This is probably my fourth or fifth visit to the Puppet Imperial Palace. As Changchun’s first 5A-rated tourist attraction and one of the initial 66 5A scenic spots designated in 2007, it can be considered a landmark of Changchun. It is also a National First-Class Museum. If you are traveling to Changchun, this should definitely be on your must-visit list, which explains why there are so many tourists here.
The entire scenic area is quite expansive. The main buildings include the Qinmin Building, Jixi Building, Huaiyuan Building, Jiale Hall, Tongde Hall, Calligraphy and Painting Repository, Laixun Gate, Baokang Gate, Xingyun Gate, the Ruins of the Jianguo Shrine, and the Imperial Air Raid Shelter. The Racecourse and the Exhibition Hall of the History of Northeast China under Japanese Occupation are also open to visitors. It is highly recommended to hire a tour guide for explanations; the full tour takes about 3 hours. If you wish to leisurely stroll through the Imperial Garden and take photos, you may need even more time. There is a large parking lot at the entrance, and public transit access is also convenient.
Following the Mukden Incident in 1931, Japan supported Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, in establishing Manchukuo to control Northeast China. The Republic of China at the time, and later the People’s Republic of China, did not recognize the legitimacy of Manchukuo, referring to it as “Puppet Manchukuo” or “Puppet Manchu.” On March 9, 1932, Puyi assumed office as the Chief Executive of Manchukuo. On April 3, the Executive Government moved into the former site of the Jilin-Heilongjiang Salt Tax Bureau (a Republican-era agency managing salt administration in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces). On March 1, 1934, Puyi proclaimed himself Emperor, and the executive government was reorganized into the Imperial Household Department. Since the Japanese Emperor’s residence was called the Imperial Palace, Puyi’s court could only be referred to externally as the “Imperial Palace.” Until Japan’s surrender in August 1945, the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo served as Puyi’s workplace and residence. Its palace grounds were divided into two sections: the Outer Court for administrative affairs and the Inner Court for imperial family living quarters, featuring an architectural style that blends Eastern and Western elements. After the dissolution of Manchukuo in 1945, the palace buildings suffered severe damage.
In 1962, the Puppet Imperial Palace Exhibition Hall was established on the site of the former Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. In 1964, it began joint operations with the Jilin Provincial Museum. It resumed its independent institutional status in 1982 and officially opened to the public in 1984. On July 1, 2000, it was placed under the administration of Changchun City, and on February 8, 2001, it was renamed the Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo. It has since undergone comprehensive restoration, largely returning to its original appearance. In 2013, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China included it in the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (Important Modern Historical Sites and Representative Buildings) under the name “Site of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo and Former Sites of Japanese-Puppet Military and Political Institutions.”
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