The Hall of Martial Valor (Wuying Dian)
In the early Ming Dynasty, the Hall of Martial Valor was where the emperor summoned ministers and practiced abstinence before sacrificial ceremonies.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng, a peasant rebel leader, captured the Forbidden City and ascended the throne at the Hall of Martial Valor. However, he was forced to retreat from Beijing the next day.
In the early Qing Dynasty, the hall became the place where Regent Dorgon handled government affairs. In 1669, Emperor Kangxi lived here for a short time when his dwelling palace was under maintenance.
In 1680, the Qing court set up an office responsible for compiling and publishing books at the Hall of Martial Valor. From then on, it served as a royal publishing house, and many official books were collated and printed here, known as "palace editions".
Many of the palace editions were printed in movable types, with exquisite craftsmanship and design. Emperor Kangxi displayed the books in his study or gave them as gifts to his ministers.
After the abdication of the last emperor Puyi, the government of the Republic of China (1912-1949) established an antiquities exhibition hall in 1914, and the Hall of Martial Valor became a showroom for royal treasures from Shenyang, Chengde, and other places.
The Hall of Martial Valor now serves as the ceramics gallery in the Palace Museum to display porcelain masterpieces from various eras, showcasing the long history and brilliant ceramic culture of China as a key porcelain producer globally.
武英殿
明初，武英殿是皇帝召见大臣及参加祭祀前斋戒居住的场所。明末农民军领袖李自成攻入紫禁城后，在武英殿登基，但第二天便被迫撤出北京。清初，武英殿成为摄政王多尔衮处理政务的场所。康熙八年（1669），因皇帝寝宫维修，康熙皇帝也曾在此短暂居住。
康熙十九年（1680），清廷在武英殿设立“修书处”。此后，这里作为皇家出版所，大量官方图书在此校勘、印装，称“殿本”。殿本图书不少采用活字印刷，工艺精湛，版式考究。皇帝将图书陈设于书房，或作为礼物赏赐大臣。末代皇帝溥仪退位后，民国政府于1914年成立古物陈列所，武英殿成为陈列室，展示来自沈阳、承德等处的宫廷珍宝。
武英殿现为陶瓷馆，常年展出历代陶瓷精品文物，呈现中国作为瓷器大国的悠久历史和传承不断的陶瓷文化。
