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The Palace of Longevity and Health was ordered by Qianlong Emperor to be built for his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing. Since then it became the palace exclusively reserved for empress dowagers.
Situated to the south of the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility and the Palace of Longevity and Health (Shoukang Gong), the Garden of Benevolent Tranquility was a place where empress dowagers and imperial dowager consorts worshiped the Buddha, entertained themselves, and rested.
The Palace of Benevolent Tranquility (Cining gong), first built in 1536 in the west of the Forbidden City, was the palatial residence especially built for Empress Dowager Jiang at the order of the Jiajing Emperor (r. 1522-1566).
The Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin dian) was built in 1537 and rebuilt during the Qing emperor Yongzheng's reign (1723-1735).
The Gate of Conferring Blessings (Xiqing men) is the southwest gate for the Palace of Tranquil Longevity (Ningshou gong) compound.
In the Pavilion of the Purification Ceremony (Xishang ting), there is a twinsting water channel measuring twenty-seven metres long.
The Palace of Gathered Elegance (Chuxiu gong) is located in the northeast of the Six Western Palaces. Notable among the consorts who lived here throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties was the Empress Dowager Cixi.
The Hall of Manifest Origin (Tiyuan dian) was established on the sites of the Gate of Eternal Spring (Changchun gong) and the former rear part of the Hall of Supreme Principle (Taiji dian).
The originally nameless well can be found in the north end of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity (Ningshou gong), close to the Gate of Loyalty and Obedience (Zhenshun men).