As Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Liaoning province, celebrated its 91st anniversary as a museum on Nov 16, visitors born that same day were offered a free visit to this well-preserved Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) building. Visitors aged 60 years also had the chance to visit the museum for free on Nov 16.

Exhibitions of royal timepieces, sculpture, personal and household artifacts, stone carvings, fine art and ancient architecture were displayed to visitors on the day.

Also called Shenyang Imperial Palace, Mukden Palace was built in 1625 as the residence of Nurhaci and his son Hong Taiji, the founders of the Qing Dynasty, and was later used as an accompanying capital after the dynasty relocated to Beijing in 1644. It is currently one of the best-preserved palaces in China.

Covering 60,000 square meters, Mukden Palace has 114 ancient buildings and more than 500 rooms, as well as collections of valuable porcelain, lacquers, jewelry, clothing, writings and paintings.

Mukden Palace was first approved for museum development in 1926 and opened to the public in 1929. In 1961, it was included in the first group of national-level major historical and cultural sites. In July 2004, Mukden Palace joined the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Over the past 90 years, Mukden Palace has welcomed 72 million tourists. Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, paid a special visit to the palace during her trip to Shenyang this June, further boosting the palace’s profile as a major tourist attraction.

Mukden Palace presently serves as a museum and research institute focusing on the history and cultural relics of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).