Behind the red walls of Beijing lies a former imperial garden turned power center.

Design · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Zhongnanhai, the exclusive compound adjacent to the Forbidden City, serves as the nerve center for China's leadership. Once a Ming dynasty retreat, this landscape of lakes and pavilions now houses the State Council and the Communist Party, blending centuries of imperial history with the modern administration of a global superpower.

The compound takes its name from two of the three interconnected lakes, the Central and Southern Seas, which were originally part of an expansive royal park known as Xiyuan. While the northern section of this water system, Beihai, is now a public park, the southern portion has evolved into a restricted political enclave. Its transformation began in the Ming dynasty under the Yongle Emperor, who initiated land reclamation around Taiye Lake. By the late Qing era, the site had become the primary seat of governance, with figures like Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Regent Chun choosing to reside there rather than in the Forbidden City.

Following the collapse of the Qing dynasty, the site underwent further shifts. Yuan Shikai, the first president of the Republic of China, repurposed the grounds as the base for his Beiyang Government, even constructing the Xinhuamen gate to establish a direct entrance from Chang'an Avenue. After 1949, the Chinese Communist Party leadership relocated their headquarters to the compound. Despite initial hesitation from Mao Zedong, who was wary of the location's imperial associations, the site was secured for government use. Significant renovations in the 1970s fundamentally altered the interior layout, replacing many older structures with modern offices and meeting facilities while preserving the names of historical buildings.

Today, the compound is strictly divided to reflect the dual authority of the state and the party. Northern Zhongnanhai functions as the headquarters for the State Council, where the premier and vice premiers manage administrative duties and host foreign dignitaries in venues like the Ziguang Hall. Southern Zhongnanhai serves as the base for the CCP Central Committee. Although it is the formal residence for top officials, many leaders prefer living elsewhere, such as Jade Spring Hill, due to space constraints. The site remains a symbol of central authority, largely closed to the public since the political unrest of 1989.

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