Due to the predominant focus on imperial activities in official historical records of the Qing dynasty, documentation on the garden life of court women remains relatively scarce, leading to a long-standing lack of related research. The Changchun Xianguan (Eternal Spring Fairy Hall) in the Yuanming Yuan, as a well-documented and representative female residential space within Qing imperial gardens, initially served as a residence for imperial princes before being transformed into an important living quarter for empresses, consorts, and empress dowagers. Its functions and meanings evolved throughout the Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng reigns. This study comprehensively utilizes diverse historical sources such as the Yangshi Lei Archives, Qing imperial household records, imperial poems, and court paintings, combined with field surveys and comparative analysis, to systematically examine the spatial layout, evolutionary process, and design characteristics of female spaces in Changchun Xianguan. The findings reveal that while strictly adhering to ritual protocols and hierarchical order, the space—through its island layout surrounded by water, clearly zoned functional organization, and refined viewing arrangements—effectively accommodated the daily living, leisure, and ceremonial needs of court women, demonstrating greater flexibility and natural charm compared to the palace life in the Forbidden City. Although the spatial design responded to some extent to women’s living and aesthetic needs, its fundamental logic remained dominated by imperial authority and ritual norms, highlighting the unique predicament of Qing court women navigating between limited freedom and institutional constraints. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the characteristics and construction wisdom of female spaces in Qing imperial gardens, while also providing new perspectives and foundations for subsequent studies on the residential spaces within the Yuanming Yuan.