The Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunning Gong)
The Palace of Earthly Tranquility was built in the early Ming Dynasty as the empress' dwelling palace. After reconstruction in the early Qing Dynasty, the eastern side of the palace served as the bridal chamber on the emperor's wedding day, and the western side was used to worship deities.
Kangxi, Tongzhi, and Guangxu, three Qing-dynasty emperors who ascended the throne at an early age, all made the Palace of Earthly Tranquility their nuptial chamber, as did Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
Today, the chamber retains the furnishings from when it served as the nuptial chamber for Emperor Guangxu. With red as the main tone, the quilt on the bed is embroidered with the image of a hundred children playing, and the mattress is embroidered with the auspicious patterns of dragons and phoenixes. There is a treasure bottle in the middle of the bed, which contains gold, silver, pearls and other treasures, symbolizing a prosperous country, a peaceful life for the people, and fertile offspring.
The western chamber of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility was a major place for shamanic sacrifices during the Qing Dynasty. Every morning and evening, sacrificial ceremonies were held here, accompanied by chanting of sacred songs and instrumental music.
During a sacrificial ceremony, the emperor only ate boiled pork without any seasoning, and he would also reward princes and ministers with the meat, but few liked to eat such bland and tasteless food.
Unlike other buildings on the central axis of the Forbidden City, the door of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility is not in the middle, but slightly to the east for the sake of shamanistic sacrifices. The palace also features mullioned hanging windows, showing a distinctive architectural style fusing Manchu and Han elements.
坤宁宫外景
Outside the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
坤宁宫
坤宁宫始建于明代初年，为皇后寝宫。清代初年改建后，东侧为皇帝大婚的洞房，西侧为祭神场所。
康熙、同治、光绪三位幼年登基的皇帝，大婚洞房即在坤宁宫，末代皇帝溥仪的婚礼洞房也在这里。如今洞房按光绪皇帝大婚场景布置，红色基调，喜床上的被子绣百子图，褥子绣龙凤双喜，床正中放有宝瓶，瓶内盛装金、银、珍珠等物，寓意国泰民安、多子多孙。
坤宁宫西间，是萨满教祭祀的重要场所。每天早晚都有祭祀，不仅有诵神歌，还有乐器伴奏。祭祀时食用仅以白水煮制的猪肉，皇帝还会将肉分赐给王公大臣，但不少人并不喜食这样寡淡无味的食物。
不同于紫禁城中轴线上的其他建筑，为萨满祭祀考虑，坤宁宫的门并不居中，而是偏东，窗户采用直棂吊搭式窗，体现出明显的满汉融合建筑风格。
