The Imperial City was a section of the city of Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the Forbidden City at its centre. It refers to the collection of gardens, shrines, and other service areas once surrounding the Forbidden City of ancient Beijing. The Imperial City was surrounded by a wall and accessed through six gates, the Tiananmen Gate being the southern gate.
Over the years, several changes have happened to the buildings and area that was once the Imperial City. Several of the buildings were destroyed by various ruling Emperors, some buildings became the offices of government ministries, and others became residential land. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, the Republic of China government took over the Imperial City and since then, some of the remaining buildings have become museums and most of the land became public parks. In 1949, the PRC was established in Beijing and in the next few years, nearly all of the remaining gates and the wall surrounding the Imperial City were demolished. The area became the leadership compound of the new government, housing the central headquarters of the Communist Party of China and the State Council. Also, many of the surviving buildings in the former garden areas were also demolished. Most of the temples in the Imperial City were occupied by units of the People's Liberation Army. Some of these buildings remain occupied and are in severe disrepair. In the most recent decade, the Beijing municipal government has started work to restore some of the original temples and buildings, and to establish a park around the remaining sections of the Imperial City wall. The ancient Imperial City area has now been established as a"buffer zone" for the Forbidden City and in 2005, a proposal was released to include the Imperial City as extension items to the Forbidden City as a World Heritage Site.
Standing in the courtyard of the Imperial City. This is the Meridian Gate directly in front, the largest entrance gate into the Forbidden City. The Meridian Gate has five arches. The three central arches are close together; the two flanking arches are farther apart from the three central arches. The centre arch was formerly reserved for the Emperor alone; the exceptions were the Empress, who could enter it once on the day of her wedding, and the top three scholars of the triennial civil service examinations, who left the exams through the central arch. All other officials and servants had to use the four side arches. Above the arches are a series of buildings. The central one is the palace of nine bays wide, with double roofs. In each side, the 13 bays-wide building, single roof, connects the two pavilions on the top. The Emperor of China reviewed his troops from this location during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Passing through this gate and I entered the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 720,000 m2. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
Construction began in 1406 for what would become the Forbidden City - it lasted 14 years and required more than a million workers.
After being the home of 24 emperors – 14 of the Ming Dynasty and 10 of the Qing Dynasty – the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. Under an agreement with the new Republic of China government, Puyi remained in the Inner Court, while the Outer Court was given over to public use, until he was evicted after a coup in 1924.
The Forbidden City is a rectangle, measuring 961 metres from north to south and 753 metres from east to west. It consists of 980 surviving buildings with reportedly 9,999 bays of rooms and antechambers. The Forbidden City was designed to be the centre of the ancient, walled city of Beijing. It was enclosed in a larger, walled area called the Imperial City. The Forbidden City is surrounded by a 7.9 metres high city wall and a 6 metres deep by 52 metres wide moat. The walls are 8.62 metres wide at the base, tapering to 6.66 metres at the top. These walls served as both defensive walls and retaining walls for the palace. They were constructed with a rammed earth core, and surfaced with three layers of specially baked bricks on both sides, with the interstices filled with mortar.
Traditionally, the Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The Outer Court, or Front Court, includes the southern sections, and was used for ceremonial purposes. Entering from the Meridian Gate, you are in a large square, pierced by the meandering Inner Golden Water River, which is crossed by five bridges. Beyond the square stands the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor held morning court at the Gate of Supreme Harmony to discuss the affairs of the nation with his ministers, although for most of the Ming Dynasty morning court was purely ceremonial, a demonstration of the Emperor's diligence and the status of the titular first minister. In the Qing Dynasty, when the Emperor attended court far more frequently, morning court was moved to the Gate of Heavenly Purity, which is much closer to the Emperor's living quarters. The Gate of Supreme Harmony was used occasionally for banquets and other ceremonies. The gate is three bays deep and seven bays wide, covering a total area of 1371.4 square metres. It is flanked by two minor gates, Zhendu Gate to the west and Zhaode Gate to the east. Arrayed around the stairs are a large number of incense burners. The central stairway was reserved exclusively for the Emperor and his immediate attendants.
