The Xi'an City Wall is 12 meters high, 12-14 meters wide at the top, 15-18 meters wide at the bottom, and has a circumference of about 13.7 kilometers. An enemy tower was built every 120 meters on the city wall, protruding outside the city wall, with the top level with the city wall. This is specially set up for shooting enemies climbing the city. Half of the distance between the enemy towers is just within the effective range of the bow and arrow, making it easy to shoot the attacking enemies from the side. There are 98 enemy towers on the city wall, and enemy towers are built on them. There is a channel made of blue bricks every 40-60 meters on the top of the city wall for drainage, which plays a very important role in the long-term protection of the ancient city wall of Xi'an.
The majestic Forbidden City is the center of Beijing. This group of huge buildings, which embodies the traditional and unique style of ancient Chinese architecture, was built in the fourth year of Yongle (1406) in the Ming Dynasty and was basically completed in the eighteenth year of Yongle. Through the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were twenty-four emperors, and it has a history of more than 500 years. The Forbidden City has always been the center of the feudal emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties who ruled the country.
There is a city wall built around the Forbidden City, called the Forbidden City (Forbidden City). The city wall is ten meters high, 760 meters wide from east to west, and 960 meters long from north to south. It is rectangular. The total construction area is more than 720,000 There are more than 9,000 palaces in the Forbidden City, with towering palaces, overlapping palaces, and exquisite turrets at the four corners of the Forbidden City. p>
When visiting the Forbidden City, you usually enter through Tiananmen Gate, which is the south gate of the Imperial City outside the Forbidden City. After passing Tiananmen Gate and crossing the Duanmen, you will see the tall Meridian Gate, which is the main entrance of the Forbidden City. People used to call it Wufeng Tower. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the almanac for the following year was issued here in the winter. When there was a large-scale expedition or a triumphal sacrifice, the emperor issued orders or captured prisoners here. , are often subject to the "Tingzhang" and are beaten here.
The Meridian Gate is the main entrance of the Forbidden City. It is 35.6 meters high and is located on the north-south central axis of the capital. It is located in the middle and faces the sun. The gate is divided into five holes, and the middle gate is for the emperor to enter and exit, which is called the "Royal Road"; princes and ministers go through the left and right gates; during the palace examination, candidates enter the left and right gates according to odd and even numbers.
When you enter the gate, the first thing you see is the Neijinshui River. There is a white marble bridge across the river, and there are white marble railings on both sides of the river. This river is shaped like a jade belt, which is also called the Jade Belt River. To the north, past the Gate of Supreme Harmony, are the three main halls, the most famous buildings in the Forbidden City. The three main halls are the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe, and the Hall of Baohe. These three halls are on an eight-meter-high platform made of white jade. It is divided into three floors, each floor is surrounded by white marble railings. From a distance, it looks like the Qiong Palace Palace in Zhongshenzhou.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the "Jinluan Hall", is the tallest building in the Forbidden City. It is 18 meters wide, 5 rooms deep, and 55 rooms deep. It has 86 large pillars and is powerful and steady. In the center of the hall is a small platform two meters high with gold lacquer sculptures. The dragon throne has a golden dragon caisson hanging in the middle. The ceiling is painted with dragons playing with beads, and there are gold pillars on both sides. The entire hall is decorated with splendor and splendor. It was the place where grand ceremonies were held during the Qing Dynasty, when the new emperor ascended the throne, issued important edicts, and on New Year's Day, the Winter Solstice, the emperor's birthday, and the new Jinshi Huangban were all held here. When the emperor ascended the throne, cranes and tripods were displayed in front of the palace. Smoke curls rose from the furnaces and the palace hall. The golden bells, jade horns, sheng, Xiao and Qin under the corridor were singing together, and the civil and military officials kneeling in the square shouted long live, filling the solemn atmosphere. /p>
The Zhonghe Hall behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is a square hall. There are many golden dragons carved in the hall, which looks brilliant. There are also thrones, golden tripods, incense burners and other furnishings in the hall. It is where the emperor went to hold ceremonies. Before the ceremony, it is a place to rest and practice etiquette.
Baohe Hall is the last hall of the three main halls. All the wooden structures and interior eaves paintings are original from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. Set up a throne. Every New Year's Eve, the emperor gives banquets to feudal princes.
