LocatedinthecenterofBeijing,theentirepalacearea,rectangularinshapeand72hectaresinsize,issurroundedbywallstenmetershighandamoat52meterswide.Ateachcornerofthewallstandsawatchtowerwithadouble-eaveroofcoveredwithyellowglazedtiles.Themainbuildings,thesixgreathalls,onefollowingtheother,aresetfacingsouthalongthecentralnorth-southaxisfromtheMeridianGate,thesouthentrance,toShenwumen,thegreatgatepiercinginthenorthwall.Oneithersideofthepalacearemanycomparativelysmallbuildings.SymmetricallyinthenortheasternsectionliethesixEasternPalacesandinthenorthwesternsectionthesixWesternPalaces.ThePalaceareaisdividedintotwoparts:theOuterCourtandtheInnerPalace.Theformerconsistsofthefirstthreemainhalls,wheretheemperorreceivedhiscourtiersandconductedgrandceremonies,whilethelatterwasthelivingquartersfortheimperialresidence.AttherearoftheInnerPalaceistheImperialGardenwheretheemperorandhisfamilysoughtrecreation.
ThemainentrancetothePalaceistheMeridianGate(1),whichwassonamedbecausetheemperorconsideredhimselfthe"SonoftheHeaven"andthePalacethecenteroftheuniverse,hencethenorth-southaxisastheMeridianlinegoingrightthroughthePalace.Thegateiscrownedwithfivetowers,commonlyknownastheFive-PhoenixTowers(2),whichwereinstalledwithdrumsandbells.WhentheemperorwenttotheTempleofHeaven,bellswerestrucktomarkthisimportantoccasion.WhenhewenttotheAncestralTemple,itwasthedrumsthatwerebeatentopublicizetheevent.BeyondtheMeridianGateunfoldsavastcourtyardacrosswhichtheInnerGoldenWaterRiverrunsfromeasttowest.Theriverisspannedbyfivebridges,whichweresupposedtobesymbolsofthefivevirtuespreachedbyConfucius--benevolence,righteousness,rites,intelligence,andfidelity(3).
Atthenorthendofthecourtyardisathree-tieredwhitemarbleterrace,sevenmetersabovetheground,onwhich,oneafteranother,standthreemajestichalls;theHallofSupremeHarmony(4),theHallofCompleteHarmony(5),andtheHallofPreservingHarmony(6).TheHallofSupremeHarmony,rectangularinshape,27metersinheight,2,300squaremetersinarea,isthegrandestandmostimportanthallinthePalacecomplex.ItisalsoChina'slargestexistingpalaceofwoodstructureandanoutstandingexampleofbrilliantcolorcombinations.Thishallusedtobethethronehallforceremonieswhichmarkedgreatoccasions:theWinterSolstice,theSpringFestival,theemperor'sbirthdayandenthronement,andthedispatchofgeneralstobattles,etc.OnsuchoccasionstherewouldbeanimperialguardofhonorstandinginfrontoftheHallthatextendedallthewaytotheMeridiangate.
Onthenorthfaceofthehallinthecenteroffourcoiled-goldendragoncolumnsisthe"GoldenThrone",whichwascarvedoutofsandalwood.Thethronerestsonatwo-meter-highplatformwithascreenbehindit.Infrontofit,totheleftandright,standornamentalcranes,incenseburnersandotherornaments.Thedragoncolumnsentwinedwithgoldendragonsmeasureonemeterindiameter.Thethroneitself,theplatformandthescreenareallcarvedwithdragondesigns.Highabovethethroneisacolor-paintedcofferedceilingwhichchangesinshapefromsquaretooctagonaltocircularasitascendslayeruponlayer.Theutmostcentralvaultiscarvedwiththegildeddesignofadragontoyingwithpearls.whentheEmperormountedthethrone,goldbellsandjadechimessoundedfromthegallery,andcloudsofincenserosefromthebronzecranesandtortoisesandtripodsoutsidethehallontheterrace.Theauraofmajestycreatedbytheimposingarchitectureandsolemnritualweredesignedtokeepthesubjectsofthe"SonoftheHeaven"inaweandreverence.
