Map of Shenyang Imperial Palace
(Roll over white colored words to locate their reference on the map -roll over symbols on the map to see photos and explanations. Click circle top left to return to main page).
Miscellaneous Edifices
A number of rather non-descript buildings lie unexplained and overlooked in today's palace. Some of them clearly appear to have been erected as part of one of the Qing emperors' building plans. Others seem to have been added for more recent practical purposes. I cannot trace any written material to shed light on this so my conclusions are somewhat speculative and deductive.
The houses located just inside the gates must have served as on-duty guard houses although it's unclear when they were built. Similarly, the large constructions in the east and west side of the western palace section must have served as stables and sedan storage spaces and were likely built around 1780.
The origin of the building cluster west of the main gate remains a mystery as there is no access for the public. The houses are today used by supervisory personnel, curators and staff who in the summer reenact the old Qing rituals for the tourists.
Two edifies stand out from the crowd. First, there is a well inside the palace grounds but no reference can be found to its origin. Second, the two-storey building behind the theater complex is built in a modern architectural style completely out of line with the rest of the palace.
All the buildings lend their surfaces to innumerous beautiful decorations: Dragons, clouds, phoenixes, plants, animals, and so on. The names of the highly skilled craftsmen who gave us these magnificent treasures are long forgotten. But they have left for posterity a fine edifice, worthy of a place amongst the world's wonders.