The Forbidden City in Beijing

The Forbidden City, situated in the very heart of Beijing. It is also called Zijin Cheng. It area is a 72-hectare (178 acres) palace complex  that was used by the emperors of China from A.D. 1420 to 1911.

The complex consists of about 980 buildings, mainly in yellow and red colors, surrounded by a wall 32 feet (10 meters) high and a moat 171 feet (52 meters) wide. The city is configured on a north-south axis that aligns with the pole star, emphasizing the emperor’s position as the son of heaven. The southern portion, which is also called the outer court, ends in the Hall of Supreme Harmony (the largest building) and tended to be where official business was carried out. The northern portion, which is also known as the inner court, had the residences of the emperor and his family as well as the harem where his concubines were kept.

About Forbidden City

The palace has two primary parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Court. Some halls are converted into art galleries to exhibit paintings, clocks, bronze wares, pottery and other invaluable treasures. It is said that there are over 1,000,000 articles in this museum that account for one-sixth of such national treasures. Tourists can enter into the palace from the Wu Men (Meridian Gate) or the Shenwu Men (Gate of Divine Might). It is impossible for visitors to see every corner of the palace in a single day.

Forbidden City Attraction

Merdian Gate

Meridian Gate (Wu Men) is the main gate and the south gate of the Forbidden City. As the greatest of the gates, it is also the highest building of the Forbidden City. Five pavilions with golden glaze tiles, like five phoenixes, sit on the gate, thus the gate is also called Five-Phoenix Pavilion. Bells and drums reside in the two pavilions closest to the main pavilion.

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Dian) also called 'Hall of Golden Throne', is the grandest hall in the palace and the largest wooden structure in China. It was originally constructed in 1402 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but was burnt down in later years. The present-day hall was rebuilt in 1695 by Emperor Kangxi, a sagacious emperor in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). During the dynasties, the hall was used to hold ceremonies on grand occasions, like the Emperor's enthronement, birthday and wedding day, the dispatch of generals to battles, the Winter Solstice and the Spring Festival.

Nine Dragon Wall

To the east of the Six Eastern Palaces and the Hall of Ancestral Worship, another group of halls stand in order along an axis parallel to the main axis of the Forbidden City. At the southern end of this complex, there is a Nine Dragon Wall welcoming visitors. It is one of three famous walls of this style in China, with the other two in Beihai Park (Beijing) and Datong City (Shanxi Province).

Gate of Heavenly Purity

The Gate of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing Men) separates the palace into the Outer and Inner Court. Behind the gate is the residential area of the palace. In front of the gate stands a pair of golden lions, a little smaller than those guarding the Gate of Supreme Harmony. The mighty lions, in the opinion of Chinese people, are extraordinary gate-guarders which frighten devils away. Beside the lions, ten huge golden vats are laid. These golden vats are not only garnitures but also hold water in case of fire. These vats weigh over 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds) and can hold more than 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds) of water.

Hall of Preserving Harmony

The Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe Dian) is the last main hall in the Outer Court. Like the Hall of Supreme Harmony, this rectangular wooden hall has multiple eaves, with ten different animal statues at each corner. In ancient China, the number of different animals on a house was a sign of its rank. A group of ten animals is the maximum which is only seen on imperial palaces.

Palace Of Tranquil Longevity

To the north of the Nine Dragon Wall, a building complex was built for the emperors who abdicated from the throne. It consists of Ningshou Gong (Palace of Tranquil Longevity), Yangxing Dian (Hall of Temper Cultivation), Leshou Tang (Hall of Joyful Longevity) and Yihe Xuan (Hall of Maintaining Harmony). This group of buildings is a microcosm of Forbidden City, for the Palace of Tranquil Longevity is equivalent to the Outer Court and the three remaining halls comprise the Inner Court.

Six Western Places

The Six Western Palaces (Xiliu Gong) and the Six Eastern Palaces (Dongliu Gong) lie symmetrically on each side of the three main halls in the Inner Court. These twelve palaces were the residence of the emperor's many wives, as polygamy was legitimate in China's feudalistic times. Each palace is a separated courtyard which has a front hall, a rear hall and assistant halls.

Hall of Union and Peace

Located between the Hall of Heavenly Purity and the Hall of Earthly Tranquility, the Hall of Union and Peace (Jiaotai Dian) implies that the union of the heaven and the earth bring peace forth. It was constructed in 1402 and rebuilt in 1789. The hall is similar with the Hall of Central Harmony  in its shape, but is comparatively small.

Hall Of Mental Cultivation

The Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin Dian) once served as a workshop which manufactured myriad articles for the imperial family. Emperor Yongzheng, the third successor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), moved to the hall and made it his residence. Subsequently, seven emperors lived in the hall and handled their routine work there. It has a separate courtyard with a gate as its entrance and stands to the southwest of the Hall of Heavenly Purity.