Hall of Literary Brilliance

The Hall of Literary Brilliance (simplified Chinese: 文华殿; traditional Chinese: 文華殿; pinyin: Wénhuá diàn), 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.[1] 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.[1][2] 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.[3] 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.[1]

Hall of Literary Brilliance
文華殿
Hall of Literary Brilliance
Alternative namesHall of Literary Glory, Hall of Literary Flourishing, Wenhua Hall
General information
TypeHall
Town or cityForbidden City
Coordinates39.915552319038056°N 116.39935458109551°E / 39.915552319038056; 116.39935458109551

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.[4]

References
  1. "Hall of Literary Brilliance". The Palace Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. Cai, Yanxin (2011). Chinese Architecture Volume 30 of Introductions to Chinese Culture. Cambridge University Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0521186445.
  3. Cheong, Iona-Man (2004). The Class of 1761: Examinations, State, and Elites in Eighteenth-Century China. Stanford University Press. p. 65. ISBN 0804741468.
  4. Wang, Kaihao. "Palace Museum to open ceramics gallery". Chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
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