On the north (inner) side of the gate is Harmony Square, leading to the grand Hall of Supreme Harmony, the ceremonial centre of the Forbidden City.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest hall within the Forbidden City. It is located at its central axis, behind the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Built above three levels of marble stone base, and surrounded by bronze incense burners, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is one of the largest wooden structures within China. It was the location where Ming and Qing Dynasty Emperors hosted their enthronement and wedding ceremonies. The Hall of Supreme Harmony rises some 30 meters above the level of the surrounding square. It was the ceremonial centre of imperial power. In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor held court here to discuss affairs of state. During the Qing Dynasty, as Emperors held court far more frequently, a less ceremonious location was used instead, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony was only used for ceremonial purposes, such as coronations, investitures, and imperial weddings. It is eleven bays wide and five bays deep, and covers 2,377 square metres.
Bronze turtles and cranes, which are arranged around the terrace in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony are symbols of longevity.
The placing of a sundial in front of the Hall symbolizes that the Emperor had the highest power to grant time to all the people in the country. This sundial is made of white marble stone.
The placing of the grain measure in front of the Hall indicates that the Emperor designated weights and measures and unified the country. This grain measure was made in 1744, cast in bronze and plated with gold.
The Hall of Central Harmony is a smaller, square hall, used by the Emperor to prepare and rest before and during ceremonies. Officials kowtowed to the Emperor here. The day before the Emperor held a sacrificial ceremony he would read the prayer tablet aloud in this hall.
Behind it, the Hall of Preserving Harmony, was used for rehearsing ceremonies, and was also the site of the final stage of the Imperial examination.
All three halls feature imperial thrones, the largest and most elaborate one being that in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Chinese imperial roof decoration (or roof charms, or roof figures) was only allowed on official buildings of the empire. At the tail of the procession will be an imperial dragon, representing the authority of the state. At the head of the procession will be a man riding a phoenix. In between will be mythical beasts, usually an odd number of them. The mythical beasts are set to pounce upon the man and devour him should he stray from performing his duties with faithfulness and rectitude. The number of beasts indicated the importance of the duties performed within the building or within the courtyard protected by a gate. The maximum number of beasts is (usually) nine, including evil-dispelling bull, courageous goat-bull, wind- and storm-summoning fish, mythical lion, auspicious seahorse, heavenly horse, lion, and chiwen (a son of dragon). A minor building might have 3 or 5; the Hall of Supreme Harmony has 10, the only building in the country to be permitted this in Imperial times. As a result, its 10th statuette, called a "Hangshi", or "ranked tenth" is also unique in the Forbidden City.
Copper and iron vats were part of the fire-fighting equipment in the palace. From October to February the vats were covered with quilts to prevent the water from freezing, and on very cold days they would be heated by charcoal fires. The Ming Dynasty vats have two iron rings, ancient, simple and natural. The Qing Dynasty vats had two beast-shaped bronze rings, a big belly and a small mouth. The Forbidden City has a total of 308 copper and iron vats of various sizes.
The inner courtyard was the home of the Emperor and his family. In the Qing Dynasty, the Emperor lived and worked almost exclusively in the Inner Court, with the Outer Court used only for ceremonial purposes. At the centre of the Inner Court is another set of three halls - the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity. Smaller than the Outer Court halls, the three halls of the Inner Court were the official residences of the Emperor and the Empress. The Emperor, representing Yang and the Heavens, would occupy the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Empress, representing Yin and the Earth, would occupy the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity. In between them was the Hall of Union, where the Yin and Yang mixed to produce harmony.
