Zhongnanhai

The Hall of Purple Light (Ziguang Ge) today, used for state receptions.

Since Zhongnanhai became the central government compound, it has been mostly inaccessible to the general public. The exception to this was during the years of relative freedom following the end of the Cultural Revolution, when the compound was open to members of the public, who could obtain tickets to visit the compound from relevant government authorities. Following the political turmoil that culminated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, security was greatly increased. Access has now been closed to the general public, with numerous plain clothed military personnel patrolling the area on foot. However, cars are not strictly prohibited from stopping on stretches of adjacent roadway and cabs are allowed to stop except during important conferences or events.[9] Chinese maps of Beijing show Zhongnanhai as an insignificant green area with a water body; in contrast, the municipal government, however, is shown significantly with a red star.

The most important entrance to the compound is the southern one at Xinhuamen (Xinhua Gate, or "Gate of New China"), surrounded by two slogans: "long live the great Chinese Communist Party" and "long live the invincible Mao Zedong Thought." The view behind the entrance is shielded by a traditional screen wall with the slogan "Serve the People", written in the handwriting of Mao Zedong. The Xinhuamen entrance lies on the north side of West Chang'an Avenue.[1]

Zhongnanhai is considered the de jure residence of Politburo Standing Committee members and other senior leaders for electoral purposes.[10] Though it serves as their formal residence, many senior party leaders do not actually live in Zhongnnanhai, preferring to live in homes elsewhere in the city.[9] Several more recent leaders, such as then General Secretary and paramount leader Hu Jintao reportedly chose to live in the Jade Spring Hill compound in western Beijing due to overcrowding inside Zhongnanhai.[11] China's current leader Xi Jinping also has a home in Jade Spring Hill.[12] There continues to be no standardized system for awarding certain houses to leaders of a certain rank in Zhongnanhai. After a senior leader's death, their spouse is often permitted to stay in the house indefinitely.[13] Several of these houses were occupied by the families of their original post-revolution owners into the 1990s.

Zhonghai (Chinese: 中海, literally "Middle Sea") is the headquarters of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and its affiliate institutions, including the offices of the Premier and the Vice Premiers as well as the State Council General Office. Important guests, both foreign and domestic, are typically received in North Zhongnanhai.

(攝政王府; 摄政王府) Located in the northwestern corner of Zhongnanhai, the area once occupied by the Regent Palace is now the location of several conference rooms used by the State Council

In Ming dynasty, Jiajing Emperor built Wanshou Palace in this area as his main living palace in Zhongnanhai. The eponymous building took its name from Puyi's regent Zaifeng, Prince Chun who was given the palace in 1909. The Building was not completed by the time the Qing Dynasty ended in 1911. Under the Republic of China, the building was initially the location of the Prime Minister's office and the meeting place of the Cabinet. In 1918 President Xu Shichang switched the President's residence and the Prime Minister's office, relocating his residence to Regent Palace, while the Prime Minister and Cabinet moved to Dianxu Hall in the Garden of Abundant Beneficence.[14] When Huairen Hall became the Presidential residence in 1923, Regent Palace became the location of the army and naval department.

After 1949, the People's Republic of China again used the building as the headquarters of the Premier and State Council. During the massive renovation of Zhongnanhai in the late 1970s, plans were made to modernize Regent palace. However, it was found that the quality of the building was very poor, the foundations were loose and the gaps between the wooden columns were filled with broken brick. As a result, the main hall and entrance halls were torn down and rebuilt completely. One of the more modern buildings erected within the same footprint now houses the State Council Research Office, the main policy research arm of the State Council.[15][16]

A replica of West Flower Hall built in Tianjin

(西花厅; 西花廳) Located in the north west corner of Zhongnanhai, this building was constructed as the living quarters for Regent Palace. West Flower Hall served as Premier Zhou Enlai's personal residence. The building has two courtyards. The front courtyard was where Zhao would meet and dine with foreign guests, while the back courtyard included the Zhou's personal office, bedroom and meeting rooms. After Zhou's death in 1976 his wife Deng Yingchao lived here until 1990. Unlike much of the State Council area, West Flower Hall was not demolished and reconstructed in the 1970s. Today the building is preserved as a museum dedicated to Zhou Enlai.

