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FORBIDDEN CITY (紫禁城)
(In front of the meridian gate)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am pleased to serve as your guide today.
This is the palace museum; also know as the Purple Forbidden City. It is
the largest and most well reserved imperial residence in China today. Under Ming
Emperor Yongle, construction began in 1406. It took 14years to build the
Forbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was Ming Emperor Zhudi.
For five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of23 successive
emperors until 1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne. In
1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
recognized the Forbidden City was a world cultural legacy.
It is believed that the Palace Museum, or Zi Jin Cheng (Purple Forbidden
City), got its name from astronomy folklore, The ancient astronomers divided the
constellations into groups and centered them around the Ziwei Yuan (North Star)
. The constellation containing the North Star was called the Constellation of
Heavenly God and star itself was called the purple palace. Because the emperor
was supposedly the son of the heavenly gods, his central and dominant position
would be further highlighted the use of the word purple in the name of his
residence. In folklore, the term “an eastern purple cloud is drifting” became a
metaphor for auspicious events after a purple cloud was seen drifting eastward
immediately before the arrival of an ancient philosopher, LaoZi, to the Hanghu
Pass. Here, purple is associated with auspicious developments. The word jin
(forbidden) is self-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and
off-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-limits to
ordinary people.
The red and yellow used on the palace walls and roofs are also symbolic.
Red represents happiness, good fortune and wealth. Yellow is the color of the
earth on the Loess Plateau, the original home of the Chinese people. Yellow
became an imperial color during the Tang dynasty, when only members of the royal
family were allowed to wear it and use it in their architecture.
The Forbidden City is rectangular in shape. It is 960 meters long from
north to south and 750 meter wide from east west. It has 9,900 rooms under a
total roof area 150,000 square meters. A 52-meter-wide-moat encircles a 9.
9-meter—high wall which encloses the complex. Octagon —shaped turrets rest on
the four corners of the wall. There are four entrances into the city: the
Meridian Gate to the south, the Shenwu Gate (Gate of Military Prowess) to the
north, and the Xihua Gate (Gate of military Prowess) to the north, and the Xihua
Gate (Western Flowery Gate ) to the west, the Donghua (Eastern Flowery Gate) to
the east.
Manpower and materials throughout the country were used to build the
Forbidden City. A total of 230,000 artisans and one million laborers were
employed. Marble was quarried from fangshan Country Mount Pan in Jixian County
in Hebei Province. Granite was quarried in Quyang County in Hebei Province.
Paving blocks were fired in kilns in Suzhou in southern China. Bricks and
scarlet pigmentation used on the palatial walls came from linqing in Shandong
Province. Timber was cut, processed and hauled from the northwestern and
southern regions.
The structure in front of us is the Meridian Gate. It is the main entrance
to the forbidden City. It is also knows as Wufenglou (Five-Phoenix Tower). Ming
emperors held lavish banquets here on the 15th day of the first month of the
Chinese lunar year in honor of their counties. They also used this place for
punishing officials by flogging them with sticks.
Qing emperors used this building to announce the beginning of the new year.
Qing Emperor Qianlong changed the original name of this announcement ceremony
from ban li (announcement of calendar) to ban shou (announcement of new moon) to
avoid coincidental association with another Emperor's name, Hongli, which was
considered a taboo at that time. Qing Dynasty emperors also used this place to
hold audience and for other important ceremonies. For example, when the imperial
army returned victoriously from the battlefield, it was here that the Emperor
presided over the ceremony to accept prisoners of war.
(After entering the Meridian Gate and standing in front of the Five Marble
Bridges on Golden Water River)
Now we are inside the Forbidden City. Before we start our tour, I would
like to briefly introduce you to the architectural patterns before us. To
complete this solemn, magnificent and palatial complex, a variety of buildings
were arranged on a north-south axis, and 8-kilometer-long invisible line that
has become an inseparable part of the City of Beijing. The Forbidden City covers
roughly one –third of this central axis. Most of the important buildings in the
Forbidden City were arranged along this line. The design and arrangement of the
palaces reflect the solemn dignity of the royal court and rigidly –stratified
feudal system.
