The newly renovated Qianyuan Pavilion inside Dagaoxuan Hall 

         

                                                        Interior of Dagaoxuan Hall

       It is estimated that the restoration of Dagaoxuan Hall will be completed in 2016. Afterwards, it will become an important cultural venue, providing exhibition services for the public, and will be equipped with a digital museum and a cultural plaza.
On-site: Modern buildings “mixed” with Dagaoxuan Hall
This isolated hall had its doors gently opened this morning, welcoming media reporters and ancient architecture experts for the first time. “This is a historic moment,” Shan Jixiang said with emotion as he stepped through the gate of Dagaoxuan Hall.
Passing through the “Three Gates” at the entrance, the mysterious Dagaoxuan Hall came into view. The patterns of cranes and coiled dragons on the central ramp of the steps are still clearly discernible. The main hall is Dagaoxuan Hall, seven bays wide, with a double-eaved hip roof of yellow glazed tiles, the highest rank in ancient architecture. The rear hall is the Jiutian Wanfa Leitan (Altar of the Nine Heavens and Ten Thousand Methods), five bays wide, with nine bays each in the east and west side halls.
Finally, there is a pavilion that appears as two stories from the outside but conceals an additional interior level. Its top is round and its bottom square: above is the circular pyramidal roof of the “Qianyuan Pavilion,” covered with five types of blue glazed tiles symbolizing the vault of heaven; below is the square “Kunzhen Yu,” covered with five types of yellow glazed tiles symbolizing the earth.
Surrounding such exquisite architecture, however, are more than 20 modern small buildings squeezed into every available space. Just five steps from Qianyuan Pavilion stand three water towers. Reporters saw that an ancient tree was even “stubbornly” growing inside a small building next to the Jiutian Wanfa Leitan.
Restoration: Over 20 modern buildings to be demolished
Shan Jixiang introduced that the large wooden structures of the existing ancient buildings in Dagaoxuan Hall have deteriorated over time. At the same time, tile surfaces are damaged, decorations have been dismantled and altered, and painted patterns as well as stone components such as balustrade posts, panels, and drainage spouts are missing or severely damaged. There are many unauthorized structures within the Dagaoxuan Hall compound; some ancient buildings are used as maintenance workshops, filled with debris and flammable materials, and fire safety facilities such as smoke detectors and lightning protection are incomplete, greatly threatening the safety of the heritage buildings.
As a key cultural relic protection project in Beijing, the emergency restoration of Qianyuan Pavilion started on June 30, 2011, and was completed on June 15, 2012. Due to alterations to the architectural form during long-term use and the buildings' own aging, all parts of Qianyuan Pavilion were damaged, so the most appropriate restoration and protection were carried out. The construction work included removing tiles, applying mud and lime backing, chiseling and patching walls, repairing the platform base, rebuilding walls, reinforcing wooden structures, and renovating wooden decorations, paintwork, and painted patterns.
Currently, the second-phase restoration plan for Dagaoxuan Hall has been completed and is awaiting approval from relevant authorities. The second phase is expected to start before the end of this year. “Our next key task is to demolish the more than 20 modern buildings inside Dagaoxuan Hall,” Shan Jixiang said, adding that some severely damaged painted patterns also need to be repainted. At the same time, these modern buildings were constructed by the previous occupying units, and their demolition requires public bidding and must be carried out by professional companies.
Usage: First exhibition to be held in cooperation with Wudang Mountain
“We will open to the public on the principle of restoration alongside opening,” Shan Jixiang said. After the restoration of Dagaoxuan Hall is completed, on the basis of overall protection, it will be put to various rational uses, with plans to hold relevant exhibitions, open a digital museum, and carry out more cultural activities that are easy for the public to participate in. The first exhibition will be a Taoist cultural relics exhibition held in cooperation with Wudang Mountain.
Dagaoxuan Hall is a Taoist temple under the imperial court. In the Ming Dynasty it served as a Taoist sacrificial site, and in the Qing Dynasty it was an altar for praying for rain and snow. After protective restoration, based on the principle of maintaining the original historical appearance, the Palace Museum will hold exhibitions of Taoist-related cultural relics to restore and enhance its historical and cultural atmosphere.
In addition, Dagaoxuan Hall is located outside the Forbidden City, so it is not subject to closing hours. Currently, there are plans to set up a digital museum in the Jiutian Wanfa Leitan area. At the same time, Dagaoxuan Hall will also host social education activities such as the “Palace Museum Lecture Series.” The east and west side halls of Qianyuan Pavilion will not be rebuilt, which will help create a small cultural plaza open to visitors.
Background
Dagaoxuan Hall was first built in the 21st year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1542). It was rebuilt many times from the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China period. It was the imperial Taoist temple of the Ming and Qing dynasties and an important part of the Forbidden City. After the Xinhai Revolution, it remained in imperial possession. In 1924, after Feng Yuxiang expelled Puyi, it became the property of the Palace Museum. In the late 1950s, Dagaoxuan Hall was requisitioned by the military.
Dagaoxuan Hall is located between Jingshan and Beihai, with the Tongzi River to the south and surrounded by red walls. This hall on the central axis was the imperial Taoist temple of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Jiajing Emperor, who did not hold court for decades, came here countless times to pray for longevity; the Taoist-believing eunuchs and palace maids performed rituals here; and Yongzheng and Qianlong both devoutly prayed here for rain for the people of the Qing Empire.
For more than 60 years since the founding of New China, Dagaoxuan Hall had its red lacquered doors tightly closed and was heavily guarded.
On June 11, 2010, the Palace Museum and the department occupying Dagaoxuan Hall signed the “Agreement on the Handover of Dagaoxuan Hall.” On May 26, 2013, after extensive coordination, a signing ceremony for the agreement on the handover of remaining facilities at Dagaoxuan Hall was held at the Palace Museum, bringing about a complete resolution of the Dagaoxuan Hall issue.