These are just a few of the many (many, many...) photos I took inside the Inner Court:
The Hall of Mental Cultivation is a particularly significant building in the inner courtyard of the Forbidden City. It was here that from the time of Yongzheng Emperor in the 18th century the Qing Emperors lived and ruled the Chinese Empire. Three emperors died in the Hall. The building itself has a front and a rear hall, which served as the emperor's bedroom. In the front hall the Emperor discussed court business with his mandarins. From behind a screen in the hall the Dowager Empress Cixi made decisions on state business in the name of her son and her nephew in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century.
This is the throne seat inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation:
A gilded lion in front of one of the palaces in the inner court.
Within the inner court there is an elaborate series of corridors and alleys (which would have served as streets) that led from one building to another. If I had not been with a guide I would have been utterly and totally lost - the area was far bigger than I thought it would be.
Finally, after a few hours of being totally awestruck in the Forbidden City, I made my way to, and through, The Gate of Divine Might or Gate of Divine Prowess, the northern gate of the Forbidden City, and this ended my time in this ancient city.
Standing in the courtyard of the Imperial City. This is the Meridian Gate directly in front, the largest entrance gate into the Forbidden City. The Meridian Gate has five arches. The three central arches are close together; the two flanking arches are farther apart from the three central arches. The centre arch was formerly reserved for the Emperor alone; the exceptions were the Empress, who could enter it once on the day of her wedding, and the top three scholars of the triennial civil service examinations, who left the exams through the central arch. All other officials and servants had to use the four side arches. Above the arches are a series of buildings. The central one is the palace of nine bays wide, with double roofs. In each side, the 13 bays-wide building, single roof, connects the two pavilions on the top. The Emperor of China reviewed his troops from this location during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Passing through this gate and I entered the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 720,000 m2. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
Construction began in 1406 for what would become the Forbidden City - it lasted 14 years and required more than a million workers.
After being the home of 24 emperors – 14 of the Ming Dynasty and 10 of the Qing Dynasty – the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. Under an agreement with the new Republic of China government, Puyi remained in the Inner Court, while the Outer Court was given over to public use, until he was evicted after a coup in 1924.
The Forbidden City is a rectangle, measuring 961 metres from north to south and 753 metres from east to west. It consists of 980 surviving buildings with reportedly 9,999 bays of rooms and antechambers. The Forbidden City was designed to be the centre of the ancient, walled city of Beijing. It was enclosed in a larger, walled area called the Imperial City. The Forbidden City is surrounded by a 7.9 metres high city wall and a 6 metres deep by 52 metres wide moat. The walls are 8.62 metres wide at the base, tapering to 6.66 metres at the top. These walls served as both defensive walls and retaining walls for the palace. They were constructed with a rammed earth core, and surfaced with three layers of specially baked bricks on both sides, with the interstices filled with mortar.
Traditionally, the Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The Outer Court, or Front Court, includes the southern sections, and was used for ceremonial purposes. Entering from the Meridian Gate, you are in a large square, pierced by the meandering Inner Golden Water River, which is crossed by five bridges. Beyond the square stands the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
The Inner Golden Water River
In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor held morning court at the Gate of Supreme Harmony to discuss the affairs of the nation with his ministers, although for most of the Ming Dynasty morning court was purely ceremonial, a demonstration of the Emperor's diligence and the status of the titular first minister. In the Qing Dynasty, when the Emperor attended court far more frequently, morning court was moved to the Gate of Heavenly Purity, which is much closer to the Emperor's living quarters. The Gate of Supreme Harmony was used occasionally for banquets and other ceremonies. The gate is three bays deep and seven bays wide, covering a total area of 1371.4 square metres. It is flanked by two minor gates, Zhendu Gate to the west and Zhaode Gate to the east. Arrayed around the stairs are a large number of incense burners. The central stairway was reserved exclusively for the Emperor and his immediate attendants.