The Forbidden City is divided into an outer and an inner count. We are now
standing on the southernmost part of the outer count. In front of us lies the
Gate of supreme Harmony. The gate is guarded by a pair of bronze lions,
symbolizing imperial power and dignity. The lions were the most exquisite and
biggest of its kind. The one on the east playing with a ball is a male, and ball
is said to represent state unity. The other one is a female. Underneath one of
its fore claws is a cub that is considered to be a symbol of perpetual imperial
succession. The winding brook before us is the Golden Water River. It functions
both as decoration and fire control. The five bridges spanning the river
represent the five virtues preached by Confucius: benevolence, righteousness,
rites, intelligence and fidelity. The river takes the shape of a bow and the
north-south axis is its arrow. This was meant to show that the Emperors ruled
the country on behalf of God.
(In front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony)
The Forbidden City consists of an outer courtyard and an inner enclosure.
The out count yard covers a vast space lying between the Meridian Gate and the
Gate of Heavenly Purity. The “three big halls” of Supreme Harmony, Complete
Harmony and Preserving Harmony constitute the center of this building group.
Flanking them in bilateral symmetry are two groups of palaces: Wenhua (Prominent
Scholars) and Wuying (Brave Warriors). The three great halls are built on a
spacious “H”-shaped, 8-meter-high, triple marble terrace, Each level of the
triple terrace is taller than the on below and all are encircled by marble
balustrades carved with dragon and phoenix designs. There are three carved stone
staircases linking the three architectures. The hall of supreme Harmony is also
the tallest and most exquisite ancient wooden-structured mansion in all of
China. From the palace of Heavenly Purity northward is what is known as the
inner court, which is also built in bilaterally symmetrical patterns. In the
center are the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union and Peace and Palace
of Earthly Tranquility, a place where the Emperors lived with their families and
attended to state affairs. Flanking these structures are palaces and halls in
which concubines and princes lived. There are also three botanical gardens
within the inner count, namely, the imperial Garden, Caning garden and Quailing
garden. An inner Golden Water River flows eastwardly within the inner court. The
brook winds through three minor halls or palaces and leads out of the Forbidden
City. It is spanned by the White Jade Bridge. The river is lined with winding,
marble –carved balustrades. Most of the structures within the Forbidden City
have yellow glazed tile roofs.
Aside from giving prominence to the north-south axis, other architectural
methods were applied to make every group of palatial structures unique in terms
of terraces, roofs, mythical monsters perching on the roofs and colored, drawing
patterns. With these, the grand contour and different hierarchic spectrum of the
complex were strengthened. Folklore has it that there are altogether 9,999
room-units in the Forbidden City. Since Paradise only has 10,000 rooms, the Son
of Heaven on earth cut the number by half a room. It is also rumoured that this
half –room is located to the west of the Wenyuange Pavilion (imperial library) .
As a matter of fact, although the Forbidden City has more than 9,000 room-units,
this half-room is nonexistent. The Wenyuange Pavilion is a library where “Si Ku
Quan Shu”- China's first comprehensive anthology-was stored.
(After walking past the Gate of Supreme Harmony)
Ladies and Gentlemen, the great hall we are approaching is the Hall of
Supreme Harmony, the biggest and tallest of its king in the Forbidden City. This
structure covers a total building space of 2,377 square meters, and is know for
its upturned, multiple counterpart eaves. The Hall of Supreme Harmony sits on a
triple “H”-shaped marble terrace is 8 meters high and linked by staircases. The
staircase on the ground floor has 21 steps while the middle and upper stairways
each have 9.
The construction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony began in 1406. It burned
down three times and was severely damaged once during a mutiny. The existing
architecture was built during the Qing Dynasty. On the corners of the eaves a
line of animal-nails were usually fastened to the tiles. These animal-nails were
later replace with mythical animals to ward off evil spirits. There are
altogether 9 such fasteners on top of this hall. The number nine was regarded by
the ancients to be the largest numeral accessible to man and to which only the
emperors were entitled.
There was a total of 24 successive emperors during the Ming and Qing
dynasties who were enthroned here. The ball was also used for ceremonies which
marked other great occasions: the Winter Solstice, The Chinese Lunar New Year,
the Emperor's birthday, conferral of the title of empress, the announcement of
new laws and policies, and dispatches of generals to war. On such occasions, the
Emperor would hold audience for his court officials and receive their
tributes.
