Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo (Puppet Emperor's Palace)

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo occupies the compound at No. 5 Guangfu North Road in Kuancheng District, Changchun, Jilin Province, where Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, lived from 1932 to 1945 as the figurehead ruler of the Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo. Puyi arrived in Changchun, then renamed Xinjing, in March 1932 as Chief Executive and was enthroned as emperor, reign name Kangde, in 1934. The site was adapted from the former offices of the Jilin-Heilongjiang Salt Tax Bureau, and further buildings were added through the 1930s and early 1940s. The compound is organised into an outer court, where official business and ceremonies were held, and an inner court, where the imperial family lived. Named buildings include the Qinmin Building, used for administration and audiences, the Jixi Building, the emperor's private residence, and Tongde Hall, a more modern building with Japanese influence begun in the late 1930s. The architecture mixes Chinese roofs, Western interiors, and Japanese-style rooms, reflecting the layered political control behind the throne. The museum presents the site as historical evidence of the occupation. Period furnishings, reconstructed offices, and personal rooms are combined with exhibitions on the political, military, and economic history of Manchukuo, and the display approach is largely chronological and room-by-room. Puyi fled the palace in August 1945 as Soviet forces advanced into Manchuria, and the buildings later served other institutional uses before being opened to the public as a museum in the early 1960s and gaining national heritage protection. The structures have since been repaired and refurnished to approximate their wartime appearance. Timed-entry reservations with real-name checks are typically required, so visitors should carry a passport and check the official mini-program before arriving. A complete visit covers several separate buildings and open courtyards, and many visitors pair it with the nearby Eight Grand Ministries and Cultural Square district on a single heritage day in Changchun.