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The Forbidden City: A Fortress of Palaces and Gardens, 1407-20

The Forbidden City in Beijing, China was built between 1407-1420 AD as the imperial palace for the Ming Dynasty emperors. It took most of Emperor Yongle's reign to construct and covered over 72 hectares containing nearly 9,000 rooms when completed. The Forbidden City served as the residence for 14 Ming emperors and 10 Qing emperors until 1912 and its design included inner and outer courts separated by walls for ceremonies and imperial residences. Today, the Forbidden City retains its original appearance and architecture though the surrounding Imperial City area has changed, housing the National Palace Museum in many of its former rooms.

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Manoel Galvão
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139 views

The Forbidden City: A Fortress of Palaces and Gardens, 1407-20

The Forbidden City in Beijing, China was built between 1407-1420 AD as the imperial palace for the Ming Dynasty emperors. It took most of Emperor Yongle's reign to construct and covered over 72 hectares containing nearly 9,000 rooms when completed. The Forbidden City served as the residence for 14 Ming emperors and 10 Qing emperors until 1912 and its design included inner and outer courts separated by walls for ceremonies and imperial residences. Today, the Forbidden City retains its original appearance and architecture though the surrounding Imperial City area has changed, housing the National Palace Museum in many of its former rooms.

Uploaded by

Manoel Galvão
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHINA

THE FORBIDDEN CITY


A FORTRESS OF PALACES AND GARDENS, 1407-20

When Yongle of Ming decided to restore Beijing


as the imperial capital, his aim was strategic:
to oversee the northern frontier marked by
the Great Wall. He ordered a palace more
stupendous than anything that had come
before. It took most of his reign to build, but was
far enough advanced by 1420 for the emperor
to live in it for four years before his death.
Construction continued for generations, until it
covered 72 hectares and contained almost 9,000
rooms four times the number in the Palace of
Versailles, Buckingham Palace, the White House
and the Kremlin combined.
The centre of Beijing was built as a set of
boxes nested inside each other. In the middle
was the moated Forbidden City, which was
surrounded by the Imperial Citys
parks, temples and warehouses.
The Forbidden City,
containing

the residences for the emperor and his family


and retainers, was the nerve centre for 14 Ming
emperors and ten Qing emperors until 1912. Its
axis is the Imperial Way, linking the Outer Court,
once used for ceremonies, and the Inner Court,
for imperial residences and administration.
Today, the surrounding Imperial City is very
different from the original and most of the
walls and gate towers have gone. In the 1950s,
buildings were razed to create the space
that is todays Tiananmen Square.
But the Forbidden City
retains its original
appearance,

with great front courts and halls, which still


have their white marble terraces and carved
railings, while the Hall of Supreme Harmony
is still one of the biggest wooden
buildings in China. Many of the
rooms now form the
National Palace
Museum.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony


The smallest of the three Outer Court halls,
this was used as an antechamber and imperial
rest room. A throne is flanked by gargoyles of
unicorns, as symbols of wisdom. After being
burned down three times, the hall was restored
for the last time in 1627 in its original form.

The Meridian Gate


This is the entrance to the Forbidden
City. The central arch was once reserved
for the emperor alone, but the empress
was allowed to enter it on the day of her
wedding, and the top three scholars in
the Imperial Service examinations could
leave their exams through it. All other
officials had to use the side entrances.

18

The Gate of Supreme Harmony


Here, across five bridges spanning a meandering stream,
the Ming emperor met his ministers daily in a formal
display of his diligence. The original was rebuilt in 1894
after a fire. It leads along the citys north-south central
axis to the three halls of the Outer Court.

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