Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo

National First Grade Museum; The Palace Of Puyi As Puppet Emperor Of Manchukuo, 1932 1945 · Changchun, Jilin

The palace where Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing, spent thirteen years as a puppet ruler installed by Japan. After the Japanese seized Manchuria in 1931 they created the state of Manchukuo and put Puyi at its head, converting a salt-tax office compound in Changchun into an imperial residence; from 1932 until the Soviet advance in 1945 he lived here under guard, signing what he was given to sign. The buildings are strange and revealing: a Qing-style inner court beside Japanese-designed halls, a throne room used for ceremonies no one believed in, an air-raid shelter, tennis courts and a swimming pool built for an emperor who was effectively a prisoner. Puyi's own rooms are preserved, along with the study where he received Japanese officials and the private chapel. The site is now a national museum of the occupation, with extensive galleries on Japanese rule in the north-east, and it is presented unambiguously as a record of humiliation rather than a palace to admire.

5 Guangfu North Road, Kuancheng District, Changchun, Changchun, Jilin, China

Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays outside public holidays; peak season 1 May to 7 October about 8:30-17:20 and off-season about 8:30-16:50, with ticket sales stopping well before closing (sources differ). Real-name booking required 7 days ahead, including for free admissions.

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