Zhong palace is the former site of Suzhou Museum. The layout and buildings differ from the new museum, whose pink wall and black tile symbolize the traditional style of Suzhou. Decorated with classical relics, the new museum lost its primitive simplicity with the wet paint and the varieties of electronic cue sheets. However, as soon as you walk into the Zhong Palace, you will feel like getting into the late Qing Dynasty---the craved beams and painted rafters shining with indistinct dark red and a pleasant smell of the sandalwood, which is the classic and historical enchantment.

    The buildings of Zhong Palace of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are majestic, scattered and winding. The small and exquisite Gangnam style creates an atmosphere of a flowing stream beneath a little bridge and the rockwork over flowers and plants, which is opposite to the large royal garden in the north. The palace consists of the office, the mansion, the garden and so on. The main hall is magnificent, which is connected with the back room by a covery corridor. The main hall, the back room and the corridor present an I-shape hall. Till now, over 400 square excellent girder paintings, 9 vivid murals and elaborate dragon-and-phoenix-carved pane in the windows of the main hall are still preserved in the office building. The architectural art of Zhong Palace is unique. In front of the original gate stand two drum playing pavilions. Two flying turrets are high up in the air on the Outer Gates. It is proved that the gate is several zhang high, imperial and magnificent, later rebuilt as the old-style yamen in Qing Dynasty by Li Hongzhang. The main hall, the back room and side rooms of the palace are completely preserved. Go straight and you will see a statue of an upper body of king Zhong, a golden-word inscribed board on it saying---eternal loyalty. Kerchiefs are on the head and neck of King zhong’s statue, his head slightly tilting to the right with sparking eyes and calm look.

    The existence of Zhong Palace witnessed the first peasant uprising in Chinese history---the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The uprising inevitably influences history significantly, pushing the development of social productive forces, unveiling the prelude and putting forward the basic program of Chinese democratic revolution. It reflects Chinese people’s spirit of heroism and patriotism in fighting against foreign invasion. It also holds back the attempt of capitalism invaders from turning China into a colony. As a result, the fact that Chinese people cannot be insulted and Chinese people are too brave and strong to be governed by them directly was demonstrated. Thus the progress of China’s semi-colonization was postponed, the road for the Revolution of 1911 was paved, the national liberation movements in Asia were propelled, and the oppressed classes and nations throughout the world were encouraged to fight for themselves.