Construction of the Forbidden City

2 min read

The Forbidden City was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties where the Emperor, or the Son of Heaven, lived and worked. Starting from the construction of the Forbidden City in the reign of the Yongle emperor in the Ming dynasty, it has a history of around 600 years. Within an area of 720,000 square meters, there are numerous and various styles of buildings, gardens, ponds and artificial hills, etc.

Legend says that there are 9,999 and a half bays (the space between four pillars) within the Forbidden City, only a half bay less than the residence of the Jade Emperor, as the emperor was the Son of Jade Emperor. These buildings are not only masterpieces of the traditional Chinese architecture but also the best examples of the feudal ritual hierarchy: The emperor sat on the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony with courtiers standing in line according to their titles. The stone steps served as the passage and the division line between the emperor and the courtiers.

The burned incenses and the imperial music best presented the majesty of the emperor and the inferiority of the courtiers.

In addition, the Palace Museum which is situated in the Forbidden City is thelargest collector of ancient Chinese artifacts, including paintings, ceramics, timepieces, jades, lacquers, gold and silver, books, statues, etc. Every tile, every brick here has its own story; every house has political implication. Behind the tablet Justice and Honor, could we know how many conspiracies took place? How many disasters incurred by the lust for the ultimate power? When the emperor meditated in the Sanctuary of Buddhist Essence (Fanhua Lou), was he praying for eternity or repenting of his own faults? The miserable death of Concubine Zhen was a familyaffair or a state affair? Let’s go through the gates to see with our own eyes a brief history of the Forbidden City.