(总理办公室; 總理辦公室)The modern workplace of the Premier and the Vice Premiers of the State Council was built during the large scale renovation of Regent Palace in the 1970s. Unlike the offices of CCP officials in West Building Compound, which are assigned to specific individuals and do not necessarily change if the individual changes their title or role, the offices of the Premier and Vice Premier are assigned specifically to the incumbent holders of those positions and their occupants must move out when their term ends. Unlike traditional Chinese buildings, the Premier's office does not have a front gate and courtyard, instead featuring a covered access ramp.[17][18]

(国务院小礼堂; 國務院小禮堂) Originally built as a wing of Regent Palace, State Council hall houses the main auditorium for State Council meetings. Premier Zhou Enlai resisted renovation efforts citing a commitment to fiscal austerity. The building now serves as the principal venue for not only the State Council's full plenums, but also some meetings by smaller subordinate bodies. Both the full State Council and the weekly meetings of the State Council Standing Committee meet in Conference Room Number One. Including its principle conference room, the State Council possesses a total of six meeting rooms which are used for various purposes.[19][20] At the front of the State Council Hall is a large traditional courtyard that serves as the entryway to the State Council's Conference Room Number Four, which is used for meeting with domestic civil society leaders. In Regent Palace's original configuration as built by Prince Chun, the area where Conference Room Number Four is located was known as Yin'an Hall (银安殿; 銀安殿).[19][21]

The northern section of State Council Hall serves as the headquarters for the State Council General Office.[22] In the early years after 1949, the State Council Auditorium was used as a movie theatre which held showings several times a week. The building also includes a small cafeteria for State Council staff. The State Council auditoriums were reconstructed and renovated through the end of the 1970s and opened again in 1979.[23]

Ziguang Hall, circa 1879

Ziguang Hall, or Ziguangge or Hall of Purple Light (紫光阁; 紫光閣), is a two-storey pavilion located in the northern west bank of the Central Sea. Immediately behind Ziguang Hall is another pavilion called Wucheng Hall (Chinese: 武成殿), which connects to Zignang Hall to form a courtyard. In the Ming Dynasty, it was originally a platform built by Zhengde Emperor for military exercise. His successor Jiajing Emperor built Ziguang Hall here as a replacement for the platform. The building was rebuilt by Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi, who would use the location to inspect his bodyguards. During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor the building was used to display battle wall charts and seized weapons. The building was also known as the Hall of Barbarian Tributes and was used to receive tribute missions to the Emperor. After 1949 the building was occasionally used for dances.[24] A large modern conference area was later built on the building's western side. Ziguang Hall is used today as the main reception area in Zhongnanhai for meeting with foreign diplomats and conducting talks with world leaders. Wucheng Hall is often used for photo opportunities in which a Chinese leader will be pictured sitting alongside their visiting counterpart.[25]

Initial plans to build an indoor tennis court in the State Council section of Zhongnanhai were made in the late 1980s. At the time China was receiving a significant influx of new diplomatic delegations on international exchange trips. Feeling that the facilities for hosting these diplomats at Ziguang Hall at the time were inadequate, some officials proposed that a guest lounge and tennis court be built nearby. The proposal for an indoor tennis court was, at the time, vetoed by Vice Premier Tian Jiyun.[26] In spite of this initial resistance, an outdoor tennis court was built in Zhongnanhai by the early 2000s.[27] In 2006, the building around the tennis court was rebuilt and modernized.[28]

The indoor swimming pool was built in 1955 by the Urban Construction and Design Institute. Mao Zedong's wife Jiang Qing reportedly proposed the building's construction during Mao's absence in order to secure its approval. Mao nonetheless used the pool because it was more convenient than traveling to the pool at Tsinghua University. Mao often stayed and worked at the pool for long periods of time. In 1958, Mao met with Soviet General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev at the pool. During the time when Mao lived nearby at Poolside House, the indoor swimming pool was remodeled and enlarged under the supervision of Zhongnanhai's head engineer Tian Genggui. Today the pool is used by senior party leaders and also contains a workout area.[29]

(Chinese: 游泳池) The Poolside House was built right next to the large indoor swimming pool, initially for practical reasons, as Mao Zedong would frequently spend much of the day either swimming in the pool or reading political and historical books and reports from government officials by the pool's side. Therefore, a reception room, a bedroom and a study with Mao's favorite books were built, thus creating the Poolside House which allowed Mao to be permanently close to the swimming pool.[30] Eventually, among Zhongnanhai staff, the phrase "you are wanted at the swimming pool" meant that they were ordered to immediately report to Mao.[30]

