Chenlung Temple at the Palace

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On the Friday the opening ceremonies were held for the new Tibetan Research Center at the Palace Museum. The location was what seemed like a remote location on the grounds behind a temple built by Emperor Chenlung. The temple is quite unique in that the outer architecture is completely Chinese but inside the four floors are decorated with murals depicting the iconography of the four classes of Tantra (based on the instructions of Rolpai Dorje). The four Tantra Classee are Kriya, Charya, Yoga and Anuttarayoga. Unfortunately we were not able to go inside the temple on this trip.

The new Research Center is past this Chenlung temple and through a courtyard with a clutter of small buildings behind, in all shapes and sizes. All of these buildings, except the first temple built by Chenlung, are brand new, but done in the traditional palace style. The original buildings in this part of the palace were destroyed by fire in the 1920s and possibly not once but several times. A long two story rectangular building at the back houses a painting gallery with maybe fifty paintings and textiles mostly created in the Palace. Just in front of the painting gallery building, but smaller and square shaped, is another building designed as a sculpture gallery with many beautiful images - most I had never seen before.

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Photos

Chenlung Temple
A temple built by Emperor Chenlung depicting the deities of the four Tantra sets.

Courtyard
The courtyard of the new Tibetan Research Center.

Temple Side Building
This building is just to the side of the temple. Note the paper strips placed across the doors sealing them from unauthorized entry. It is the same for the temple doors.

Back Buildings
These buildings are behind the courtyard but on the way to the actual entrance to the Research Center. It was not clear what they would be used for and they are still under construction with only the facade completed.

Back Buildings
What is amazing about the Imperial Palace, or the Palace Museum, or the Forbidden City, or which ever name you are familiar with, is the beautiful lines and geometric shapes of the corridors, lanes, paths and architectural structures.

Drawing of the Research Center
This is a drawing of the grounds of the Research Center. I was only in the first half of the complex on the left side. I believe the buildings that continue on the right side are the offices and actual working areas. This drawing is also only one compound within the Palace Museum grounds. They have dozens of these compounds all immediately side by each as they say in the Gaspe.

Text Panel Description of the Research Center
This text panel is on the wall when you enter the ground floor of the Painting Gallery. I will apologize for the out of focus image but I won apologize for the English.