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The Museum of The Imperial Palace of Manchukuo in Changchun, Jilin Province (China Travel)
Changchun’s Imperial Palace is a reminder of Manchukuo and the period when Puyi served as its puppet emperor.
01/10/2025
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
The Imperial Palace in Changchun is a remnant of the Manchukuo era (1932–1945), the period of just over a decade when Japan ruled the Manchurian provinces of Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang, installing a puppet emperor—the very same person who had been China’s last emperor until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911.
It is well worth visiting, particularly if you are interested in history or enjoy visiting palaces or old buildings. It is located at No. 5, Guangfu North Road, Kuancheng District in Changchun, outside the city center.
The Palace features several buildings and gardens (the Western and Eastern Imperial Gardens), a horse racecourse, and a swimming pool. It has been turned into a museum and can be visited and viewed from inside. The Palace has a main building (featuring the Tongde Hall), and adjacent buildings (the Gongnei Ministry, the Changchun House, and the Zhixiu House, among others).
Puyi was said to have lived in this palace like a prisoner, under constant supervision, with people reporting back on him to the Japanese emperor.
The Palace itself is a beautiful building that was completed in 1934 and features rooms, halls, and offices. Some of these are:
The Audience Chamber:
The room where Puyi handled political affairs and met with officials as well as important visitors.
Li Yuqin’s Living Room:
Originally designed for Empress Wanrong, but later given to Noble Concubine Fu after Puyi became displeased with Wanrong. Fu, then only 15 years old, joined Puyi’s household in 1943.
The Imperial Secretariat:
The office of Puyi’s secretaries, responsible for keeping the imperial and national seals, issuing imperial edicts, and applying seals to official documents. The Secretary-Generals were Japanese, while the Imperial Secretaries were Chinese.
The Huaiyuan Building:
A building where Puyi worshipped his ancestors.
The Department of Close Retinues:
Responsible for altars and temples, Puyi’s medical care, accommodation, and other daily affairs.
The Department of Imperial Retinue Military Office:
Handled military reports, transmitted orders, and accompanied the emperor during political activities.
The Fengxian Temple:
Located in a palace building, where Puyi also worshipped his ancestors. On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, he performed rites here.
The Banquet Hall:
Used for important festivals and events. Puyi held dinner parties here and received high-ranking officials.
Among the separate buildings on the premises are:
The Gongnei Ministry:
Responsible for Puyi’s and his court’s internal affairs. The Palace Complex was built in 1934, but this building was completed earlier, in 1909. It had housed the Jilin-Heilongjiang Salt Affairs Bureau. Puyi first lived here in 1932, before the Palace was finished.
The Changchun House:
(“Changchun” here uses different Chinese characters than the city’s name, though the pinyin spelling is the same.) This building served different purposes and at various times housed Puyi’s father, his sister, and Noble Consort Tan Yuling, one of Puyi’s concubines.
The Zhixiu House:
Also used for various purposes. It served as a restaurant and living room for family gatherings, as well as living quarters for Puyi’s younger sister and her husband.
Food and drinks were prepared in the West Wing Room, which housed the Imperial Kitchen and a Tea Room. Imperial cooks prepared six to seven dishes per meal for Puyi. Following Qing court tradition, teas, drinks, dried fruits, and pastries were also provided for special festivities—for example, mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival—which were presented to the royal family and also given as gifts to guests.
Have you ever visited the Imperial Palace in Changchun?