The Forbidden City, the imperial palace in the old days in China，sits in the very heart of Beijing. In 1987, the Forbidden City was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Forbidden City was enmeshed in the concepts of philosophy and astronomy in ancient China. Astronomers at that time divided the stars into three enclosures, 28 lunar mansions and other constellations. Of these, the Purple Forbidden Enclosure (covering the region around the Polestar) stands at the center of all constellations, the position of which is permanent for all time. Therefore, it represents the Lord of Heaven. Emperors in China claimed to be the Son of Heaven, and their palace the Purple Palace in the sky. They wished that they could live in the Purple Palace and maintain the stability of the country. In order to assert their authority and dignity and to ensure security, the imperial palace, built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), looks spectacular but is also closely guarded. As ordinary people were not allowed to enter the imperial palace hence the palace was referred to as the “Forbidden City”.
The construction of the Forbidden City started in the fifth year of the reign of Ming Emperor Chengzu, known as the Yongle Period (in 1407), and ended in the 18th year under his reign (in 1420). With a history of nearly 600 years, it was home to 24 emperors ranging from Ming Emperor Zhu Di in the Yongle Period to Puyi, the last Emperor of China. Today, the site is home to the Palace Museum which collects the most historic relics in China.
The Forbidden City is the largest imperial palace complex in the world, covering an area of 720,000 square meters with a total floor space of 155,000 square meters. The magnificent and gorgeous complex represents the essence of ancient Chinese architecture. There are more than 9,000 rooms inside. All gates are each decorated with a nine-by-nine array of bronze door nails. In ancient times, nine was regarded as the largest number and the emperor was the most powerful in the human world. Therefore, nine symbolizes the emperor. In addition, nine pronounces the same as the word “long-lasting” in Chinese, symbolizing the stability of the country.
The Forbidden City falls into two parts: the outer court and the inner court, the styles of which are totally different. The outer court is made up of three main buildings: the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), the Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghedian) and the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian). These halls were where emperors attended the grand ceremonies and conducted State affairs. The inner court is composed of three main structures at the rear of the Forbidden City, namely the Palace of Heavenly Peace (Qianqinggong), the Palace of Union and Peace (Jiaotaidian) and the Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility (Kunninggong). These were the living quarters of the emperor and his concubines. Besides the three main buildings, there are other palaces such as the Wenhuadian Hall, the Wuyingdian Hall and the Imperial Garden. The Forbidden City is in the shape of a rectangle. At each corner, there stands a magnificent watchtower. For security, it is enclosed by a ten-meter-high wall with a perimeter of 3,430 meters, and is surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat.
In the old days, Chinese emperors thought they were real dragons and literally the Sons of Heaven. That’s why dragon motifs in varied poses can be seen almost everywhere inside, such as in the halls, on bridges, stone sculptures, imperial jade seals, robes and in items used for daily functions. The number of dragon designs and carvings, at a rough estimate, exceeds 13,000 and that is just inside and outside the Taihedian Hall. It is anybody’s guess how many dragons in total can be found in the Forbidden City. Such decoration added an aura of majesty and mystery.
When traveling in the Forbidden City, tourists may be interested to learn that there are no trees in the Taihedian Hall, the Zhonghedian Hall or the Baohedian Hall. Geographically, these three halls stand at the very heart of the whole outer court as well as at the center of the city of Beijing. Trees were not allowed to be planted inside because they would detract from the spacious square and the clear sky overhead which gave prominence to the prestige of the palace. Another reason was that Chinese emperors were associated with Earth among the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water), and wood was said to repel the earth. Moreover, a third reason why trees were not planted was that emperors could be vulnerable to assassination by assailants using trees as cover.
