A bird's-eye view of the Deshou Palace in Shangcheng district, Hangzhou. [Photo by Yao Yingkang/zjol.com.cn]

Deshou Palace, or the Palace of Morals and Longevity, which will be turned into the Southern Song Museum, recently saw the completion of its main building and indoor exhibition after a year and a half of construction.

The museum, which will be the first large-scale restoration of the history and culture of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) in Hangzhou, is expected to open to the public in September.

Deshou Palace was once the residence of Qin Hui, a prime minister at the Song Dynasty court. It later became home to two former emperors during the Southern Song Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong, whose reign began in 1127, retreated to the palace after leaving the throne in 1162, as did his successor Emperor Xiaozong in 1189.

According to literary works, the Deshou Palace layout was similar to that of the Southern Song Dynasty imperial city. It comprised more than 10 halls and courtyards, including the Deshou, Houdian and Lingzhi halls. There were also a large number of exquisite landscaped gardens comparable to those in the imperial city.

Exhibitions at the restored complex will showcase the everyday lives of emperors and the public during the Southern Song Dynasty, highlight economic, technological and cultural achievements from that period, and feature excavated and collected porcelain, calligraphy and other works of art.

A panoramic view of the Deshou Palace. [Photo by Yao Yingkang/zjol.com.cn]