Mao permanently left the Chrysanthemum Library and moved into the Poolside House in 1966, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Especially in his later years, the Poolside House would be the place for visiting foreign leaders to see Mao. This was the case for Richard Nixon and Kakuei Tanaka.[30] After Mao's death in 1976, Zhou Enlai's wife Deng Yingchao briefly lived here during the extensive reconstruction to Regent Palace and West Flower Hall before returning to West Flower Hall after the completion of the renovation.[31] The original outdoor swimming pool adjacent to Poolside House was built in 1933 as a public-private partnership when Zhongnanhai was a public park. Tickets were sold for Beijing citizens each year from May to August. From 1946 to the end of the Republic of China, it was difficult to operate the pool profitably due to inflation.[32]

(延庆楼; 延慶樓) Yanqing House as well as several other adjoining buildings were built during the Beiyang Government around 1922. During his time as de facto ruler of the Beiyang Government, Cao Kun used Yanqing House as his workplace while living in nearby Huairen Hall. His wives and concubines lived in several of the adjoining buildings. After Cao Kun was overthrown in 1924, he was imprisoned in Yanqing House for two years.

(万善殿; 萬善殿) Known in English as Thousand Benevolence Hall, Wan Shan is a Buddhist Temple located in the east coast of the Central Sea. Originally known as Chongzhi Hall, the temple was built by the Qing Dynasty Shunzi Emperor - 1644-1661. Statues of the Buddha line the hall. Behind the temple is Thousand Sage Hall, which includes a dome and seven story Pagoda.[1]

(水云榭; 水雲榭) Located on an island in the Central Sea, the pavilion contains a stele engraved by the Qianlong Emperor reading "Autumn Wind on the Taiye Lake". Taiye Lake is an old name for the all three of the seas.[1]

Nanhai (Chinese: 南海, literally "South Sea") is the headquarters of the CCP, including the office of the General Secretary and the offices of the staff of the Central Committee General Office. South Zhongnanhai also includes the meeting places for the Politburo, Standing Committee and Secretariat.

Huairen Hall in 1954

Huairen Hall (怀仁堂; 懷仁堂; 'Hall of Cherished Compassion') is a two-story Chinese style hall that is used by the CCP as the main meeting place for the Politburo and as an alternate meeting place Politburo Standing Committee.[33][34] The building is also the meeting location of several of the CCP's leading groups such as the Financial and Economic Affairs Leading Group and the Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms.[35][36]

The building served as the daily workplace of Dowager Empress Cixi, the then de facto ruler of China, replacing the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the nearby Forbidden City. After the Boxer rebellion, Huairen Hall became the headquarters of the occupying Eight Nation Alliance's commander Alfred von Waldersee until the building was damaged in a fire. In 1902 Empress Cixi rebuilt Huairen Hall at a cost of five million taels of silver before ultimately dying here in 1908.[37] After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, President Yuan Shikai used the building to meet with foreign guests and to accept New Year's day greetings. After Yuan's death, it was the site of his funeral. When Cao Kun became president, he used Huairen Hall as his residence. After the end of the Beiyang Government Huairen Hall had no permanent use and was given to the Beijing City Government.[6]

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held in Huairen Hall in 1949. In 1953, the building was remodeled as a two-story hall in preparation for the Asia-Pacific Peace Conference by Premier Zhou Enlai.[38] The new meeting hall was then used for first session of the National People's Congress in 1954.[39] Huairen Hall became the auditorium of the central government, often hosting various art shows and political meetings, including Central Committee plenums before the construction of Jingxi Hotel in 1964.[40]

Qinzheng Hall in its pre-1980 configuration during the signing of the Seventeen Point Agreement

Qinzheng Hall (Chinese: 勤政殿; pinyin: Qínzhèng Diàn) is the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party and the location of the office of the party's General Secretary, a title currently synonymous with the paramount leader of the country.[41] The building also includes a conference room that serves as the main meeting place for the Politburo Standing Committee.[42][43] The General Secretary's personal office is located behind an office which, in the 1980s, served as workplace of the General Secretary's policy secretary. The office was occupied by Secretary Bao Tong at the time, and the position and staff associated with it have since been more formalized as the Office of the General Secretary. The policy secretary's office is in turn behind another office which served as a workplace for the director of the Central Committee's General Office.[44] It is partially because the head of the General Office has a workplace in front of the office suite of the General Secretary that the director's position is referred to as the "Danei Zongguan" (大内总管), roughly translated as "the gatekeeper".[45]