The three main halls are the center of the Forbidden City. There is a group of buildings on the east and west sides of the Taihe Gate at the southern end of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. To the east are Wenhua Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion, Chuanxin Hall and the Cabinet. To the east is the Qing History Museum, and next to it is the east gate of the Forbidden City - Donghua Gate.
Wenhua Hall is the place where the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty studied. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties also gave lectures here in the spring and autumn. Wenyuan Pavilion was the place where books were collected in the Qing Dynasty and served as the palace library. Chuanxin Hall was built in the early Qing Dynasty. The hall enshrines the tablets of Fuxi, Shennong, Huangdi, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Duke Zhou and Confucius. The cabinet was the highest administrative agency of the government in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The cabinet bachelor was equivalent to the prime minister in ancient times.
The buildings on the west side of Taihe Gate are mainly Wuying Hall and Nanxun Hall. Further west is the west gate of the Forbidden City - Xihua Gate.
Wuying Palace is quite famous in cultural history. In the Qing Dynasty, some literati gathered here to edit books. The famous "Sikuquanshu", "Peiwenyunfu", "Ancient and Modern Books Collection", etc. were all set up and edited here. Here we not only compiled books, but also printed them. We created a woodcut movable type version, which is the famous Juzhen version, commonly known as the palace version. It has beautiful fonts, detailed collation, excellent paper and ink, and has high academic value.
Nanxun Hall collects images of emperors and empresses from past dynasties.
According to general custom, the palace is divided into the outer court and the inner court. The three main halls and the east and west groups of Taihe Gate introduced above all belong to the outer dynasty. To the north is the inner court.
The outer court is where the emperor handles government affairs, and the inner court is where the emperor lives and lives. There is a palace gate to the north of Baohe Hall, called Qianqing Gate, which is the dividing line between the outer court and the inner court.
The Qianqing Gate is gorgeously decorated, with eight-character screen walls on both sides, separated on the left and right. There are gold lions and gold vats arranged in pairs in front of the door. The emperor of the Qing Dynasty often listened to ministers and made decisions here.
There are several low buildings on the west side of Qianqing Gate, which are a bit crude and called the Military Aircraft Department. The Military Aircraft Department is often on duty with the Minister of Military Aircraft. He may be summoned by the emperor every day and draft edicts under the emperor's instructions. The power lies with the cabinet.
Going north through Qianqing Gate, the main buildings are Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace and Kunning Palace. On both sides of these three palaces are the East Sixth Palace and the West Sixth Palace, where the concubines live. This is what people call the "Three Palace Gate Courtyard".
There is also a throne in the middle of the Qianqing Palace, divided into east and west pavilions. This was the bedroom of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as the place where they worked daily. When there is a festival, a banquet will be held here for all the officials. The emperor died and his coffin stopped here. Since Kangxi, the Qing Dynasty has never announced its intended prince. The emperor wrote the name of the designated successor to the throne, put it in a small box, and placed it behind the "Upright and Bright" plaque in the Qianqing Palace. After the emperor dies, the box is immediately opened and the emperor's successor is announced.
The Jiaotai Hall in the north of Qianqing Palace is square and small in scale. In the Ming Dynasty, it was used as the queen's palace. In the Qing Dynasty, it was used as a place to place precious seals. Twenty-five precious seals are now collected. The hall also houses an ancient timer, a water leaking kettle (copper kettle dripping) and a Western-style bell.
Behind Jiaotai Hall is Kunning Palace, which was used as a place to worship gods in the Qing Dynasty. Ceremonies were held here when the emperor got married. There is a sedan on display against the east wall, wrapped in red and yellow satin on the inside and embroidered with exquisite dragons and phoenixes. It is the sedan that the queen transferred to the palace after she got married. To the east of this palace is the emperor's new wedding house.
To the north of Kunning Palace, past Kunning Gate, is the Imperial Garden. It was a garden for emperors and queens to visit and was built in the Ming Dynasty.
There are various pavilions, rockeries, flower beds, Qin'an Hall and Yangxing Zhai built in the Imperial Garden. Although it is not large in scale, it has the characteristics of an imperial garden. To the north of the Imperial Garden is the Shenwu Palace. Gate is the north gate of the Forbidden City.
