Shiqu Pavilion is one of the important libraries of China emperors in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and now it has become a part of the Palace Museum and is open to the public. The building was built in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, originally to commemorate Yang Shen, a writer and calligrapher of Ming Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in Qing Dynasty, Yong Zhengdi converted it into the Royal Library and called it "Shiqu Pavilion".

During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, eunuch Wei Zhongxian built a pavilion in the northwest corner of the Forbidden City in memory of Yang Shen, a writer and calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. The main building has four floors, with a height of 24 meters, a length of 1 1.8 meters and a width of 7.2 meters. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in Qing Dynasty, Yong Zhengdi converted it into the Royal Library and called it "Shiqu Pavilion". It is also the first systematic book archive in ancient China, with a large number of precious documents and history books. Now the Shiqu Museum is a part of the Palace Museum and is open to the public.

The historical background of the construction of Shiqu Pavilion is very complicated, which can be summarized as follows:

1, the life of Yang Shen and the influence of his works.

Yang Shen was a famous writer and calligrapher in the Ming Dynasty, famous for his works such as Shi Shuo Xin Yu. His works are vivid, wonderful and widely spread, which have a far-reaching influence on later literature.

2. Wei Zhongxian's influence and cultural hobbies.

During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Wei Zhongxian became the emperor's confidant, and he was in power, which also had a certain influence on cultural undertakings. He is a cultural enthusiast, studying calligraphy, painting and ancient books, and often gathering scholars to expand his political influence with their cultural influence.

3. Monitor the background of imperial academy.

During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Wei Zhongxian supervised the construction of imperial academy and launched a large-scale cultural undertaking. This project includes revising history books, sorting out classics and compiling anthologies, with the goal of sorting out the cultural essence of the Ming Dynasty.

In this context, Wei Zhongxian came up with the idea of building a cultural palace in memory of Yang Shen, so he had a plan to build a stone canal pavilion. The construction time of Shiqu Pavilion is about 1580, which takes three years. It is one of the representatives of the Cultural Palace. Since then, Shiqu Museum has been rebuilt and restored many times, becoming one of the most famous libraries in ancient China, with a large collection of precious documents, history books and other ancient cultural heritages.