This area is called the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square, which covers a
total of 30,000 square meters, Without a single tree or plant growing here, this
place inspires visitors to feel its solemnity and grandeur. In the middle of the
square there is a carriageway that was reserved for the Emperor. On both sides
of the road the ground bricks were laid in a special way seven layers lengthwise
and eight layers crosswise, making up fifteen layers in all. The purpose of this
was to prevent anyone from tunneling his way into the palace. In the count yard
there are iron vats for storing water to fight fires. In the whole complex there
are altogether 308 water vats. In wintertime, charcoal was burned underneath the
vats to keep the water from freezing. Why so vast a square? It was designed to
impress people with the hall's grandeur and vastness. Imagine the following
scene. Under the clear blue sky, the yellow glazed tiles shimmered as the
cloud-like layers of terrace, coupled with the curling veil of burning incense,
transformed the hall of supreme Harmony into a fairyland. Whenever major
ceremonies were held, the glazed, crane-shaped candleholders inside the hall
would be it, and incense and pine branches burnt in front of the hall. When the
Emperor appeared, drums were beaten and musical instrument played. Civilian
officials and generals would kneel know in submission.
The last Qing emperor Puyi assumed the throne in 1908, at the age of three,
His father carried him to the throne. At the start of the coronation, the sudden
drum-beating and loud music caught the young emperor unprepared. He was so
scared that he kept crying and shouting, “I don't want to stay here. I want to
go home.” His father tried to soothe him, saying, “It'll all soon be finished.
It'll all soon be finished” The ministers present at the event considered this
incident inauspicious. Coincidentally, the Qing dynasty collapsed three years
later and there with concluded China’s feudal system that had lasted for more
than 2,000 years.
(On the stone terrace of the Hall of Supreme Harmony)
This is a bronze incense burner. In it incense made of sandalwood would be
burnt on important occasions. There are altogether 18 incense burners,
representing all of the provinces under the rule of the Sing monarchs. On either
side of the Hall, 4 bronze water-filled vats were placed in case of fire. Next
to the terrace on either side, there is a bronze crane and tortoise, symbols of
longevity. This copper-cast grain measure is called “jialiang.” It served as the
national standard during the Qing dynasty. It was meant to show that the
imperial ruler were just and open to rectification. On the other side there is a
stone sundial, an ancient timepiece. The jialiang and the sundial were probably
meant to show what the Emperor represented: that he was the only person who
should possess the standards of both measure and time.
In the very forefront of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there are 12 scarlet,
round pillars supporting the roof. The hall is 63 meters from east to west and
37 meters from north to south. It is 35 meters in height. In front of this
architecture, there stands a triple terrace with five staircases leading up to
the main entrance. It has 40 gold doors and 16 gold-key windows with colored
drawings on the pillars and beams. In the middle of the hall, a throne carved
with 9 dragons sits on a 2-meter-high platform. Behind the throne there is a
golden screen and in front of it, there is an imperial desk. The flanks are
decorated with elephants, Luduan (a legendary beast), cranes, and incense
barrels. The elephant carries a vase on its back that holds five cereals (i. e.
rice, two kinds of millet, wheat and beans), which was considered a symbol of
prosperity. As ancient legend has it that luduan can travel 18,000 li (9,000
kilometers ) in one day and knows all languages and dialects. Only to a wise
adjust monarch will this beast be a guardian.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is also popularly known as Jinluan Dian (gold
bell hall or the throne hall). The floor of the hall is laid with bricks that
turn it into a smooth, fine surface as if water has been sprinkled on it. The
so-called golden brick, in fact, has nothing to do with gold. Reserved
exclusively for the construction of the royal court, it was made in a secretive,
and complex way, and, when struck, sounds like the clink of a gold bar. Each
brick was worth the market price of one dan (or one hectoliter) of rice.
The hall is supported by a total of 72 thick pillars. Of these, 6 are
carved in dragon patterns and painted with gold and surround the throne. Above
the very center of this hall there is a zaojing, or covered ceiling, which is
one of the Specialities of China's ancient architecture. In the middle of the
ceiling is a design of a dragon playing with a ball inlaid with peals. This
copper ball, hollow inside and covered with mercury, is known as the Xuanyuan
Mirror and is thought to be made Xuanyuan, a legendary monarch dating back to
remote antiquity. The placing of the caisson above the throne is meant to
suggest that all of China's successive emperors are Zuanyuan's descendants and
hereditary heirs. Now you might have noticed that the Xuanyuan mirror is not
directly above the throne. Why? It is rumored that Yuan Shikai, a self-acclaimed
warlord-turned emperor moved the throne further back because he was afraid that
the mirror might fall on him. In 1916 when Yuan Shikai became emperor, he
removed the original throne with a Western-style, high-back chair. After the
foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 the throne was found in a
shabby furniture warehouse. It repaired and returned to the hall.
