Taihe Hall (Hall of Supreme Harmony)

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Taihe Hall (Hall of Supreme Harmony) is known as “throne room”. It is the lar gest and the highestclass construction in the Palace Museum of Beijing. It is also the most spectacular extant wooden building in China. It was mainly used for lar ge-scale meeting, emperors’ accession to the throne, wedding and festival celebration, etc. It is the symbol of imperial power. It was rebuilt in Kangxi Period, with height of about 55 meters and f oor area of about 2400 square meters. Located in the most spacious courtyard in the Palace Museum of Beijing, it has great size, which is built on top of high pedestal. Against the background of the sky , it is particularly magnif cent. Entering into in the Palace Museum of Beijing, after a series of orderly courtyard space, people suddenly see Taihe Hall against the background blue sky with solemn majesty, and they strongly feel awful .

Doors and windows G e G a t e o f Ta i h e Hall is painted in red over the body. Center part is decorated with s u n f l o w e r – s h a p e d pattern lattice. The lower wood plate is carved with pattern, the frame is decorated with gold-laced metal. Ge Gate is luxurious and brilliant.

Indoor and caisson ceiling

There are 72 nanmu pillars in Taihe Hall. The middle six pillars are 12.7 meters high with diameter of 1 meter. Pillar is pasted with gold with carved pattern of dragon. Nanmu gold-lacquer throne with carved pattern of dragon is placed on 2m-high platform in Taihe Hall. There is imperial desk in front of throne, behind which there is screen. Both sides see symmetrical layout of elephant, crane and incense burner, etc. The golden caisson ceiling with carved pattern of dragon is on top of throne, and round ball “Xuanyuan Mirror” stands upside down.

Roof of Chinese building

There are f ve common roof types. According to grade level, there are Hip (Si’e) Roof, Gablet Roof, Pyramidal Roof, Hanging Roof and Hard Roof. In addition to Pyramidal Roof of Zhonghe Hall and Jiaotai Hall at axis of the Palace Museum of Beijing, other buildings of the Palace Museum of Beijing see Hip Roof and Gablet Roof. Folk residences of Beijing generally see Hard Roof.