Palace of Heavenly Purity

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The Palace of Heavenly Purity, or Qianqing Palace (乾清宫) is a palace in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It is the largest of the three halls of the Inner Court, located at the northern end of the Forbidden City. During the Qing dynasty, the palace often served as the Emperor's audience hall, where he held council with his cabinet.

Although the Hall of Supreme Harmony was the official seat of power, it was used only for formal, ceremonial occasions such as coronations and formal audiences. Day-to-day cabinet meetings and other affairs of state were carried out more often in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. When the Qianlong Emperor abdicated to become the Taishang Huang, he ruled from the Palace of Heavenly Purity. At the centre of the hall is a dragon throne. Above the throne hangs a large board declaring "Justice and Honour" (正大光明). Successive Qing emperors hid their succession papers behind this board in order to avoid competition among their potential heirs.