Prince Gong's Palace was a Qing Dynasty imperial residence that has been converted into a park. Originally built in 1777 for He Shen, a favored minster of Qing Emperor Qianlong, it was later given to Prince Gong by Qing Emperor Xianfeng.

When you enter the park you may never realize that you are looking at a home. One guy I know told me he never saw the main residence. His mistake was that he assumed he would see one giant consolidated mansion, not a home arranged around courtyards and gardens. Some scholars believe that this residence was the inspiration for the Jia estate in Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Mansion (see Grand View Garden).