Palais du Peuple

인민궁전 (킨샤사)

The seat of the DR Congo's parliament, built in 1975–1979 with Chinese aid and modelled on Beijing's Great Hall of the People. A vast three-storey white block, 225 m by 135 m, its long fronts lined with slender piers before tall windows under a thin overhanging roof.

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At a glance

Country: Congo - Kinshasa
Location: Kinshasa, DR Congo
Built: 1979
Height: 33 m
Type: Government building

Quick answers

Where is Palais du Peuple?

Palais du Peuple is in Kinshasa, DR Congo, Congo - Kinshasa.

When was Palais du Peuple built?

Palais du Peuple was built in 1979.

How tall is Palais du Peuple?

Palais du Peuple is about 33 m tall.

The Palais du Peuple, or People's Palace, is the seat of the National Assembly and the Senate in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which used to be called Zaire. It was completed in 1979 with a line of credit from China. The building is used by lawmakers and for official ceremonies.

President Mobutu Sese Seko commissioned it after visiting China in 1973. Its design was inspired by the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. According to the model's description, it is a vast white three-storey block, 225 metres by 135 metres, with slender piers in front of tall windows under a thin overhanging roof.

Built with Chinese help

The palace was built from 1975 to 1979 with an interest-free credit line of 100 million US dollars from China. A sugar refinery in Kisanga, later destroyed in the Congo civil war, was built at the same time. The complex also includes the Kinshasa Martyrs' Stadium, a FIFA-class venue built by China in 1994. China forgave the remaining debt of 42.3 million US dollars in 1983.

A seat of power

In June 1997, after Laurent-Désiré Kabila's forces seized power, the parliament moved from the Palace of the Nation to the People's Palace. After Kabila's assassination in January 2001, his body lay in state there for three days. In December 2013, the rumba musician Tabu Ley Rochereau, known as 'the African Elvis', lay in state there as well.

A hard day in 2015

On 19 January 2015 protesters gathered in front of the palace. They were against a plan, backed by president Joseph Kabila, to delay the 2016 elections until after a national census. Security forces attacked them with tear gas and live ammunition, and at least 42 people were killed. The building has been the place of many key political moments in the country.

Fun facts

The palace was paid for with an interest-free credit line of 100 million US dollars.
China forgave 42.3 million US dollars of remaining debt in 1983.
Its design copies the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Tabu Ley Rochereau lay in state there in December 2013.