From the Meridian Gate, the Three Main Halls, Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, Kunning Palace, Qin'an Palace and Shenwu Gate in the Imperial Garden, the palace is arranged in a straight line due south and north, forming a The Forbidden City is the central axis of all palaces, and this central axis is on the central axis of the entire city of Beijing.
Starting from Qianqing Gate, it is divided into the East and West Neiting Roads.
To the east of Qianqing Gate is Jingyun Gate. After passing Jingyun Gate and walking eastward through Fengxian Hall, there is a glazed screen wall with nine dragons carved on it, called the Nine Dragon Wall. It was built at the same time as the Nine Dragon Wall in Beihai. To the north is the Huangji Hall, which is built quite like the Qianqing Palace. After Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty passed the throne to his son Jiaqing, he became the Supreme Emperor and lived here. Now it is a painting gallery, where original works of famous painters and calligraphers from past dynasties are displayed on a rotating basis every year.
Go west from Huangji Palace to Zhai Palace. Before the emperor went to the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth to offer sacrifices, this was the place where he ate. Many palaces north of the Zhai Palace are where the concubines live. Now it has been turned into a comprehensive art museum of past dynasties, displaying precious works of art from various dynasties.
The Qianlong Garden was built using the space of Ningshou Palace. It has not been opened in the past, so few people know about it. The garden is less than 40 meters wide from east to west and only 160 meters long from north to south, totaling about 6,000 square meters. The area is small, but the content is rich and the artistic conception is extraordinary. The garden can be divided into five parts: the first part is the ancient Huaxuan, the Xue Shang Pavilion, the Xuhui Pavilion and the small pavilion named "Xie Fang". The second part is an authentic Beijing Siheyuan building, with the Suichu Hall on the front, where Qianlong prayed for his first wish to be fulfilled. The third part is a rockery with caves in the mountain. Sanyouxuan, which looms to the east of the rockery, is mainly decorated with the three friends of pine, bamboo and plum blossoms in winter. The fourth part uses Biluo Pavilion and Fuwang Pavilion as the two main buildings. In the last part, there is a small pavilion in the shape of a mountain, standing gracefully on the rockery, called Zhuxiang Pavilion. There are four green cypresses next to the pavilion, and there is also a place where Qianlong rested after visiting the garden, called Juanqinzhai. The scenery of the five places can be summarized in five words: "beautiful, elegant, strange, clear and clever".
There is a well behind Ningshou Palace, called "Zhenfei Well". Concubine Zhen was the concubine of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. She supported Emperor Guangxu's reforms and was favored by Guangxu, but she was jealous of Cixi. Not only was she often abused, but she was also thrown into the cold palace and was not allowed to meet Guangxu. When the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing in 1900, Cixi ordered Cui Yugui, the eunuch in charge, to push Concubine Zhen into the well before she and Guangxu fled to Xi'an.
To the west of Qianqing Gate and to the north is the Yangxin Hall. Now it is decorated as it was back then, and the furnishings in the hall are exquisite. Yangxin Hall is the place where emperors of the Qing Dynasty and after Yongzheng handled government affairs. Every morning, the emperor met with the military ministers and listened to government affairs here. It is also here that Cixi implemented "listening to politics behind the curtain". Today, under the south window of the west hall, there is still a wooden fence from that time, which was set up to prevent people from eavesdropping and peeking.
To the north from Yangxin Hall are Yongshou Palace, Taiji Hall and Tiyuan Hall. Tiyuan Hall is also a gorgeous building. Cixi once lived here in her early years. This palace has gorgeous eaves and looks like a stage. Cixi often asked the young eunuchs to perform here. Opposite the Changchun Palace, there are many palaces nearby, where the concubines live. Nowadays, arts and crafts from the Qing Dynasty are on display.
Reference: /baike/zhishi/gugong-jianjie.html
Answer: Zhemu - Juren Level 4 11-29 18:57
Forbidden City Introduction
The majestic Forbidden City is the center of Beijing. This group of huge buildings, which embodies the traditional and unique style of ancient Chinese architecture, was built in the fourth year of Yongle (1406) in the Ming Dynasty and was basically completed in the eighteenth year of Yongle. Through the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were twenty-four emperors, and it has a history of more than 500 years. The Forbidden City has always been the center of the feudal emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties who ruled the country.
There is a city wall built around the Forbidden City, called the Forbidden City (Forbidden City). The city wall is ten meters high, 760 meters wide from east to west, and 960 meters long from north to south. It is rectangular. The total construction area is more than 720,000 There are more than 9,000 palaces in the Forbidden City, with towering palaces, overlapping palaces, and exquisite turrets at the four corners of the Forbidden City. p>
When visiting the Forbidden City, you usually enter through Tiananmen Gate, which is the south gate of the Imperial City outside the Forbidden City. After passing Tiananmen Gate and crossing the Duanmen, you will see the tall Meridian Gate, which is the main entrance of the Forbidden City. People used to call it Wufeng Tower. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the almanac for the following year was issued here in the winter. When there was a large-scale expedition or a triumphal sacrifice, the emperor issued orders or captured prisoners here. , are often subject to the "Tingzhang" and are beaten here.
The Meridian Gate is the main entrance of the Forbidden City. It is 35.6 meters high and is located on the north-south central axis of the capital. It is located in the middle and faces the sun. The gate is divided into five holes, and the middle gate is for the emperor to enter and exit, which is called the "Royal Road"; princes and ministers go through the left and right gates; during the palace examination, candidates enter the left and right gates according to odd and even numbers.
When you enter the gate, the first thing you see is the Neijinshui River. There is a white marble bridge across the river, and there are white marble railings on both sides of the river. This river is shaped like a jade belt, which is also called the Jade Belt River. To the north, past the Gate of Supreme Harmony, are the three main halls, the most famous buildings in the Forbidden City. The three main halls are the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe, and the Hall of Baohe. These three halls are on an eight-meter-high platform made of white jade. It is divided into three floors, each floor is surrounded by white marble railings. From a distance, it looks like the Qiong Palace Palace in Zhongshenzhou.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the "Jinluan Hall", is the tallest building in the Forbidden City. It is 18 meters wide, 5 rooms deep, and 55 rooms deep. It has 86 large pillars and is powerful and steady. In the center of the hall is a small platform two meters high with gold lacquer sculptures. The dragon throne has a golden dragon caisson hanging in the middle. The ceiling is painted with dragons playing with beads, and there are gold pillars on both sides. The entire hall is decorated with splendor and splendor. It was the place where grand ceremonies were held during the Qing Dynasty, when the new emperor ascended the throne, issued important edicts, and on New Year's Day, the Winter Solstice, the emperor's birthday, and the new Jinshi Huangban were all held here. When the emperor ascended the throne, cranes and tripods were displayed in front of the palace. Smoke curls rose from the furnaces and the palace hall. The golden bells, jade horns, sheng, Xiao and Qin under the corridor were singing together, and the civil and military officials kneeling in the square shouted long live, filling the solemn atmosphere. /p>
The Zhonghe Hall behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is a square hall. There are many golden dragons carved in the hall, which looks brilliant. There are also thrones, golden tripods, incense burners and other furnishings in the hall. It is where the emperor went to hold ceremonies. Before the ceremony, it is a place to rest and practice etiquette.
Baohe Hall is the last hall of the three main halls. All the wooden structures and interior eaves paintings are original from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. Set up a throne. Every New Year's Eve, the emperor gives banquets to feudal princes.
The three main halls are the center of the Forbidden City. There is a group of buildings on the east and west sides of the Taihe Gate at the southern end of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. To the east are Wenhua Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion, Chuanxin Hall and the Cabinet. To the east is the Qing History Museum, and next to it is the east gate of the Forbidden City - Donghua Gate.
Wenhua Hall is the place where the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty studied. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties also gave lectures here in the spring and autumn. Wenyuan Pavilion was the place where books were collected in the Qing Dynasty and served as the palace library. Chuanxin Hall was built in the early Qing Dynasty. The hall enshrines the tablets of Fuxi, Shennong, Huangdi, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Duke Zhou and Confucius. The cabinet was the highest administrative agency of the government in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The cabinet bachelor was equivalent to the prime minister in ancient times.
The buildings on the west side of Taihe Gate are mainly Wuying Hall and Nanxun Hall. Further west is the west gate of the Forbidden City - Xihua Gate.
Wuying Palace is quite famous in cultural history. In the Qing Dynasty, some literati gathered here to edit books. The famous "Sikuquanshu", "Peiwenyunfu", "Ancient and Modern Books Collection", etc. were all set up and edited here. Here we not only compiled books, but also printed them. We created woodcut movable type editions, which are the famous Juzhen editions, commonly known as palace editions. They have beautiful fonts, detailed collation, excellent paper and ink, and are of high academic value.
Nanxun Hall collects images of emperors and empresses from past dynasties.
According to general custom, the palace is divided into the outer court and the inner court. The three main halls and the east and west groups of Taihe Gate introduced above all belong to the outer dynasty. To the north is the inner court. The outer court is where the emperor handles government affairs, and the inner court is where the emperor lives and lives. There is a palace gate to the north of Baohe Hall, called Qianqing Gate, which is the dividing line between the outer court and the inner court.
The Qianqing Gate is gorgeously decorated, with eight-character screen walls on both sides, separated on the left and right. There are gold lions and gold vats arranged in pairs in front of the door.
The emperor of the Qing Dynasty often listened to ministers and made decisions here.
There are several low buildings on the west side of Qianqing Gate, which are a bit crude and are called the Military Aircraft Department. The Military Aircraft Department is often on duty with the Minister of Military Aircraft. He may be summoned by the emperor every day and draft edicts under the emperor's instructions. The power lies with the cabinet.
Going north through Qianqing Gate, the main buildings are Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace and Kunning Palace. On both sides of these three palaces are the East Sixth Palace and the West Sixth Palace, where the concubines live. This is what people call the "Three Palace Gate Courtyard".
There is also a throne in the middle of the Qianqing Palace, divided into east and west pavilions. This was the bedroom of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as the place where they worked daily. When there is a festival, a banquet will be held here for all the officials. The emperor died and his coffin stopped here. Since Kangxi, the Qing Dynasty has never announced its intended prince. The emperor wrote the name of the designated successor to the throne, put it in a small box, and placed it behind the "Upright and Bright" plaque in the Qianqing Palace. After the emperor dies, the box is immediately opened and the emperor's successor is announced.
The Jiaotai Hall in the north of Qianqing Palace is square and small in scale. In the Ming Dynasty, it was used as the queen's palace. In the Qing Dynasty, it was used as a place to place precious seals. Twenty-five precious seals are now collected. The hall also houses an ancient timer, a water leaking kettle (copper kettle dripping) and a Western-style clock.
Behind Jiaotai Hall is Kunning Palace, which was used as a place to worship gods in the Qing Dynasty. Ceremonies were held here when the emperor got married. There is a sedan on display against the east wall. It is wrapped in red and yellow satin and embroidered with exquisite dragons and phoenixes. It is the sedan that the queen transferred to the palace after she got married. To the east of this palace is the emperor's new wedding house.
To the north of Kunning Palace, past Kunning Gate, is the Imperial Garden. It was a garden for emperors and queens to visit and was built in the Ming Dynasty.
There are various pavilions, rockeries, flower beds, Qin'an Hall and Yangxing Zhai built in the Imperial Garden. Although it is not large in scale, it has the characteristics of an imperial garden. To the north of the Imperial Garden is the Shenwu Palace. Gate is the north gate of the Forbidden City.
From the Meridian Gate, the Three Main Halls, Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, Kunning Palace, Qin'an Palace and Shenwu Gate in the Imperial Garden, the palace is arranged in a straight line due south and north, forming a The Forbidden City is the central axis of all palaces, and this central axis is on the central axis of the entire city of Beijing.
Starting from Qianqing Gate, it is divided into the East and West Neiting Roads.
To the east of Qianqing Gate is Jingyun Gate. After passing Jingyun Gate and passing through Fengxian Hall to the east, there is a glazed screen wall with nine dragons carved on it, called the Nine Dragon Wall. It was built at the same time as the Nine Dragon Wall in Beihai. To the north is the Huangji Hall, which is built quite like the Qianqing Palace. After Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty passed the throne to his son Jiaqing, he became the Supreme Emperor and lived here. Now it is a painting gallery, where authentic works of famous painters and calligraphers from past dynasties are displayed on a rotating basis every year.