In addition to the General Secretary's suite, Qinzheng Hall is also the location of the office of the First Secretary of the Secretariat, who has de facto responsibility for the secretariat's day-to-day administration of the party due to the General Secretary's role of running the country.[46] There is an encrypted hotline that runs from Qinzheng Hall to the White House in Washington, D.C. for the purpose of conducting high level talks with American leaders.[47] One of the important meeting rooms of Qinzheng Hall is located along the north corridor of the building.[48]

The original Qinzheng hall was built by the Kangxi Emperor as the main hall of the Zhongnanhai complex, serving as the Emperor's primary living and working space in Zhongnanhai.[49] After the 1911 revolution, the building served as a venue for government conferences during both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. Qinzheng Hall served as the meeting place for the Central People's Government Committee, the interim council that governed China from 1949 until the promulgation of the 1954 Constitution.[50] While serving as the headquarters of the Central People's Government, Qinzheng hall was the site of the 1951 Seventeen Points Agreement which established the terms under which Tibet would come under the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China.[51] In the late 1970s, Wang Dongxing, the director of the Central Committee General Office, demolished Qinzheng hall and spent 6.9 million yuan intended for its reconstruction to build his own private residence. Wang's removal as head of the Central Committee General Office in 1978 prevented him from completing his plan. Qinzheng hall was inaugurated as the Secretariat's headquarters in 1980.[41]

The reception area inside Jurentang Hall

(Chinese: 居仁堂) This former building was a two-story western style palace known as the Hall of the Calm Sea (Haiyantang) during the Qing Dynasty. Dowager Empress Cixi had the building built to entertain her female guests and also to receive foreign diplomats. After the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion, Eight Nation Alliance commander Alfred von Waldersee moved here after Yi Luang Temple was destroyed in a fire. After the founding of the Republic of China the building was renamed the Hall of Benevolence (Jerentang), by Yuan Shikai, who continued to use it to host visitors.[52][5]

After 1949, the building served as the first headquarters of the Central Military Commission (CMC) before the CMC staff relocated outside of Zhongnanhai. In 1956, the CCP Secretariat became an institution separate from the staff of the Party Chairman and required its own headquarters. The new General Secretary, Deng Xiaoping, chose Benevolence Hall to house the Secretariat. The building was finally demolished in 1964. The Secretariat offices temporarily moved to "Building C" in the West Building compound before moving to Qinzheng Hall in 1980.[53]

(西樓大院; 西楼大院) This complex of buildings is named for its location in the south western corner of Zhongnanhai. The buildings were built by the engineering battalion of the Central Guard Regiment in from 1949 to 1951 to house workplaces and apartments for the Central Committee General Office's staff. West Building is one of the workplaces of the Director of the Central Committee General Office, in addition to Qinzheng Hall.[54] One of the original main buildings in this complex was simply called West Building Hall (Chinese: 西楼大厅) while the other buildings in the West Building Complex were designated A, B, C, D and F. Buildings C and D were originally intended to be used as accommodations for Provincial Communist Party Committee Secretaries when they were visiting Beijing for meetings. Many of the Mishus or secretarial staff assigned to support the General Office work here. As late as the 1990s, West Building Compound included a dormitory for the young workers of the Center Committee General Office.[9] The West Building includes a large kitchen and cafeteria for the General Office staff and a smaller eating area that doubles as a conference room for the use of senior leadership. The formal address of West Building Compound is 12 Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing.

