The Hall of Nurtured Joy was for the exclusive use of the Empress Cixi when she was attending the opera. In the magnificently furnished interior, you can see her luxurious throne, carved with a hundred or so larks flying towards a phoenix, plus a collection of caged birds and a screen with jade inlay work of flower and bird patterns. It is said that Cixi did not like watching the performances from the throne, but from the large, heated Kang bed built on bricks, which can be found behind a window.
