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The Story of the REAL Yanxi Palace: A Cold Palace of the Forbidden City

Amimisu

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If you watched Story of Yanxi Palace or Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace, you probably remember Yanxi Palace as the home of legendary characters like Wei Yingluo and Ruyi. But the real history of this Forbidden City residence is much darker than what we see on screen. Far from a luxurious home, this corner of Chinese history functioned like an unofficial cold palace for forgotten consorts, and it was widely rumored to be cursed due to a bizarre history of constant, devastating fires. Here is the true story of the real Yanxi Palace, from its low-prestige location to the strange Western-style "Crystal Palace" ruins that stand there today.

Historical Sources:
Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty - 明實錄
Veritable Records of the Qing Dynasty - 清實錄
Imperial Household Department Archives - 清宮內務府檔案
Imperial Workshops Archives - 清宮內務府造辦處檔案
Imperial Household Department Financial Records - 清宮內務府奏銷檔
Qing Imperial Consort Archives - 清宮嬪妃檔案
Aisin Gioro Genealogy - 愛新覺羅宗譜
Tiānjiǎn Dǐdàng - 添減底檔
Gazetteer of the Palace Museum - 故宮志
Poems of the Qing Palace - 清宮詞
Unofficial History of the Qing - 清稗史
Palace Museum Publications - 故宮博物院出版物
Journal of the Palace Museum - 故宮博物院院刊

Footage used in this video:
Story of Yanxi Palace - 延禧攻略
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace - 如懿傳

00:00 - Introduction
01:14 - The Palace at the Edge
04:36 - The Consorts Nobody Wanted
08:28 - The Palace That Burns
12:41 - The Crystal Palace
17:06 - Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: Visuals used in this video are for reference/illustrative purposes and are not intended as accurate historical depictions.

#chinesehistory #yanxipalace #qingdynasty #mingdynasty #storyofyanxipalace #ruyisroyalloveinthepalace #coldpalace

20 Comments

@SarahGray-c8v 2 months ago

I imagine the reason why the Feng Shui master said the Yanxi was a fire location was because it was hot and muggy and downwind of the kitchens.

@MediocreDoggo 2 months ago

The layout of the gates and passages probably created a wind tunnel near Yangxi that made it more prone to fire hazards.

@ramonaray4307 2 months ago

"I don't know, at this point it seems like you're just feeding palaces to fires."

@OysterCatcherCult 2 months ago

I've missed your hair ornaments in your recent videos. Love to see them coming back.

@The_Golden_Imp 2 months ago

Even in the drama's it was mocked as the worst place to be. "Empresses in the Palace" even used it, but in that drama it was called "Jade Pearl Palace" or something,

@eurodara 2 months ago

Ruyi lived in Yanxi Palace until she was sent to Cold Palace falsely accused of harming Concubine Mei and Concubine Yi children. When she was released in the series, she lived in Yikun Palace

@theotherohlourdespadua1131 2 months ago

Oh, so that helps explain why this is the only inner palace within the Forbidden City to have its own Wikipedia article...

@spacehootle309 2 months ago

...the palace where the "problem-consorts" lived always caught fire? ...how mysterious...

@Val.Kyrie. 2 months ago

When the feng shui guy said “it’s a fire location” I was like “why didn’t they rename it to a water name and have flowing water there and water gardens instead of flower gardens, because water controls fire”… it must have been a rumour or legend because I couldn’t imagine an Emperor going “huh I wonder how I fix the fire problem guess there are no answers”.

@cgt3704 2 months ago (edited)

I wonder of the feng shui expert came to his conclusion because he was sweating that day 😂

@CrittersBeinCute 2 months ago

I wonder if the repeated fires had something to do with how air flowed between the structures.
Small fires could have caught faster than elsewhere.

@jsp7202 2 months ago

I visited the Forbidden City in the early 1980s, but was a child at the time. All these years later I do not remember too many details, so thank you for these videos.

@Miah8_9jeremiah 2 months ago

Oooo the story of yanxi palace is my favorite and first c drama i watched thoroughly

@2121elena1necomare20 2 months ago

I don't think that the burnings were "accidental," though. Rather, this specific palace was designed that way from the beginning—to conveniently get rid of consorts who know a little too much, or who have fallen out of favour. This palace burns, but the surrounding buildings and other structures stay intact. Something does not add up.
Probably, there is a much simpler explanation: a copper or silver coin here, a plot to massacre a family there, or plain political ambition and an assassin disguised as a palace guard or eunuch. And... whoopsy-daisy! A fire? Who could have thought that?! It must be the baaad feng shui and the fire attribute of the land. Yes, and nobody saw how the consort was strangled, poisoned, or had her throat slashed. Yes, yes—so tragic. So much bad karma.

@johnoneill5661 2 months ago

I've been to Beijing three times and I've been to the Forbidden City three times and if I ever get to go to Beijing again I shall happily spend another day wandering around the Forbidden City.

@Oh_Adhi 2 months ago

For sure, a resentful woman forced to that palace vowed not be forgotten.

@kouxiong7808 2 months ago

If I were allowed, I would visit these cold palaces just to see how the forgotten woman was holding up, out of pity for such cruelty.

@lotuskoi225 2 months ago (edited)

Such a tragic story behind Yanxi Palace. 😢 History is devastating… it’s a unfortunate that Crystal Palace was never finished.

@kiyoshitakeda452 2 months ago

As with cdramas one must wait for the real story. Imagine my surprise when I first watched Yanxi Palace and Noble Consort Ling emerged a heroine. Then a month later I saw Ruyi. The lesson was never rely upon dramas or Hollywood to learn history. Enjoyed your video. Thank you.