| Hall of Literary Brilliance | |
| Native Name: | 文華殿 |
| Native Name Lang: | zh |
| Alternate Names: | Hall of Literary Glory, Hall of Literary Flourishing, Wenhua Hall |
| Building Type: | Hall |
| Location City: | Forbidden City |
The Hall of Literary Brilliance, or the Hall of Literary Glory or Wenhua Hall, is a hall in the outer court of the Forbidden City, located far east of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.[1] In the early Ming dynasty, the hall was originally used as the residence of the heir apparent.[2] However, starting in 1536, Ming emperors began to use the building as a secondary hall. During both the Ming and Qing dynasty, the hall hosted grand imperial lectures on Confucian classics and served as a place for the emperor to meet his scholars and officials.[3] The hall was also where palace examinations papers would be reviewed and marked by nine readers who would be sequestered in the hall for two days.[4] The hall gave its name to one of the seven different titles of grand secretary in late-imperial China. Becoming Grand Secretary of Wenhua Hall was considered to be an especially prestigious honour for high-ranking mandarins.
From 2008 to 2017, the hall served as the location of the Palace Museum's ceramics gallery before it was moved to the Hall of Martial Valor.[5]