Ka La Qin Palace or Harqin/Kharchin Palace( zh, 喀喇沁王府) is a

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

mansion in Wangyefu village, Harqin Banner, south eastern Inner Mongolia, China. It lies 67 kilometres south of

Chifeng Chifeng ( zh, s=赤峰市), also known as Ulanhad ( mn, (Улаанхад хот), ''Ulaɣanqada qota'', , "red cliff"), is a prefecture-level city in Southeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It borders Xilin Gol League to the ...

and 150 kilometres north east of

Chengde Chengde, formerly known as Jehol and Rehe, is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, situated about 225 km northeast of Beijing. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by ...

, location of the Imperial Mountain Resort. Currently, it houses the Wangfu museum related to the Qing times.

History

The Ka La Qin princes were hereditary

princes A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Mongolian nobility The Mongolian nobility ( Mongolian: ; ''yazgurtan; survaljtan'') arose between the 10th and 12th centuries, became prominent in the 13th century, and essentially governed Mongolia until the early 20th century. The Mongolian word for nobility, ' ...

Khalkha Mongols The Khalkha ( Mongolian: mn, Халх, Halh, , zh, 喀爾喀) have been the largest subgroup of Mongol people in modern Mongolia since the 15th century. The Khalkha, together with Chahars, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by Borjigin khan ...

and governing the Kalaqin banner, which is the current Harqin Banner. They were living

nomadic A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...

before they constructed the palace as their main residence during the reign of

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to ...

in 1679. Through marriage the princely family became related to the imperial Qing dynasty. The prince's descendants occupied the mansion until the 20th century. The last and twelfth prince was

Gungsangnorbu Gungsangnorbu (1871 – 1930) was an Inner Mongolian jasagh and politician of the Republic of China. Some scholars describe him as a moderate, progressive moderniser caught between the influence of conservative older leaders and young radicals ...

, an important politician and reformer in Mongolia and China. He was born in the palace in 1872 and spent here his childhood. Within the palace grounds, there is a large bronze statue remembering him. After World War II, the local government was stationed in the palace in 1945. Thereafter, it housed a school since 1948, which moved out in 1997. It was listed as a

Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level A Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National LevelEnglish translation for "全国重点文物保护单位" varies, it includes Major Site (to Be) Protected for Its Historical and Cultural Value at the National Level, Major Histo ...

in 2001. The local government decided to restore the palace and turn it into a museum, which opened in 2002. It was rated AAAA Tourist Attractions of China (4A) in 2008.

Structure

The complex has a size of 40,000 square metres. The lay-out is symmetrically east-west, has five courtyards and is strictly in accordance with the princely rank, stipulating size and such in Qing dynasty architecture. Within the grounds, there is also a garden and various

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temples. After the construction in 1679, it was continuously expanded by the Ka La Qin princes.

References

{{reflist, 3 Palaces in China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Inner Mongolia Museums in Inner Mongolia Tourist attractions in Inner Mongolia Buildings and structures completed in 1679