Shi Wang Li Shixian was an important general in the later period of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In 1861, after capturing Jinhua, he established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Zhejiang base centered on Jinhua. The Shiwangfu was his command center in Zhejiang at that time. The Shiwangfu is an art treasure trove of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It has many murals and colored paintings, exceeding the total number of murals and colored paintings preserved at Taiping Heavenly Kingdom sites across the country. It not only has high artistic value but also is precious material for studying the revolutionary history of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The entire palace consists of four parts: palace, residence, garden, and logistics. It is adjacent to a wide training ground, covering a total area of more than 63,000 square meters. The existing building area is more than 3,000 square meters and is divided into east and west courtyards. The east courtyard is dominated by the main hall. In front of it is the only screen wall left over from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to this day. The main hall was the meeting hall for the leaders of the Taiping Army back then. All walls and beams and columns are painted with various murals and colored paintings, which are very magnificent. The west courtyard is mainly residential buildings, with four entrances. There is a long corridor between the first and second entrances, forming a shape like the Chinese character ‘工’. This is the same as the main hall and the second hall in the east courtyard being composed of a lobby to form a shape like the Chinese character ‘工’.Visiting the Palaces of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is a journey through history and art. A major feature of these palaces is the abundance of murals and colored paintings that adorn the walls and dye racks at the four entrances. Works such as the ‘Woodcutter Picking Thorns Picture’, ‘Four Seasons Fishing Picture’, and ‘Watchtower Barracks Picture’ are particularly notable.
In the presence of history, you’ll find two ancient cypresses standing tall in front of the Nahanxuan. These trees, said to have been planted by Qian Liu, the king of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties, have withstood over 1,100 years. Despite their trunks being inclined, they continue to reach for the sky with their branches and leaves, earning them the title of ‘living cultural relics’.
Plan your visit accordingly, as the palaces are closed all day on Mondays throughout the year. For the rest of the week, from Tuesdays to Sundays, they welcome visitors from 09:30 to 16:00.
A must-see tip for all visitors is to bring an ID card for entry.