The President's office and staff were also located in the West Building Compound during the time when the office of was not also simultaneously held by the paramount leader, such as during Liu Shaoqi's term from 1959 to 1967. Liu Shaoqi's office was located in Building A.[55] Likewise, Marshal Zhu De's office was located in Building B of the West Building compound when he served as Vice President of China.[56] In 1962, Liu Shaoqi presided over an extraordinary, enlarged meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee in this location, known as the "West Building Meeting". At the meeting, the party leaders discussed in significant detail the dire fiscal and economic situation in the country in the aftermath of the failure of the Great Leap Forward and promised to recover the agricultural sector.[57]

Between 2007 and 2008, part of the original West Building Compound was demolished to make way for a new three story rectangular building that was completed by 2010.[58] The Central Committee General Office's physical office footprint has now expanded beyond Zhongnanhai to include several buildings on the other side of Fuyou Street from West Building as well as other buildings in the Xicheng District area.[59] The gate on Fuyou Street that Central Committee staff use to travel between buildings inside and outside of the complex is called the "Great West Gate" because it has the highest regular use of Zhongnanhai's gates.[60]

Many of the agencies directly under the supervision of the Central Committee General Office now have their formal headquarters in an annex of buildings spread out on the western side of Fuyou Street adjacent to Zhongnanhai as well as certain locations still within South Zhongnanhai. The formal addresses of these agencies are as follows:

• Research Office: 8 Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
• Secretary Bureau: 1 Boxue Hutong , Xicheng District, Beijing
• Bureau of Regulations: 99 Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
• Security Bureau: 81 Nanchang Street, Xicheng District, Beijing (Shuqingyuan Pavilion)
• Confidential Bureau: 7 Dianchang Road, Fengtai District, Beijing
• Confidential Transportation Bureau: 11 Xihuangchenggen North Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
• Special Accounting Office: 14 Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
• Supervision and Inspection Office: Unknown location, Beijing
• Personnel Bureau: 12 Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing (West Building Compound proper)
• Office of the General Secretary: Qinzheng Hall, Xicheng District, Beijing
• Veterans Bureau: 50 Dajue Hutong , Xicheng District, Beijing
• Administration Bureau of Organs directly under the Central Committee: 9 Xihuangchenggen North Street, Xicheng District, Beijing

Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Chen Yi and Zhang Wentian outside of Dianxu Hall in the Garden of Abundant Beneficence

(丰泽园; 豐澤園) Some of these buildings were built by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty who originally used them to raise silkworms. More buildings were later added by Emperor Qianlong, who used them as libraries and as a personal retreat. Throughout this garden, there are wooden placards at the buildings’ entrances, inscribed by Emperor Qianlong.[61] In the northwestern area of the garden is a building called Chunlianzhai (春耦斋; 春耦齋) which once housed the seal of Emperor Qianlong and several artworks. After the Boxer Rebellion Chunlianzhai was looted and it subsequently became a summer residence for the commander of the German contingent of the Eight Nation Alliance Army. In the early days of the People's Republic of China Chunlianzhai was used as a dance hall, where dances were held twice a week by senior party leaders.[62][63][64]

The largest building in the Garden of Abundant Beneficence is Dianxu Hall, which was known as Chong Ya Temple during the Qianlong Emperor's reign, Yinian Temple (頤年堂; 颐年堂) during the Guangxu Emperor's reign and finally as Yitingnian during the Republic of China. During the Beiyang Government (1912-1928) of the Republic of China, the office of the President was initially located in Dianxu Hall. In 1918 President Xu Shichang switched the President's residence and the Prime Minister's office, relocating his residence to Regent Palace, while the Prime Minister instead moved to Dianxu Hall in the Garden of Abundant Beneficence. Dianxu Hall became a general purpose meeting area for CCP officials after 1949. During Mao Zedong's time as Paramount Leader, Politburo Meetings were often held in Dianxu Hall due its proximity to Mao's house.[65] Before 1980 the Politburo Standing Committee also met in the one of the small conference rooms of Dianxu Hall during the times when meetings were not held in Mao's house.[66]

The Garden of Abundant Beneficence also contains Chairman Mao Zedong's first personal residence and office, which he used from 1949 to 1966, a building called the Library of Chrysanthemum Fragrance (菊香书屋; 菊香書屋). An air raid shelter was dug in the courtyard of Mao's residence shortly after he moved into Zhongnanhai.[67] Mao relocated to a new building known as the Poolside House in 1966 at the start of the Cultural Revolution. After Mao's death, the Chrysanthemum Library was preserved as a museum which is not accessible to the general public. Immediately to the east of the Library of Chrysanthemum Fragrance are a series of buildings known as the West Eight Houses (Chinese: 西八所), which served as a dormitory for Mao's personal aides and secretaries.[68]

(Chinese: 淑清院) Located in the northeast corner of the Southern Sea, the building was built for the Qianlong Emperor as part of a small garden, similar in style to the Beihai Park. After 1959, the original building was destroyed in order to make way for the construction of a barracks and officer staff quarters for Unit 8341, the Zhongnanhai security guard regiment.[69] The formal address of Shuqingyuan Pavilion and the surrounding complex of buildings used by Unit 8341 is 81 Nanchang Street, Xicheng District, Beijing.

