Within Zhongnanhai’s walls stands Huairen Hall. Its history is rich and complex. It began as a place of imperial power. Dowager Empress Cixi the de facto ruler of China used it as her workplace. She replaced the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City. This speaks volumes about the importance of Huairen Hall. After the Boxer Rebellion it became the headquarters for Alfred von Waldersee. He was the commander of the occupying Eight Nation Alliance. The hall suffered damage in a fire. Empress Cixi rebuilt it. She spent five million taels of silver on the reconstruction. She died there in 1908.
Huairen Hall’s significance continued under the Republic of China. President Yuan Shikai used it to meet foreign guests. It was the site of his funeral. President Cao Kun used it as his residence. After the Beiyang Government it was given to Beijing City.
The People’s Republic of China saw Huairen Hall’s transformation. It hosted the first plenary session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. This was in September 1949. To accommodate the large gathering an iron sheet roof was added over a courtyard. This was temporary. A more permanent two-story auditorium replaced it. The auditorium remains largely unchanged today. The hall hosted the first session of the National People’s Congress in 1954. It became a central government auditorium. It hosted art shows and political meetings. This continued until the Jingxi Hotel was built in 1964.
Today Huairen Hall remains an important meeting place. The Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party uses it for meetings. It is an alternate meeting place for the Politburo Standing Committee. It is the meeting location for various leading groups. These include the Financial and Economic Affairs Leading Group. They also include the Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms. The hall is a powerful symbol. It shows the ongoing evolution of power in China. From imperial rule to the Communist Party’s reign Huairen Hall has witnessed it all. It continues to be a stage for pivotal decisions shaping China’s future.