Location: Liaoning, Shenyang (Mukden) Palace
Travel Notes: In Jin Yong's martial arts novel 'The Sword Stained with Royal Blood', two scenes are related to this place. One is where Yuan Chengzhi hides atop the Chongzheng Hall to assassinate Hong Taiji, and the other is where Dorgon, meeting secretly with Dagu'er in her bedchamber, jumps out of a cabinet to kill Hong Taiji, later claiming he died of natural causes. To merge the imagined scenes from my childhood reading with the real setting, it was worth making the long trip to see it in person. I spent several hours carefully exploring these spots, including the entire pre-Qing imperial palace, feeling I've done justice to the novel I've read nearly ten times. By Morgan on 2019.8.16