(Leading the tourist to the bronze vats either on the east or the west)
the water vats in front of the palaces or house were called “menhai,” or
sea before the door by the ancient Chinese. They believed that with a sea by the
door, fire could not wreak havoc. The vats served both as a decoration and as a
fire extinguisher. They were kept full of water all year round.
During the Qing Dynasty, they were altogether 308 vats in the palace
enclosure. They were made of gilt bronze or iron. Of course, the gilt bronze
vats were of the best quality. When the allied forces (Britain, Germany, France,
Russia, the United States, Italy, Japan and Austria) invaded Beijing in 1900
under the pretext of suppressing the Boxer Rebellion, the invaders ransacked the
imperial compound and scraped and gold off the vats with their bayonets. During
the Japanese occupation of Beijing, many vats were trucked away by the Japanese
to be made into bullets.
(In front of the Hall of Complete Harmony)
The square architecture before us is called the Hall of Complete Harmony.
It served as an antechamber. The Emperor came here to meet with his countiers
and add his final touches to the prayers which would be read at the ancestral
Temple. The seeds, snowers and prayer intended for spring sowing were also
examined here. The two Qing sedan chairs here on display were used for traveling
within the palace during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.
(In front of the hall f Preserving Harmony)
This is the Hall of Preserving Harmony. During the Qing Dynasty, banquets
were held here on New Year's eve in honour of Mongolian and Northwestern China's
xingjiang princes and ranking officials. The Emperor also dinned here with his
new son-in-law on the wedding day. Imperial examinations were also held here
once every three years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were three
levels of exams: the county and prefectural level, the provincial level and
national level. The national exam was presided over by the emperor. The civil
service exam in ancient China started during the Han Dynasty. It served the
purpose of recruiting Confucian scholars to the ministers and high officials.
During the Tang and Qing dynasties reinstituted and ancient system. Once every
three years, three hundred scholars from all over the country came to Beijing
and took exams for three day and night. This system was abolished in 1905.
(Behind the hall of preserving harmony)
this is the largest stone carving in the palace. It is 16. 73 meters long,
3. 07 meters wide and 1. 7 meters thick. It weighs about 200 tons. The block was
quarried in Fangshan County, roughly 70 kilometers away. To transport such a
huge block to Beijing, laborers dug wells along the roadside half a kilometer
apart, and used the groundwater to make a road of ice in the winter. Rolling
blocks were used in the summer. In 1760, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty
ordered the carving of the existing cloud and dragon design in place of the old
one which dated back to the Ming Dynasty.
Note : From here, the tour can be conducted via three different routes: a
western route (Route A), a central route (Route B) or an eastern route (Route C)
. The commentary for each follows.
Route A
Ladies and Gentlemen:
You have seen the three main halls of the Forbidden City. Now I 'd like to
show you around the hall of mental cultivation and the imperial garden. The hall
of mental cultivation is situated is in the western part of the innermost
enclosure and is symmetrical to Fengxian (enshrinement of forebears) Hall in the
east. This hall was built during the Ming Dynasty. IT is a H-shaped structure
consisting of an antechamber and a main building. The hall is surrounded by
corridors. In front of the hall is the Office of Privy Council.
Before Emperor Kangxi of Qing the Dynasty came to power the Hall of
Heavenly Purity served as the living quarter of the emperors. Emperor Yongzheng
chose to live in this hall and attended to every day state affairs from here.
For the sake of protecting cultural relics, this hall is not open to the public.
You can have a look at the inside from the door. The central hall was the
audience chamber where the emperor read memorials, granted audience to officials
and summoned his minsters for consultation. The western chamber of the hall was
where the emperor read reports and discussed military and political affairs. The
hall consists of many inner rooms and is decorated with images of Buddha and
miniature pagodas. On the screen wall there hangs a picture of two emperors in
the Han costume. In a southern room there three rare calligraphic scrolls, hence
the name of the room “Sanxitang” (Room of Three Rare Treasures) . The room on
the eastern side is of historical interest because it was here that Empress
Dowager Cixi usurped power and made decisions on behalf of the young emperor. A
bamboo curtain was used to separate them.