TheHallofCompleteHarmonyissmallerandsquarewithwindowsonallsides.Heretheemperorrehearsedforceremonies.ItisfollowedbytheHallofPreservingHarmonyinwhichbanquetsandimperialexaminationswereheld.BehindtheHallofPreservingHarmonyliesahugemarblerampwithintertwiningcloudsanddragonscarvedinrelief.Theslab,about6.5meterslong,3meterswideand250tonsinweight,isplacedbetweentwoflightsofmarblestepsalongwhichtheemperor'ssedanwascarriedupordowntheterrace.ItisthelargestpieceofstonecarvingintheImperialPalace.QuarriedinthemountainsscoresofkilometerssouthwestofBeijing,thisgiganticstonewasmovedtothecitybyslidingitoveraspeciallypavediceroadinwinter.Toprovideenoughwatertobuildtheiceroad,wellsweresunkatvery500metersalongtheway.ThethreehallsoftheInnerPalacearereplicasofthethreehallsinthefront,butsmallerinsize.TheyarethePalaceofHeavenlyPurity(7),theHallofUnion(8),andthePalaceofEarthlyTranquility(9).
ThePalaceofHeavenlyPuritywasoncetheresidenceoftheMingemperorsandthefirsttwooftheQingemperors.ThentheQingEmperorYongZhengmovedhisresidencetothePalaceofMentalCultivationandturneditintoanaudiencehalltoreceiveforeignenvoysandhandledthestateaffairs.Thepromotionanddemotionofofficialswerealsodecidedinthishall.Aftertheemperor'sdeathhiscoffinwasplacedherefora49-dayperiodofmourning.ThePalaceofUnionwastheempress'sthroneroomandtheHallofEarthlyTranquility,onceaprivatelivingroomfortheempress,waspartitioned.Thewestchamberservedreligiouspurposesandtheeastonewasthebridalchamberwherethenewlymarriedemperorandempressspenttheirfirsttwonightsaftertheirwedding.
TheImperialGardenwaslaidoutduringtheearlyMingdynasty.Hundredsofpinesandcypressesoffershadewhilevariousflowersgivecolorstothegardenallyearroundandfilltheairwiththeirfragrance.InhecenterofthegardenistheHallofImperialPeace,aDaoisttemple,withaflatroofslightlyslopingdowntothefoureaves.ThistypeofroofwasrareinancientChinesearchitecture.Inhenortheasterncornerofthegardenisarockhill,knownastheHillofthePiled-upWonders,whichistoppedwithapavilion.Atthefootofthehillaretwofountainswhichjettwocolumnsofwaterhighintotheair.Itissaidthatontheninthnightoftheninthmonthofthelunarcalendar,theempresswouldmoundthehilltoenjoytheautumnscene.Itisalsobelievedthatclimbingtoahighplaceonthatdaywouldkeeppeoplesafefromcontagiousdiseases.
ThesixWesternPalaceswereresidencesforempressesandconcubines.Theyarekeptintheiroriginalwayforshow.ThesixEasternPalacesweretheresidencesforthemtoo.Butnowtheyserveasspecialmuseums:theMuseumofBronze,theMuseumofPorcelainandtheMuseumofArtsandCraftsoftheMingandQingdynasties.Inthenortheastern-mostsectionoftheInnerPalacearetheMuseumofTraditionalChinesePaintingsandtheMuseumofJewelryandTreasureswhererarepiecesofimperialcollectionsareondisplay.
NowtheForbiddenCityisnolongerforbidding,butinviting.AvisittothePalaceMuseumwillenrichthevisitors'knowledgeofhistory,economy,politics,artsaswellasarchitectureinancientChina.
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