WearenowstandingbeforethesquareoftheHallofHeavenPurity.Itservedasadivideseparatingtheforecourtfromtheinnercourt.ThisbuildingisknownastheGateofHeavenlyPurity.EmperorQianlongheldcourthere.Proceedingfurthernorth,youcanfindthreemainrearhalls,i.e.thehallofheavenlypurity.theHallofunionandpeaceandpalaceofearthlytranquility.Thehallofheavenlypurityifflankedoneithersidebytwogatesnamedafterthesunandmoon.Insidetheenclosurethereare12palacesandhallssymbolizingconstellations.AlloftheotherbuildingsarecenteredaroundthePalaceofHeavenlyPurity,whichwasmeanttosuggestthatthemonarch`spowerwasendowedbyHeaven.Theempressandconcubineslivedintheinnercourt.
Thehallofheavenlypuritywaswheretheemperorlivedandattendedtodailyaffairs.LatertheemperormovedtoliveinthePalaceofMentalcultivation.LookingupyoucanseeaplaquebearingtheChineseinscription“beopenandabove-board,”amanifestotocourtstruggle.Behindtheplaqueastrongboxwasstoredcontainingawillbearingthenameofthewould–beroyalsuccessor.ThisapproachofsecretlyselectingthenextemperorwasadoptedbyEmperorYongzhengoftheQingDynasty.Twocopiesofthewillwereprepared.Onewasstashedbytheemperorinperson,theotherwasplacedinsidethestrongboxbehindtheplaque.Afterthedeathoftheemperor,thetwocopieswouldbecomparedandsuccessorwouldbeannounced.ItwasinthiswaythatEmperorQianglongandothershaveascendedthethrone.
BehindtheHallofheavenlypurityyouwillseethehallofunionandpeace,whichisindenticaltothehallofcompleteharmony.Itwastherethattheemperorreceivedcongratulationsandtributesfromimperialofficialsonmajorcalenderoccasions,Atotalof25imperialsealsarestoredthere.Inthehall,youwillseeaplaquewiththehandwritteninscriptionof“wewei,”exhortingTaoistdoctrines.
FurthernorthwardisthePalaceofEarthlyTranquillity,whichonceservedasthelivingroomoftheempresses`.Thehallwaslaterconvertedintoasacrificialplace.Throughthewindowpanesontheeasternwallyoucanseetheroyalbeddecoratedwithdragonandphoenixdesigns.Thishallhasalsoservedasthebridalchamberofmonarchs.
TheGateofEarthlyTranquilliityleadstotheImperialgarden(knowntowesternersasQianlong`sGarden),whichwasusedbytheemperor,theempress,andtheconcubines.Amagnificentstructurestandsinthemiddle.ItiscalledtheQin`san(ImperialPeace)Hall.ItistheonlybuildinginthePalaceMuseumthatwasbuiltinTaoiststyle.ItservedasashrinetotheTaoistdeity.Thegardencoversaspaceof12,000squaremeters,andis130metersfromeasttothewestandsome90metersfromnorthtothesouth.Thereareadozenhalls,verandahs,pavilionsandwatersidehousesinthegarden.Oneachofthefurcornerthereisapaviliondedicatedtothefourseasonswhichisdifferentinconstructionstyleandshape.Thegardenalsofeaturesanimperiallandscape.Withraretreesandexoticrockery,theImperialGardenservedasamodelforChina`simperialparks.Inall,atotalof10-strongbuildingstyleswereapplied.
Thetallbuildingwearenowpassingisthegateofmilitaryprowess,thebackdoorofthePalaceMuseum.OurvisitisnowdrawingtoaconclusionbutthearchitecturesofthePalacearenot.Ontheothersideoftheroadisthe43-meter-hignCharcoalHill,providingnaturalprotectionfortheForbiddenCity.ThiswasalsoanembodimentofChina`sconstructionstyle-puttingapoolinthefrontandahillintherear.Nowlet`sclimbuptoWanchun(EverlastingSprings)Pavillionwherewe`llhaveagreatviewofthePalaceMuseum.