Being used for politics, reading, resting, entertainment, as well as religious activities, Ning Shou Gong (Palace of Peace and Longevity) itself was a place for comprehensive and abundant activities. Now, as a major palace for exhibitions that help people better understand the culture of the Qing dynasty, Palace of Peace and Longevity contributes to the Forbidden City as the treasure gallery, a gallery that stores a variety of treasures through the history, the treasure gallery at the Forbidden City shows visitors a number of cultural exhibits.

The treasures could generally be divided into six categories: treasures for religious uses, treasures for etiquette, treasures as jewelry accessory, treasures for daily use, treasures for delight in antiques and treasures as decorations. Each kind of treasure contains more than ten and even twenty antiques for observing.

For the treasures of religious uses, the exhibits mainly are collections of Buddhist cultural relics, including sculptures of Buddha, etc. The antiques, which are exquisite and delicate, strongly represent the high technics of religious collections and reveal the main religious belief of Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism) among the royal family in Qing.

For the treasures for etiquette, for Qing was a feudal society, etiquette was especially significant for individuals as well as a country. Decorations and containers that represent the traditional etiquette system were important and representative. This part of treasures, including collections that were used for significant ceremonies to pray, to coronate, to hold the imperial wedding and so on, are exhibited in order to show the viewers the strict rules obeyed by the royal family as well as the whole country. For instance, you can take a look at golden chimes (a traditional Chinese instrument) at the Palace of Peace and Longevity.

For the treasures as jewelry accessory, for the royal family in Qing (as well as other dynasties) especially emphasized the etiquette and represented that on their costumes, the decorations on clothes and hairs were important as well, especially for females. Therefore, in this part of collections, the palace focuses on the complicated kinds of decorations on the emperor and the queens. It reveals the different kinds of stones, including jades, agates, beeswax, etc., and jewelries carried by the queen in daily life as well as complex kinds of other magnificent accessories.

Two kinds of decorations for the queen : Dian(left) and phoenix crown(right)

For the treasures for daily use, the palace mainly includes teapots, bowls and similar luxurious containers that are used for high-level royal feast happening during festivals and significant events. The exhibit includes containers that are silver, golden and coppery and strongly reveal the emphasis of the high hierarchy as well as the honorable and luxurious life of the royal family.

Treasures for delight in antiques and treasures mean that emperors relatively emphasize on the collection and affection of delicate artwares that could improve and reveal one's interests as well as the appreciation of the beauty. Therefore, by walking through and observing those exhibits, including screen (as a furniture), various collections of snuff bottles and so on, one can not only gain the understanding about the history of emperors but also experience the cultural atmosphere there.

There are approximately over nine thousand rooms in total in the Forbidden city. Depending on the different functions of those rooms, decorations in them were different as well. Exhibits in this part of treasures are delicate and various, revealing the variety of decorations that were used to put in separated parts and the high standards of craftsmanship of the artworks. The exhibit includes enormous jades’ cravings, a delicate crystal ball, ruyi (a s-shaped ornamental object), etc.

Generally speaking, if you are interested in collections that were once stored in the forbidden city as well as how the royal family dynasties decorated themselves and their buildings, it would be a good choice to experience the cultural atmosphere in the treasure gallery, Palace of Peace and Longevity.