With the Kunming Lake in the front and Longevity Hill at the back, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity was the major construction in the royal community. It was also the best place in the Summer Palace for leisure since it leads west to the Long Corridor, and east to the Garden of Virtue and Harmony.
During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity was first built as a two story building with the hall for Buddha worship upstairs and study below. It was burnt down by Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860 and rebuilt into a one-story building later as the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi after she rebuilt the Summer Palace.
Compound with a courtyard in the center, there are small yards on two sides as the east wing and west wing. There is also a back hall on the north of the main hall where Empress Dowager Cixi put her clothes and jewelries in.
Divided into five parts, the main hall was well decorated. Living room can be seen from the outside. The west room was used as her bedroom and the east for a dressing room. There are also a room for Cixi to manage the state affairs and a dining room.
In the midst of hall, there is a carved sandalwood throne. On both sides of the throne are two porcelain plates. It is said that these plates were placed here as the fruit container. However the fruit is placed here not for eat, but functioned to adjust the air with fruit fragrance. There are also four big copper incense burners served for burning incense. There is a colorful pendant lamp hung on the ceiling. Just over there. The colorful pendant lamp was imported from Germany in 1903.
Outside the hall, there are several bronze statues stringed out in front of the main hall. The bronze deer, the bronze crane and the bronze vase all symbolize peace. And there are magnolias on both side of the main hall, and once planted some peonies by the Empress Dowager Cixi that are now transplanted to another place. These plants as a combination in Chinese culture means prosperity.