffee and the Empress Dowager will live with them.
According to records, Ningshou Palace and Shoukang Palace were also recorded as places where Empress Dowager Cixi lived in the palace history, but the main palace of Empress Dowager Cixi was only Cining Palace.
According to the current rules in the palace, the dress details of Empress Dowager Cixi were recorded. For example, there are several kinds of crowns she wears: velvet crown, dyed mink crown, and gold silk crown, in which there is a big east pearl, nine second-class east pearls, four third-class east pearls, three third-class pearls and forty-eight small pearls embedded. Besides, there are seven golden phoenix, a pendant, a gold hoop, a gold collar, a pair of gold ears and several plates of pearls. There are many kinds of robes, including azurite inlaid with gold, two dragons embroidered on the front, two dragons embroidered on the back, four dragons embroidered on the bottom and longevity embroidered on the bottom. In addition, there are gowns and skirts, which are divided into winter and summer, and auspicious clothes, which are composed of satin gowns. These garments use gold and silver every year, as well as all kinds of satin, yarn, silk, spinning, Korean cloth, woolen cloth, all kinds of thread, silver buckle, mink, dragon skin and so on.
There are 50 kilograms of meat, a pig, a sheep, two small animals, two liters of japonica rice, three liters of Korean rice, fifteen kilograms of white flour and five spoonfuls of sesame seeds every day. In addition, there are all kinds of sugar, honey, walnuts, pine nuts, medlar, dried dates, sesame oil, eggs, tofu, sweet sauce and various vegetables. The tableware used is made of gold and silver, including cups, plates, pots, plates, bowls, teacups, spoons, chopsticks, tables, pots, pots, hand stoves and so on.
When Shunzhi's mother was the Empress Dowager, Tang Ruowang, a Catholic missionary in China in the Ming Dynasty, was still alive. The queen mother of Shunzhi worshipped him as her adoptive father, so Shunzhi called him Mafa, which means grandpa in Chinese. Tang Ruowang also gave Empress Dowager Cixi a cross, which she hung around her neck to avoid people's comments.
During the Qianlong period, there were decrees, and Cining Palace was the most auspicious and blessed place, where later generations served their grandmothers and queens to ensure their happiness.
The empress dowager's birthday is longevity day, and court officials should write in advance to congratulate her. On the birthday, the palace was decorated with various ceremonial facilities and music was played. The princes greeted them at Longzongmen, the officials above the second class waited outside Changxin Gate, and the officials below the third class waited at the noon gate. The bachelor of cabinet wrote a congratulation form, held it out from the cabinet, accompanied by the bachelor, led it to Yongkang gate, and was put on the table by the hall official of does. Four eunuchs lifted the console table, entered the palace through the left door and placed it in the east of the throne of Cining Palace.
The emperor's sacrificial place is located in the middle of Cining Gate. At dawn, the official did not report to the emperor at the Green Gate, and the emperor put on his dress and went out of the palace in a sedan chair. The official who did not lead to Zonglongmen, Yongkang left the door and got off the sedan chair and entered the palace, followed by his ministers. After entering the palace, the emperor climbed from the east steps to the left of Cining Gate and stood facing west. The princes stood under the steps in two rows.
In addition, a number of officials who participated in ceremonial activities stood at Cining Gate, Changxin Gate, Wumen Gate, Yongkang Left Gate, Right Gate and Xihe Gate, respectively, and announced orders from the inside out.
When Empress Dowager Cining Palace ascended the throne, the emperor and officials, led by officials from the Ministry of Rites, stood at their respective places of worship and arrived at the meridian gate from the inside out. Officials from all over the country stood in their respective positions, all facing north, and then praised the officials and shouted "bow down and stand up". The emperor led the ministers to kowtow three times and knock on the door nine times. After the ceremony, they all stood up and reset. The ministers of the Ministry of Rites reported the ceremony and invited the Empress Dowager.
The officials of the Ministry of Rites then guided the emperor out of the left gate of Yongkang, boarded the sedan chair and returned to the palace, and the princes and ministers abdicated respectively. At this time, the internal supervisor and the female officer set up rituals and the queen mother to worship, guiding the concubines, princesses and Fujin to enter the Cining Palace from the right door of Yongkang Gate, and the queen led the concubines and other female guests to pay their respects. At this time, the Queen Mother went to Cining Palace again to accept the worship ceremony under the Queen, and then returned them separately after the ceremony.
It can be seen that the birthday activities of Empress Dowager Cixi in the Qing Dynasty are extremely grand, and all the emperors, queens, princes, concubines in the palace and wives of high officials outside the palace will come to worship, all centering on Cining Palace.
During the Guangxu period, the management of the palace was gradually ignored. According to Wang Donghua's Continued Records, on the night of November 30, the seventh year of Guangxu, eight pieces of bronze ornaments were stolen from the Buddha Hall in the front hall of Cining Palace. His Highness had discarded wooden poles, and there were demolished tiles in the hall. There are five leaders and two deputy leaders in the Buddhist Temple of Cining Palace. In addition, among the eunuchs, 15 are lamas, and 4 are lamas. It shows that the Buddhist temple is not left unattended and unused.
Legend has it that the West Third Hospital behind Cining Palace is the place where retired concubines live, but it has not been confirmed. However, according to the current regulations of the King James' Home Minister's Office, the green satin chariot was handed over by the eunuch of the Imperial Palace, led by the Jingyun guard, and the Xisanfu and Houtiemen opened the door. According to the literature, people who retired to his palace in the Qing Dynasty received monthly allowances, and if they were not enough, they tried to make up for it themselves. So these people often have to do needlework and let eunuchs take it to the palace market to sell. Therefore, Xisan is equivalent to the legendary cold palace in a sense.
The History of the Imperial Palace also records the etiquette details of the banquet held in Cining Palace. These banquets were held on the birthday and New Year's Day of the Empress Dowager. First, does not require, after the approval of the emperor's imperial edict, ordered all departments to prepare. Finally, they were detained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. See this book for details. This banquet was held by the Qing emperor. See Qing Shi Lu for details.
There is often a word "synopsis of the golden chamber" in China's ancient history books, and there are many explanations for what it refers to. However, according to the records in the story of Qing palace, the shape of the synopsis of the golden chamber is explained. According to "Weng Tonghe's Diary", Guangxu once went to Cining Palace to see the golden chamber, which refers to the golden chamber of Empress Cian, that is, the coffin, and was honored as Zigong. According to the diary, the wood of Zigong is nanmu, only one inch and eight minutes thick, slightly black in color, and composed of three vertical walls on both sides. There are more spellings on the front and back. Its ridge on the grave is also composed of three pieces on each side. Weaving from Jiangnan has always been a practice. Among them, the red lacquer coffin, shaped like a square box, is surrounded by the Diamond Sutra, commonly known as the Golden Chamber, which is a coffin for directly placing the remains, with nanmu outside.
Because there are Buddhist temples in Cining Palace, there are frequent activities of worshipping Buddha, and every day there are eunuchs who study Lamaism to chant Buddhist scriptures. In addition, there are five sessions of seven-day classics, six sessions of twenty-one classics and one session of three-day classics in a year.
Location of Cining Palace
Mother comfort hall
Cining Palace Garden
Inside Cining Palace
Yin Hui right gate
Golden lion in front of the door
Cining palace side