The Gate of Supreme Harmony
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest hall within the Forbidden City. It is located at its central axis, behind the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Built above three levels of marble stone base, and surrounded by bronze incense burners, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is one of the largest wooden structures within China. It was the location where Ming and Qing Dynasty Emperors hosted their enthronement and wedding ceremonies. The Hall of Supreme Harmony rises some 30 meters above the level of the surrounding square. It was the ceremonial centre of imperial power. In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor held court here to discuss affairs of state. During the Qing Dynasty, as Emperors held court far more frequently, a less ceremonious location was used instead, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony was only used for ceremonial purposes, such as coronations, investitures, and imperial weddings. It is eleven bays wide and five bays deep, and covers 2,377 square metres.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony
The placing of a sundial in front of the Hall symbolizes that the Emperor had the highest power to grant time to all the people in the country. This sundial is made of white marble stone.
The placing of the grain measure in front of the Hall indicates that the Emperor designated weights and measures and unified the country. This grain measure was made in 1744, cast in bronze and plated with gold.
The Hall of Central Harmony is a smaller, square hall, used by the Emperor to prepare and rest before and during ceremonies. Officials kowtowed to the Emperor here. The day before the Emperor held a sacrificial ceremony he would read the prayer tablet aloud in this hall.
Behind it, the Hall of Preserving Harmony, was used for rehearsing ceremonies, and was also the site of the final stage of the Imperial examination.
All three halls feature imperial thrones, the largest and most elaborate one being that in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Chinese imperial roof decoration (or roof charms, or roof figures) was only allowed on official buildings of the empire. At the tail of the procession will be an imperial dragon, representing the authority of the state. At the head of the procession will be a man riding a phoenix. In between will be mythical beasts, usually an odd number of them. The mythical beasts are set to pounce upon the man and devour him should he stray from performing his duties with faithfulness and rectitude. The number of beasts indicated the importance of the duties performed within the building or within the courtyard protected by a gate. The maximum number of beasts is (usually) nine, including evil-dispelling bull, courageous goat-bull, wind- and storm-summoning fish, mythical lion, auspicious seahorse, heavenly horse, lion, and chiwen (a son of dragon). A minor building might have 3 or 5; the Hall of Supreme Harmony has 10, the only building in the country to be permitted this in Imperial times. As a result, its 10th statuette, called a "Hangshi", or "ranked tenth" is also unique in the Forbidden City.
The roof decorations on the Hall of Supreme Harmony
A water vat from the Qing Dynasty
These are just a few of the many (many, many...) photos I took inside the Inner Court:
The Hall of Mental Cultivation is a particularly significant building in the inner courtyard of the Forbidden City. It was here that from the time of Yongzheng Emperor in the 18th century the Qing Emperors lived and ruled the Chinese Empire. Three emperors died in the Hall. The building itself has a front and a rear hall, which served as the emperor's bedroom. In the front hall the Emperor discussed court business with his mandarins. From behind a screen in the hall the Dowager Empress Cixi made decisions on state business in the name of her son and her nephew in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century.
This is the throne seat inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation:
A gilded lion in front of one of the palaces in the inner court.
Within the inner court there is an elaborate series of corridors and alleys (which would have served as streets) that led from one building to another. If I had not been with a guide I would have been utterly and totally lost - the area was far bigger than I thought it would be.
Finally, after a few hours of being totally awestruck in the Forbidden City, I made my way to, and through, The Gate of Divine Might or Gate of Divine Prowess, the northern gate of the Forbidden City, and this ended my time in this ancient city.
The moat that completely surrounds the Forbidden City
Leaving the Forbidden City behind
(And for one last bit of useless trivia, the movie The Last Emperor (1987), a biographical film about Puyi, was the first and last feature film ever authorised by the government of the People's Republic of China to be filmed in the Forbidden City.)
Please stay tuned ... more to come. Part # 3 of my day in Beijing.
Please stay tuned ... more to come. Part # 3 of my day in Beijing.
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