Empress Dowage Cixi was born in 1835 in Lu'an Prefecture of shanxi
province. She's of Manchurian nationality and her father was a provincial
governor from south China. When she was 17 years old, she was selected to become
a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng and moved into the Forbidden City. She gave
birth to a son when she was 21years old and was made a concubine the following
year. When the emperor passed away in the summer of 1861, her son ascended the
throne and title of Cixi, meaning “Holy Mother” was conferred upon her and she
became the Empress Dowager. In that same year Empress Dowager Cixi carried out a
count coup d'etat and ruled behind the scenes with another empress dowager,
Ci'an, for 48 years. She passed away in 1908 at the age of 73. It was in
reference to this situation that the term “attending to state affairs behind a
bamboo curtain” developed. In 1912, Empress dowager Longyu declared the
abdication of the last Qing emperor Puyi. They were allowed to remain in the
Forbidden City for the next 13 years. The royal family was forced to move out
permanently in 1924.
Behind the central hall were the living accommodation of 8 successive Qing
emperors. Three of them actually passed away here. The side rooms flanking the
hall were reserved for empresses and concubines. Now let's continue with our
tour. It will take us to the Hall of heavenly purity, the hall of union and
peace, the palace of earthly tranquility, and the imperial garden.
Route B
(Inside the Hall of heavenly Purity)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are now entering the inner court. From the Gate of Heavenly Purity
northward lies the inner court where the emperors and empresses once lived. The
Hall of heavenly Purity is the central hall of the inner court, and was
completed during the Reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. There are 10
pillars supporting the entire structure and the hall is 20 meters in height. In
the center of the hall there is a throne. Above it hangs a plaque with an
inscription that reads “Be open and above-board,” written by Shenzhi, the first
emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Beginning with Qianlong's reign, the name of the
successor to the throne was not publicly announced. Instead, it was written on
two pieces of paper, one to be kept on the emperor's person throughout his
reign, and the other placed in a small strongbox that was stored behind his
plaque. The box was opened only after the emperor passed away. Altogether there
where 4 emperors who ascended the throne in this way, namely Qianlong, Jiaqing,
Daoguang and Xian feng.
The hall of heavenly purity was where the emperors lived during the Ming
and Qing dynasties. According to tradition, extravagant annual banquets were
held here on New Year's Eve in honour of royal family members. Foreign
ambassadors were received here during the late-Qing period. Two important “one
thousand old men's feasts” of the Qing Dynasty were also held here. All the
invitees had to be at least 65 years of age. This hall was also used for
mourning services.
(Inside the Palace of Union and Peace)
this hall sits between the Hall of heavenly Purity and the Palace of
Earthly Tranquility, symbolizing the union of heaven and earth, as well as
national peace. It was first built in 1420 and reconstructed in 1798. The hall
is square in shape, and is smaller than the Hall of complete Harmony. You will
see a plaque here inscribed with two Chinese characters, wu wei, which were
handwritten by Emperor Qianlong. A throne sits in the middle of the hall with a
screen behind it. Above the throne there hangs a caisson, or covered ceiling.
The emperor held birthday celebrations and other major events here.
In 1748 during Emperor Qianlong's reign, 25 jade seals representing
imperial authority were kept in this hall. No seals were allowed out of the room
without the prior consent of the emperor. On each flack there is a water clock
and a chiming clock.
(Inside the palace of earthly tranquility)
This used to be the central hall where successive Ming empresses lived.
During the Qing dynasty, it was converted into a place where sacrifices and
wedding ceremonies were held. The room on the western side was used for
sacrifices and the room on the east was the seeding chamber.
Route C
Ladies and Gentlemen:
You have seen the three main halls of the Forbidden City. Now I'd like to
show you around scenes of interest along the eastern route. The first is the
Treasure Hall. This mansion is called the Hall of Imperial Zenith. This is where
Sing Emperor Quailing lived after abdication. Nearly 1,000 artifacts and
treasures are on display here, among which the Golden Hair Tower is one of the
most famous. This tower is 1. 53meters in height and its base is 0.53 meters in
circumference. It was built under the order of Emperor Quailing to be used to
collect fallen hair in commemoration of his mother. There is also a “Day
harnessing Water Jade Hill” on display here. Yu was a legendary monarch of the
remote Ixia dynasty. Under his leadership, the people learned how to harness the
Yellow River. This jade assemblage, 224 centimeters in height and 5 tons in
weight, is the largest jade artwork in China. This mat was woven with peeled
ivory. These artifacts are among China's rarest treasures.
