They say history is written by the victors, so bear that in mind as you visit this museum. This is a very thorough tale of the life of PuYi, who became 'emperor' of China on three different occasions. It's also a chance for the Party to tell how compassionate it was to 'rehabilitate' PuYi after he was deposed and captured--instead of executing him as a traitor. So it's a mix of history and propaganda. Still, if you want to learn about the last days of the Chinese empire and the Japanese-occupied Manchuria, this is a very good place to start. The signage is very thorough and in both Chinese and English. Interesting displays from throughout PuYi's life as well are exhibited along a chronological path through the building. This was definitely the highlight of my visit to Changchun.

The museum captures a slice of 1930s Dong-Bei history under the Japanese military occupation. A tour of the palace gives an insight into Pu Yi and his family’s living quarters and into the working apparatus of his government and secretariat. Unfortunately no English language audio guide was available and there was a lack of explanatory notes in English on the majority of the exhibitions. Some interesting items associated with the Puppet Emperor on display, the standout probably is Pu Yi’s personal car (American made by Park Automobile Co). Palace grounds are worth an exploration - charmingly quaint garden with fountain pool and an underground surprise, an imperial bunker, an air raid shelter constructed for the Manchukuo royal family. I also discovered another curiosity adjoining the Palace perimeter, a show-jumping track for horses.