Go west from Huangji Palace to Zhai Palace. Before the emperor went to the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth to offer sacrifices, this was the place where he ate. Many palaces north of the Zhai Palace are where the concubines live. Now it has been turned into a comprehensive art museum of past dynasties, displaying precious works of art from various dynasties.
The Qianlong Garden was built using the space of Ningshou Palace. It has not been opened in the past, so few people know about it. The garden is less than 40 meters wide from east to west and only 160 meters long from north to south, totaling about 6,000 square meters. The area is small, but the content is rich and the artistic conception is extraordinary. The garden can be divided into five parts: the first part is the ancient Huaxuan, the Xue Shang Pavilion, the Xuhui Pavilion and the small pavilion named "Xie Fang". The second part is an authentic Beijing Siheyuan building, with the Suichu Hall on the front, where Qianlong prayed for his first wish to be fulfilled. The third part is a rockery with caves in the mountain. Sanyouxuan, which looms to the east of the rockery, is mainly decorated with the three friends of pine, bamboo and plum blossoms in winter. The fourth part uses Biluo Pavilion and Fuwang Pavilion as the two main buildings. In the last part, there is a small pavilion in the shape of a mountain, standing gracefully on the rockery, called Zhuxiang Pavilion. There are four green cypresses next to the pavilion, and there is also a place where Qianlong rested after visiting the garden, called Juanqinzhai. The scenery of the five places can be summarized in five words: "beautiful, elegant, strange, clear and clever".
There is a well behind Ningshou Palace, called "Zhenfei Well". Concubine Zhen was the concubine of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. She supported Emperor Guangxu's reforms and was favored by Guangxu, but she was jealous of Cixi. Not only was she often abused, but she was also thrown into the cold palace and was not allowed to meet Guangxu. When the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing in 1900, Cixi ordered Cui Yugui, the eunuch in charge, to push Concubine Zhen into the well before she and Guangxu fled to Xi'an.
To the west of Qianqing Gate and to the north is the Yangxin Hall. Now it is decorated as it was back then, and the furnishings in the hall are exquisite. Yangxin Hall is the place where emperors of the Qing Dynasty and after Yongzheng handled government affairs. Every morning, the emperor met with the military ministers and listened to government affairs here. It is also here that Cixi implemented "listening to politics behind the curtain". Today, under the south window of the west hall, there is still a wooden fence from that time, which was set up to prevent people from eavesdropping and peeking.
To the north from Yangxin Hall are Yongshou Palace, Taiji Hall and Tiyuan Hall. Tiyuan Hall is also a gorgeous building. Cixi once lived here in her early years. This palace has gorgeous eaves and looks like a stage. Cixi often asked the young eunuchs to perform here. Opposite the Changchun Palace, there are many palaces nearby, where the concubines live. Nowadays, arts and crafts from the Qing Dynasty are on display.
Answer: mutouwa - Juren Level 4 11-29 18:57
The majestic Forbidden City is the center of Beijing. This group of huge buildings, which embodies the traditional and unique style of ancient Chinese architecture, was built in the fourth year of Yongle (1406) in the Ming Dynasty and was basically completed in the eighteenth year of Yongle.
Through the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were twenty-four emperors, and it has a history of more than 500 years. The Forbidden City has always been the center of the feudal emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties who ruled the country.
There is a city wall built around the Forbidden City, called the Forbidden City (Forbidden City). The city wall is ten meters high, 760 meters wide from east to west, and 960 meters long from north to south. It is rectangular. The total construction area is more than 720,000 There are more than 9,000 palaces in the Forbidden City, with towering palaces, overlapping palaces, and exquisite turrets at the four corners of the Forbidden City. p>
When visiting the Forbidden City, you usually enter through Tiananmen Gate, which is the south gate of the Imperial City outside the Forbidden City. After passing Tiananmen Gate and crossing the Duanmen, you will see the tall Meridian Gate, which is the main entrance of the Forbidden City. People used to call it Wufeng Tower. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the almanac for the following year was issued here in the winter. When there was a large-scale expedition or a triumphal sacrifice, the emperor issued orders or captured prisoners here. The Meridian Gate is the main entrance of the Forbidden City. It is 35.6 meters high and located on the north-south central axis of the capital. It is located in the middle and faces the sun. It is named Ziwu and is divided into five gates. The middle gate of the cave is for the emperor to enter and exit, which is called the "Royal Road"; the princes and ministers go through the left and right gates; during the palace examination, candidates enter the left and right gates according to odd and even numbers.