(In front of the Nine-Dragon Screen)
This is the Nine-Dragon Relief Screen. Erected in 1773,it is 3.5 meters in
height and 29. 4 meters in width. Underneath is a foundation made of marble. The
surface of the screen is laid with a total of 270 colored, glazed tiles in the
design of 9 dragons, some rocky mountains, clouds and the sea. It was meant to
ward off evil spirits The ancient Chinese regarded 9 dragons, some rocky
mountains, clouds and the sea. It was meant to ward off evil spirits. The
ancient Chinese regarded 9 as the largest numeral and the dragon as a auspicious
beast. The 9 dragons are different in color and posture and all are made of
glazed tiles. Interestingly a piece of the third dragon from the left is made of
wood. It is believe that when the Nine-dragon Screen was almost finished, a
piece of glazed tile was damaged. Emperor Qianlong was scheduled to inspect the
work the following day. Using quick wits, the craftsman in question molded the
missing piece with clay and sailed through the imperial inspection. Later, he
asked a carpenter to carve a wooden one to replace the one made of clay.
(Approaching the Imperial Garden)
Behind the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and trading the north-south axis
is the imperial Garden. There are old trees, rare flowers and exotic rock
formation in this garden. It cover a space of 11,700 square meters, or roughly
1. 7 percent of the Forbidden City. Most of the structures in the garden are
symmetrically arranged. However, each is different in terms of pattern and
decoration. Woods clumps of bamboo screen off the garden and strengthens its
deep and serene atmosphere.
There main structure of the Imperial Garden is the Qin'an Hall. Positioned
in the central-northern part of the garden, this hall is flanked by other halls
and pavilions on the east and west. The hall sits on a marble pedestal. The
Taoist deity of Zhenwu is enshrined here and emperor would pay homage here a
quarterly basis. Taoist rites were held during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of
the Ming Dynasty. In front of the hall there is a cypress that is 400 years old.
In all there are a dozen such rare trees in the garden, and most of them are
cypresses or pines. To the northwest of the hall, there is the Yanhui
(Sustaining Sunshine) Pavilion and to the northeast there lies the Duixiu
(Accumulated Refinement) Hill. This Hill was built over the foundation of the
Guanhua (Admiring Flowers) Hall of the Ming Dynasty. It is 14 meters in height
and made of al kinds of rocks quarried in Jiangsu province. At its base stand
two stone lions, each carrying a dragon shooting water 10 meters up into the air
from its mouth. There are meandering paths leading to the hilltop. At the top of
Duixiu Hill sits the Yujing (Imperial Viewing) Pavilion. Traditionally, On the
day of the Double Ninth Festival (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month), the
emperor, his consort, and his concubines would climb up to Yujing Pavilion to
enjoy the scenery. At the southeastern corner of the Garden is Jiangxue (Crimson
Snowy) Verandah. Nearby to the southwest lies Yangxing Study (study of the
cultivation of nature). The yangxing study was used as a royal library during
the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The last emperor of the Qing
Dynasty, Puyi once studied English there. In front of the Jiangxue Verandah some
Chinese flowering crabapples grow. The structure got its name from the
crabapples who blossoms from crimson to snowy white. In front of the Verandah,
there grows a rare flower that was brought from henna Province under the order
of Empress dowager Cixi. In the northeast is Chizao Tang (Hall of Using Flowery
Language), once used as a library where rare books were stored.
There are also specific pavilions symbolizing the four seasons. The halls
of Wanchun and Qianqiu, representing spring and autumn respectively, are square
in shape and are coupled with multiple eaves and bell-shape and are coupled with
multiple eaves and bell-shaped ridges. The halls of Chengrui and Fubi, dedicated
to winter and summer, are characterized by two verandahs and bridges at their
bases. Paths were paved with colorful pebbles and arranged in 900 different
designs.
The Imperial Garden can be accessed through the Qiong yuan (Jade Garden )
West gate or the qiong yuan east gate. A third gate, the shunzhen (Obedience and
Fidelity) Gate, opens to the north. Its doors are laid in glazed tiles and it
was only used by the empress or concubines.
As our tour of the Forbidden City draws to a close, I hope that I have
helped you understand why the Palace is a treasure of China and one of the
cultural relics of the world. It is under the strict protection of the Chinese
government. Since 1949 when the people's Republic of China was founded, nearly
one trillion RMB was spent on its restoration and refurbishment. The Forbidden
City has undergone four major facelifts to date. Each year, the government
earmarks a large sum to gather, sort and study cultural relics. The Palace now
contains a total of 930,000 cultural relics. Well, so much for today. Let's go
to board the coach. Thank you! |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:49:02