The Forbidden City
A giant marble stone intricately carved with dragons and clouds spans the walkway leading to the Hall of Preserving Harmony. Enormous bronze statues of Ming Dynasty lions guard the gate to the larger Hall of Supreme Harmony. Expansive courtyards, monumental pavilions, and gardens decorate the walkways that connect more than 900 buildings. Many of the roofs boast statues of mythical and real animals (such as dragons, a phoenix, lions, and unicorns) each with an important symbolic role. The number of animals, an indicator of the importance of the building, the higher the number, the more powerful it is.
This vast palace compound was completed in the year 1420 AD, and for more than 600 years, it served as the home to Chinese emperors, and the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. Twenty four emperors called it home over the centuries. Each emperor would often rise at 4 am to attend the early court where his first of many rulings of the day were needed. In the winter, chambers underneath the floor connected to ovens warmed the wooden buildings. He ate hearty meals that served the purpose of health and longevity from the finest jade and porcelain dishware accompanied by napkins embroidered with designs of dragons made from gold and silver thread. Mid-day, while taking a break from his royal duties, he would often wander the Imperial garden, designed as a place of relaxation with a fanciful arrangement of trees, fish ponds, flower beds and sculpture. In the center of the garden stood the Hall of Imperial Peace, a Daoist temple where he would retreat for contemplation. When the emperor entered the palace from the main gate at night, he would notice that his path led him in the direction of the North Star. This was not an accident, as in ancient times, the emperor was said to be a son of Heaven, and his residence led to the star, which was thought to be Heaven. In fact, the entire palace compound was built along a north-south axis, believed to bring power from the Heavens.
Art and luxury surrounded the emperor, with even the smallest of details carefully planned.
Researchers believe the royal canines that called the palace home lived with marble floors and slept on silk cushions. A royal dog named "Big Luck" who lived in the Forbidden City during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor (A.D. 1875-1908) wore this silk outfit.
Within the palace walls were more than 300,000 pieces of ceramic and porcelain.
While the design of the palace compound adhered strictly to the theme of balance, harmony, luxury, and a connection to the Heavens, life within the 26 foot tall walls was not as glamorous as the details might make one imagine. The only people living within the inner walls of the city were the Emperor, his family, his Empress, his concubines and his guards that were castrated men known as Eunuchs. Commoners were not allowed in the palace compound (hence it's modern-day name) and many of the Forbidden City's inhabitants were forced to be there and not allowed to leave. Silver chopsticks, although what one might call fine dining, were used by the emperor or his servant to detect poison in the food as the fear of assasination was a constant worry. And, with a rigidly controlled schedule, the emperor had far less freedom than the ordinary person.
In 1987, the 180 acre compound was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in recognition of its importance as the center of Chinese power for five centuries, as well as for its unparalleled architecture. Today, it serves as a museum, conserving much of the original structure, displaying more than one million pieces of art, and allowing the public to learn about its complex history.
Do you want to learn more about what life was like within the palace walls and how decisions made during these six centuries contributed to the China we know today? We encourage you to read more about the Forbidden City online, or come along with us on our journey there in February 2021. For more information, please reach out to us.
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