The palace architectures in Shenyang palace have expreessed artistic characteristics of the Manchu and other minorities, in both the traditions of the Chinese ancient palace architecture and unique style of the Manchu housing, such as its forming methods, designing philosophy, modeling, construction and making skills.
The distribution of the whole complex can be divided into three parts, i. e. eastern side, middle side and western side. The Eastern side include the Hall of Dazheng and 10-king Pavilions that built in Nurhachi time. The middle side was the proper courts which were expanded in Huangtaiji times, includes the Hall of Chongzheng, Eastern and Western match Buildings, Tower of Fenghuang and the Palaces of Qingning, Guanju, Linzhi, Yanqing and Yongfu. The western side means a group of buildings that were expanded in Qianlong period, which consist of Halls of Diguang, Qijian, Yihe and Jiayin, the Palaces of Baoji and Jiezhi, the Pavilions of Chongmo, Jingdian and Wensuo, the Houses of Jisi and Yangxi, a theatrical stage and a temple for ancestors.
Among the colourful and splendid palace buildings, the most ancient and characteristical of ethnical arts charming is no other than the Hall of Dazheng, which is the main building of the Eastern Side and its shape on pavilioned-palace that only China ha today. In the view of architecture, its luxurious but simple style, great but moderate mettle make it a most distinctive building in Shenyang palaces, conveying Manchu's features while absorbing cultural connotations of the nationalities Han and Mongol.
The year of 1626 saw the starting of the Hall of Chongzheng and the Middle Side courts, and their completion in 1635, which was the place where Hongtaiji called ministers, worked and lived with his empresses. Behind the hall, there is quadrangle which was built on a tableland in 3.8 metres high, including 7 palaces: the middle one is Palace of Qingning, where Hongtaiji and his empress Boerjijiteshi once lived. Like a gate tower with 3 storeys and some 20 meters high, the Fenghuang Tower is the highest in the complex. In front of the gate, there are 24 steps spreading to the Hall of Chongzheng, thus a unique style "low hall, high palace" and a sharp contrast compared with "low palace, high hall" of Beijing Palace.
The Hall of Chongzheng was built in 1626, and completed in 1635, was the place where Hongtaiji called and met his ministers and officials, and dealt with state affairs.
The year of 1626 saw the starting of the Hall of Chongzheng and the middle side courts, and their completion in 1635, which was the place where Huangtaiji called ministers, worked and lived with his empresses. Behind the hall, there is a quadrangle which was built on a tableland in 3.8 metres high, including 7 palaces.
The Western Side buildings include houses, halls and pavilions consisting of more than 100 rooms. Situated at the west of the original constructions, they are expansions completed in 1777. The southern set of buildings consists of the Hall of Jiayin and theatrical stage, in which the dressing room is at the front with five chambers, and 7-pollared-covered-corridor is set respectively connecting to the dressing room in south, and to the Hall of Jiayin in north. The middle set of the Library of Wensuo and the House of Yangxi. In the south of the library, there is a gate with three rooms as emperor's passage, through which entering the House of Jiayin to the south, and going into the Palace of Baoji to the east; to the north, the Library of Wensuo is standing firmly.