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iampleasedtoserveasyourguidetoday.
thisisthepalacemuseum;alsoknowasthepurpleforbiddencity.itisthelargestandmostwellreservedimperialresidenceinchinatoday.undermingemperoryongle,constructionbeganin1406.ittook14yearstobuildtheforbiddencity.thefirstrulerwhoactuallylivedherewasmingemperorzhudi.forfivecenturiesthereafter,itcontinuedtobetheresidenceof23successiveemperorsuntil1911whenqingemperorpuyiwasforcedtoabdicatethethrone.in1987,theunitednationseducational,scientificandculturalorganizationrecognizedtheforbiddencitywasaworldculturallegacy.
itisbelievedthatthepalacemuseum,orzijincheng(purpleforbiddencity),gotitsnamefromastronomyfolklore,theancientastronomersdividedtheconstellationsintogroupsandcenteredthemaroundtheziweiyuan(northstar).theconstellationcontainingthenorthstarwascalledtheconstellationofheavenlygodandstaritselfwascalledthepurplepalace.becausetheemperorwassupposedlythesonoftheheavenlygods,hiscentralanddominantpositionwouldbefurtherhighlightedtheuseofthewordpurpleinthenameofhisresidence.infolklore,theterm”aneasternpurplecloudisdrifting”becameametaphorforauspiciouseventsafterapurplecloudwasseendriftingeastwardimmediatelybeforethearrivalofanancientphilosopher,laozi,tothehanghupass.here,purpleisassociatedwithauspiciousdevelopments.thewordjin(forbidden)isself-explanatoryastheimperialpalacewasheavilyguardedandoff-explanatoryastheimperialpalacewasheavilyguardedandoff-limitstoordinarypeople.
theredandyellowusedonthepalacewallsandroofsarealsosymbolic.redrepresentshappiness,goodfortuneandwealth.yellowisthecoloroftheearthontheloessplateau,theoriginalhomeofthechinesepeople.yellowbecameanimperialcolorduringthetangdynasty,whenonlymembersoftheroyalfamilywereallowedtowearitanduseitintheirarchitecture.
theforbiddencityisrectangularinshape.itis960meterslongfromnorthtosouthand750meterwidefromeastwest.ithas9,900roomsunderatotalroofarea150,000squaremeters.a52-meter-wide-moatencirclesa9.9-meter—highwallwhichenclosesthecomplex.octagon—shapedturretsrestonthefourcornersofthewall.therearefourentrancesintothecity:themeridiangatetothesouth,theshenwugate(gateofmilitaryprowess)tothenorth,andthexihuagate(gateofmilitaryprowess)tothenorth,andthexihuagate(westernflowerygate)tothewest,thedonghua(easternflowerygate)totheeast.
manpowerandmaterialsthroughoutthecountrywereusedtobuildtheforbiddencity.atotalof230,000artisansandonemillionlaborerswereemployed.marblewasquarriedfromfangshancountrymountpaninjixiancountyinhebeiprovince.granitewasquarriedinquyangcountyinhebeiprovince.pavingblockswerefiredinkilnsinsuzhouinsouthernchina.bricksandscarletpigmentationusedonthepalatialwallscamefromlinqinginshandongprovince.timberwascut,processedandhauledfromthenorthwesternandsouthernregions.
thestructureinfrontofusisthemeridiangate.itisthemainentrancetotheforbiddencity.itisalsoknowsaswufenglou(five-phoenixtower).mingemperorsheldlavishbanquetshereonthe15thdayofthefirstmonthofthechineselunaryearinhornoroftheircounties.theyalsousedthisplaceforpunishingofficalsbyfloggingthemwithsticks.
qingemperorsusedthisbuildingtoannouncethebeginningofthenewyear.qingemperorqianglongchangedtheoriginalnameofthisannouncementceremonyfrombanli(announcementofcalendar)tobanshou(announcementofnewmoon)toavoidcoincidentalassociationwithanotheremperor`sname,hongli,whichwasconsideredatabooatthattime.qingdynastyemperorsalsousedthisplacetoholdaudienceandforotherimportantceremonies.forexample,whentheimperialarmyreturnedvictoriouslyfromthebattlefield,itwasherethattheemperorpresidedovertheceremonytoacceptprisonersofwar.
(afterenteringthemeridiangateandstandinginfrontofthefivemarblebridgesongoldenwaterriver)
nowweareinsidetheforbiddencity.beforewestartourtour,iwouldliketobrieflyintroduceyoutothearchitecturalpatternsbefourus.tocompletethissolemn,magnificentandpalatialcomplex,avarietyofbuildingswerearrangedonanorth-southaxis,and8-kilometer-longinvisiblelinethathasbecomeaninseparablepartofthecityofbeijing.theforbiddencitycoversroughlyone–thirdofthiscentralaxis.mostoftheimportantbuildingintheforbiddencitywereearrangedalongthisline.thedesignandarrangementofthepalacesreflectthesolemndignityoftheroyalcourtandrigidly–stratifiedfeudalsystem.
theforbiddencityisdividedintoanouterandaninnercount.wearenowstandingonthesouthernmostpartoftheoutercount.infrontofusliesthegateofsupremeharmony.thegateisguardedbyapairofbronzelions,symbolizingimperialpoweranddignity.thelionswerethemostexquisiteandbiggestofitskind.theoneontheeastplayingwithaballisamale,andballissaidtorepresentstateunity.theotheroneisafemale.underneathoneofitsforeclawsisacubthatisconsideredtobeasymbolofperpetualimperialsuccession.thewindingbrookbeforeusisthegoldenwaterriver.itfunctionsbothasdecorationandfirecontrol.thefivebridgesspanningtheriverrepresentthefivevirtuespreachedbyconfucius:benevolence,righteousness,rites,intellenceandfidelity.therivertakestheshapeofabowandthenorth-southaxisisitsarrow.thiswasmeanttoshowthattheemperorsruledthecountryonbehalfofgod.