Forbidden City in Beijing - 2008

Hongyi Pavilion - 22

From 1420 to 1644, the Forbidden City was the seat of the Ming Dynasty. In April 1644, rebel forces led by Li Zicheng, who proclaimed himself emperor of the Shun Dynasty, captured it. He soon fled before the combined armies of former Ming general Wu Sangui and Manchu forces, setting fire to parts of the Forbidden City in the process. By October, the Manchus had achieved supremacy in northern China, and a ceremony was held at the Forbidden City to proclaim the young Shunzhi Emperor as ruler of all China under the Qing Dynasty. The Qing rulers changed the names of the principal buildings, to emphasize "Harmony" rather than "Supremacy", made the nameplates bilingual (Chinese and Manchu), and introduced Shamanist elements to the palace.