Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang

Cultural heritage

The imperial palaces show masterpieces in the development of imperial palace architecture in China.

The architecture of the palace complexes, particularly in Shenyang, reflects an important interchange of influences of traditional architecture and Chinese palace architecture particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The palaces demonstrate Chinese civilization at the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the true reserves of landscapes, architecture, furnishings and objects of art, and provides exceptional evidence of the living traditions and the customs of Shamanism practiced by the Manchu people for centuries.

The palaces offer excellent examples of the greatest palatial architectural ensembles in China. They illustrate the grandeur of the imperial institution from the Qing Dynasty to the earlier Ming and Yuan dynasties, and Manchu traditions, and provide evidence on the evolution of this architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries.