The Palace of Universal Happiness, also known as Xianfu Palace, is one of the Six Western Palaces in the inner court of the Forbidden City. It is situated north of the Palace of Eternal Spring, east of the Palace of Gathering Elegance and northwest of the Palace of Earthly Honour.[1]
This residence was built in 1420 as the "Palace of Peaceful Longevity" and received its current name in 1535, during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor. It underwent renovations in 1683 and in 1897.
In 1741, when court painters created a series of paintings depicting virtues of ancient imperial consorts, the palace was decorated with the painting "Feng Yuan fighting a bear", which symbolises courage.[2]
Although it was mainly reserved for imperial consorts, several emperors lived here occasionally.
The back hall, Tongdao Hall, became a storage of imperial seals for Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi, who were acting as regents during the reigns of emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu.[3]
The palace has a hip roof covered with yellow glazed tiles and a square layout, similar to the Palace of Great Brilliance on the eastern side of inner court.
| Year | Emperor | Imperial consort | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1735–1799 | Qianlong | He lived here occasionally | ||
| 1799 | Jiaqing | He mourned his father here | ||
| 1827–1850 | Daoguang | Consort Chang[5] | She was twice demoted and moved out from the Palace of Prolonging Happiness and the Palace of Heavenly Grace, her former residences | |
| 1831–1850 | Noble Consort Tong[6] | |||
| 1837–1842 | Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangshun[7] | She moved to the Palace of Heavenly Grace | ||
| 1845–1850 | Noble Consort Cheng[8] | Her former residence, the Palace of Prolonging Happiness, burnt down | ||
| 1850–1853 | Empress Xiaojingcheng[9] | She lived here before moving to the Palace of Longevity and Good Health | ||
| 1850 | Xianfeng[10] | He mourned his father here |