Forbidden City is an imperial palace complex at the heart of Beijing. Commissioned in 1406 by the Ming Emperor Yongle, the construction of the Forbidden City required endless thousands of labourers and craftspeople. Precious timber was floated from the jungles of southwest China to the capital, while blocks of quarried stone were hauled to the palace in winter over ice roads.
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2] The magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony was the most important structure in the Forbidden City, and the tallest building. It was used for state occasions like coronations and the nomination of military leaders. It was here that the Dragon Throne of the Emperor stood, the courtyard holding an imperial audience of 100,000. The entire court had to touch the floor nine times with their foreheads, kowtowing in the emperor’s presence. Behind the throne was a carved Buddhist paradise, signifying the throne’s supremacy. Pass via the huge courtyard to visit the Hall of Martial Valour, where emperors received their ministers.
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The Forbidden City ceased to be the seat of Qing Manchu imperial government with the Chinese Revolution of 1911–12. Puyi, the last Qing emperor, was permitted to live there after his abdication, but he left Beijing in 1924. The City buildings first opened to the public in 1925, although some of the old buildings were lost in the Revolution and during the Japanese War (1937–45).
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Bronze lion, Ming Dynasty
guarding the Gate of Supreme Harmony
Khan Academy
The complex was occupied by the court in 1420, governed by an endless code of rules. 24 emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties governed China from its closed-off world, until revolution swept them away after WW1. Despite their apparent age, most of the buildings were actually post-C18th Qing creations.
The walled complex followed the traditional Chinese practice of feng shui. Within the compound, which was laid out on a N-S line, the most important buildings faced south to honour the Sun. The great power of the emperor could be judged from the height, width, rooves and the figurines on the roof ridges. The most notable landmarks were:
1] The Meridian Gate was the imposing formal southern entrance to Forbidden City. Its auxiliary wings along the entry way were outstretched like a guardian lion, a massive U-shaped portal at the south end of the complex, once reserved for the emperor alone. The gate was very tall (38 ms) and served as a backdrop for imperial appearances and proclamations. Beyond the Meridian Gate lay a large courtyard through which the Golden River ran in a Tartar bow-shaped arc. The river was crossed by five parallel white marble bridges.
Emperor's throne
Insight Guides
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Gold celestial globe, Qianlong (1736-1795 AD),
82 cms high and weighs 6 ks.
The pearls represent stars on the sphere of the sky.
Palace Museum
3] The third structure was the Hall of Preserving Harmony, used for banquets and for imperial examinations. The hall has no support pillars, and to its rear is a 250-tonne marble imperial carriageway carved with dragons and clouds.
The peripheral buildings surrounding the Three Great Halls were used for storing gold, silver, silks, carpets etc, and now house museum exhibits. At the northern end of the City was the Imperial Garden, a classical 3 acres Chinese garden with fine landscaping, rockeries, walkways, pavilions and ancient cypresses. At its centre was a Daoist temple where the emperor retreated for contemplation.
The shape of the 3 Great Halls was echoed by the next group of buildings, reached through the Gate of Heavenly Purity. The Inner Court was where the Ming and early Qing emperors and their courts actually lived & worked. The garden was designed as a place of relaxation for the emperor, with trees, fish ponds, flower beds and sculpture. Then the Outer Court was where the three main administration halls stood atop a three-tiered marble terrace overlooking a huge plaza. The area covered 7 acres, enough space to admit tens of thousands of subjects to pay the emperor homage.
Imperial garden and pavilion
The Palace of Earthly Tranquility was the imperial couple’s bridal chamber and the centre of operations for the harem. In time the empresses and concubines of deceased emperors resided there. Today it houses the Sculpture Gallery: Buddhist statues, terracotta warriors and stone reliefs.
The Palace of Longevity was built c1771 for Qing emperor Qianlong's retirement. On one side is the Garden of Compassion and Tranquility, where empress dowagers and imperial consorts worshipped the Buddha, entertained themselves and rested. Today it holds the Treasure Gallery, the palace's major collection of ornamental objects: gold, silver, jade, pearls, emeralds and semi-precious stones.
From there work go north, exploring various halls and court yards before exiting at the northern end of the Forbidden City. En route, seek out the Pavilion of Cheerful Melodies, a three-storey wooden opera house, which was the palace’s largest theatre.
To prevent ordinary mortals from entering the Imperial City, another set of huge walls were built, cut through with 4 heavily guarded gates. Gongs and bells sounded imperial movements: the military used the west gate, civilians the east gate and servants the north gate. The emperor also reviewed his armies from the Meridian Gate, passed judgement on prisoners, announced the new year’s calendar and had troublesome ministers flogged.
Palace of Heavenly Purity
Terragalleria
Modern tourists enter through the Meridian Gate. Since 2018, visitors could climb the Forbidden City's Wall just inside the Meridian Gate, continue to the Corner Tower, and then into the East Prosperity Gate. This route included the Gallery of Historic Architecture, with exhibition spaces in the Corner Tower and the East Prosperity Gate. The year 2020 was to mark the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, until coronavirus closed the site.
Conclusion
The 178-acre compound, enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls in Beijing, is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of historical buildings, especially the Three Great Halls at its heart. The Forbidden City was home to 2 dynasties of imperial rule, sharing 900-plus buildings with family, courtiers, servants, eunuchs and concubines, until the Republic over-threw the last Qing emperor in 1911. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, and now welcomes 16 million visitors each year. My son and I spent a full day in Forbidden City, examining the ceremonial halls, gates, courtyards and halls, and climbing along the 10m-high walls for aerial views.
Where my original notes proved to be inadequate, thankfully I could rely on Khan Academy.
Where my original notes proved to be inadequate, thankfully I could rely on Khan Academy.
Dr Joe