Portraits of the Yongzheng Emperor Enjoying Himself during the 8th lunar month (one of a set of twelve), by anonymous court artists. Yongzheng period, (1723—35). Hanging scroll, colour on silk. The Palace Museum, Beijing.
The Court
Only emperors, and occasionally empresses, could sit on carved laquer thrones like the one exhibited in this gallery with incense burners, cranes and fans, typical of a formal court setting. This room also displays paintings that depict the three major palaces of the emperors: the Palace in the centre of Beijing (sometimes known as the Forbidden City), the complex of buildings and palaces more than 100 kilometres to the north of the city at Chengde and the palace to the west of Beijing, constructed by Castiglione and other Jesuits in European style, known as the Yuan ming yuan. The many different cultures and religions of the empire were recreated, in particular, in the monasteries and temples built at the Chengde Palaces. The emperors, especially Kangxi and Qianlong, moved between all these palaces. Yongzheng confined himself much more to the Forbidden City.
In true Manchu style, the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors went on long journeys north to the territories known as Mulan for ceremonial hunting in many years of their reigns. Several of the paintings in the room illustrate aspects of these hunting expeditions. To reinforce their authority in their Chinese territories, the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors also undertook journeys through the south of China, particularly the Yangtse region. The purpose of all of these expeditions was to impress the emperors’ subjects.
