© Nicolas Döring
Weekend Tips: What to Do This Weekend in Berlin
April 17 to 19, 2026: Events, festivals, exhibitions and more things to do for your perfect weekend in Berlin. more
The Ziguangge: Hall of Purple Splendor
Event Venue, Heroes’ Gallery and Theatre of War
Porträt des Fürsten Corgiyamz‘an (Kriegsverlust), Detail, Qing-Dynastie (1644 – 1911), 1776, Detail, Originalbild: Hängerolle, Reproduktion von Glasplatten
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ethnologisches Museum
Unbekannte(r) Hofmaler, Porträt des Baktambu, Qing-Dynastie (1644 – 1911), 1776, Detail einer Hängerolle
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst
Jin Tingbiao (? – 1767), Porträt des Kriegsministers Arigun (gest. 1770), Qing-Dynastie (1644 – 1911), 1760, Fragment einer Querrolle
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst
Jin Tingbiao (? – 1767), Porträt des kaiserlichen Gardeoffiziers erster Klasse Looge, Qing-Dynastie (1644 – 1911), 1760, Fragment einer Querrolle
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst
Jin Tingbiao (? – 1767), Porträt des kaiserlichen Gardeoffiziers erster Klasse Daktana, Qing-Dynastie (1644 – 1911), 1760, Fragment einer Querrolle
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst
Already 2,000 years ago, the emperors of China had portraits of loyal officials and generals made in order to display them in their palaces. This presentation features depictions of meritorious officers that the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736–1795) had commissioned for their display in the hall of fame Ziguangge to demonstrate his power and legitimacy. In the 20th century they became spoils of war not one but two times.
Located adjacent to the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Ziguangge is a two-storey pavilion. During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736 – 1795), the building was a venue for military rituals and banquets and housed paintings with battle scenes of the imperial military campaigns and portraits of meritorious officers.
In 1900/01 the hall was plundered during the brutal suppression of the Boxer Movement (Yihetuan) by a multinational coalition, the Eight-Nation Alliance, to which also the Prussian military belonged. All 280 portraits were looted. Many of the paintings ended up also in German collections. In 1945, the USSR administration took the paintings in the Berlin collection, some of which are represented here by black-and-white prints, as war booty; the original works remain in museums in Russia to this day.
Curator
The exhibition is curated by Birgitta Augustin.
Presentation as part of the project “Traces of the ‘Boxer War’ in German Museum Collections – A Joint Approach” (2021–2024), project management: Christine Howald, Zentralarchiv, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and with the support of the Palace Museum, Beijing
A temporary presentation by the Museum für Asiatische Kunst of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in the Humboldt Forum, Room 320, “China and Europe”
Located adjacent to the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Ziguangge is a two-storey pavilion. During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736 – 1795), the building was a venue for military rituals and banquets and housed paintings with battle scenes of the imperial military campaigns and portraits of meritorious officers.
In 1900/01 the hall was plundered during the brutal suppression of the Boxer Movement (Yihetuan) by a multinational coalition, the Eight-Nation Alliance, to which also the Prussian military belonged. All 280 portraits were looted. Many of the paintings ended up also in German collections. In 1945, the USSR administration took the paintings in the Berlin collection, some of which are represented here by black-and-white prints, as war booty; the original works remain in museums in Russia to this day.
Curator
The exhibition is curated by Birgitta Augustin.
Presentation as part of the project “Traces of the ‘Boxer War’ in German Museum Collections – A Joint Approach” (2021–2024), project management: Christine Howald, Zentralarchiv, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and with the support of the Palace Museum, Beijing
A temporary presentation by the Museum für Asiatische Kunst of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in the Humboldt Forum, Room 320, “China and Europe”
Runtime: Wed, 28/08/2024 to Mon, 31/08/2026
Price info: Since October 3, 2025, the Humboldt Forum has had a new pricing model:
With just one ticket, you will have access to the permanent exhibitions and temporary presentations – and you can choose between a one-day, two-day or group ticket for maximum flexibility. All of these ticket options allow you to visit the collections of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, BERLIN GLOBAL, as well as other temporary exhibitions. The ticket is also valid for the special exhibition Family Matters (from 3 October) with interventions throughout the building and in the Knoblauchhaus Museum in the Nikolaiviertel.
Many areas and programmes are still accessible to you free of charge – including the Humboldt Laboratory with the new exhibition On Water. Water Knowledge in Berlin (from 10 October), the stairwell with Impressions. The Humboldt Brothers, the castle cellar, the sculpture hall, the video panorama and the presentation Traces. You can also attend numerous events and educational programmes without paying admission.
Price: €14.00
Reduced price: €7.00
Reduced price info: Admission remains free of charge for children and young people up to the age of 19, persons accompanying a severely disabled person (provided this is noted as B on the severely disabled person’s pass), persons receiving transfer payments and Berlin-Ticket-S-holders. Admission is also free of charge for Members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the German Museums Association and the Federal Association for Museum Education.
With just one ticket, you will have access to the permanent exhibitions and temporary presentations – and you can choose between a one-day, two-day or group ticket for maximum flexibility. All of these ticket options allow you to visit the collections of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, BERLIN GLOBAL, as well as other temporary exhibitions. The ticket is also valid for the special exhibition Family Matters (from 3 October) with interventions throughout the building and in the Knoblauchhaus Museum in the Nikolaiviertel.
Many areas and programmes are still accessible to you free of charge – including the Humboldt Laboratory with the new exhibition On Water. Water Knowledge in Berlin (from 10 October), the stairwell with Impressions. The Humboldt Brothers, the castle cellar, the sculpture hall, the video panorama and the presentation Traces. You can also attend numerous events and educational programmes without paying admission.
Price: €14.00
Reduced price: €7.00
Reduced price info: Admission remains free of charge for children and young people up to the age of 19, persons accompanying a severely disabled person (provided this is noted as B on the severely disabled person’s pass), persons receiving transfer payments and Berlin-Ticket-S-holders. Admission is also free of charge for Members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the German Museums Association and the Federal Association for Museum Education.
Takes place here:
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