(Chinese: 202别墅) The building next to Huairen Hall was constructed in 1974 as a specially reinforced earthquake shelter.[70] Mao Zedong was relocated here from Poolside House after the July 1976 Tangshan earthquake. Mao died in this building on September 9, 1976.[71][72]

(Chinese: 西四所) These four houses were built as part of the western wing of the Huairen Hall complex. They are also known as Qingyuntang (Chinese: 庆云堂). These buildings were acquired by the Peking Institute of Historic Research after the end of the Beiyang government.[73] After 1949, the Propaganda Department was located here before it was eventually moved to its current headquarters on 5 West Chang'an Street.[70] Several communist party leaders also lived in these buildings including Deng Xiaoping, Li Fuchun, Chen Yi and Tan Zhenlin. During his paramount leadership, Deng Xiaoping used his home as a meeting place for informal conferences that would include members of the Central Advisory Commission, the Politburo, the Secretariat and the party elders. It was in Deng's home that the decision was made to use force against the demonstrators during the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests.[74]

(Chinese: 万字廊) The original buildings in this area were built by the Qianlong Emperor to celebrate his mother's 50th birthday. Though the Qing-dynasty era buildings in the area no longer exist, this narrow lane in south-western Zhongnanhai where they once stood is now lined with houses that serve as residences of party leaders. Yang Shangkun, who served as Secretary General of the Central Military Commission, President of China, and was one of the Eight Elders of the Deng Xiaoping Era lived in one of these buildings.[9]

Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic, Liu Shaoqi lived here before moving into the newly constructed West Building compound. He later moved to a building called Fuluju (Chinese: 福禄居) in the same area. After Liu was denounced and purged, both Wanzi Gallery and Fuluju were demolished during the Cultural Revolution.[75] Wanzi Gallery was later reconstructed and Mao's wife Jiang Qing lived in what was then called Building No. 201 during the height of the power of the Gang of Four. This building was also known as the Spring Lotus Chamber.[76][77]

Yingtai Island sometime before 1949

(瀛台; 瀛臺) Located in the Southern Sea, the artificial island was completed by in 1421 by Ming Emperor Yongle after he relocated his capital to Beijing. The island was given its current name by Qing Emperor Shunzhi in 1655. Yingtai Island is connected with the shore via a stone bridge. Due to the slope of the island, the northern elevation of the island's main temple is a single-story building while the south elevation is a two-story pavilion, called "Penglai Pavilion". There are two temples to the north of Hanyuan Temple, Qingyun Temple to the east and Jingxing Temple to the west. In July 1681 the Qing Emperor Kangxi held the "Yingtai hearings",[78] on the development of a national strategy to put down civil strife. Dowager Empress Cixi imprisoned Emperor Guangxu at Hanyuan Temple on Yingtai in August 1898 after the failure of Hundred Days Reform. Emperor Guangxu was subsequently poisoned and died here in 1908.

After 1949, Yingtai was used as the site of banquets and other hospitality activities.[79] According to some sources Jiang Zemin lived in Hanyuan Temple on Yingtai Island during his time as paramount leader.[80]

(新华门; 新華門) Zhongnanhai's main entrance, Xinhua Gate is located on West Chang'an Avenue. The gate was originally built by the Qianlong Emperor in 1758 as a pavilion for one of his concubines. After the 1911 Revolution, Yuan Shikai transformed the pavilion into a gate and named it "Xinhua Gate" or "New China Gate" in 1912. The slogans "Long live the great Chinese Communist Party " and "long live invincible Mao Zedong Thought " are now on the walls on both sides of Xinhua Gate. On the door is the inscription "serve the people" in Mao Zedong's handwriting.[1] In 1959, an underground passage was built between Xinhua Gate and the Great Hall of the People shortly before the construction of the latter was completed. This passage was intended to be used only by members of the Politburo Standing Committee at the time.