The first thing you see when you enter through the Meridian Gate. It is the Neijinshui River. There is a white marble bridge across the river, and there are railings carved with white marble on both sides of the river. This river is shaped like a jade belt, and it is also called the Jade Belt River. They are the three main halls of the Forbidden City. The three main halls are the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe, and the Hall of Baohe. These three halls are built on an eight-meter-high platform made of white jade. Surrounded by white marble railings, it looks like the Qiong Palace in China.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the "Jinluan Hall", is the most majestic building in the Forbidden City. It is 28 meters high and 11 meters wide. It is five rooms deep and fifty-five rooms deep. There are eighty-six large pillars, which are powerful and steady. In the center of the hall is a small platform two meters high, with a golden lacquered dragon throne in the middle. There is a spherical Xuanyuan mirror hanging from the golden dragon caisson. The ceiling is painted with dragons playing with beads, and there are golden dragon pillars on both sides. Behind the seat is a beautifully decorated screen. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the place where grand ceremonies were held in the Ming and Qing dynasties. On New Year's Day, the winter solstice, the emperor's birthday, and the announcement of the new imperial edict, celebration ceremonies were held here. When the emperor ascended the throne, smoke curled up from the cranes, tripods, and furnaces displayed in front of the palace. , lingering around the palace. The golden bells, jade horns, sheng, Xiao and Qin under the corridor were singing together, and the civil and military officials kneeling in the square shouted long live, filling the solemn atmosphere.
The Zhonghe Hall behind the Harmony Hall is a square hall. There are many golden dragons carved in the hall, which looks brilliant. The hall also has thrones, golden tripods, incense burners and other furnishings. It is where the emperor took a break before going to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to hold a ceremony. A place for practicing etiquette.
The Baohe Hall is the last hall of the three main halls. All the wooden structures and colorful paintings on the inner eaves are original from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. There is also a throne in the hall every New Year's Eve. The feudal princes are given a banquet here.
The three main halls are the center of the Forbidden City. There is a group of buildings on the east and west sides of the Taihe Gate at the south end of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. To the east are the Wenhua Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion, Chuanxin Hall and the Cabinet. To the east is the Qing History Museum, and next to it is the Donghua Gate, the east gate of the Forbidden City.
Wenhua Hall is the place where the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty studied. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties also gave lectures here in the spring and autumn. Wenyuan Pavilion was the place where books were collected in the Qing Dynasty and served as the palace library. Chuanxin Hall was built in the early Qing Dynasty. The hall enshrines the tablets of Fuxi, Shennong, Huangdi, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Duke Zhou and Confucius. The cabinet was the highest administrative agency of the government in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The cabinet bachelor was equivalent to the prime minister in ancient times.
The buildings on the west side of Taihe Gate are mainly Wuying Hall and Nanxun Hall. Further west is the west gate of the Forbidden City - Xihua Gate.
Wuying Palace is quite famous in cultural history. In the Qing Dynasty, some literati gathered here to edit books. The famous "Sikuquanshu", "Peiwenyunfu", "Ancient and Modern Books Collection", etc. were all set up and edited here. Here we not only compiled books, but also printed them. We created woodcut movable type editions, which are the famous Juzhen editions, commonly known as palace editions. They have beautiful fonts, detailed collation, excellent paper and ink, and are of high academic value.
Nanxun Hall collects images of emperors and empresses from past dynasties.
According to general custom, the palace is divided into the outer court and the inner court. The three main halls and the east and west groups of Taihe Gate introduced above all belong to the outer dynasty. To the north is the inner court. The outer court is where the emperor handles government affairs, and the inner court is where the emperor lives and lives. There is a palace gate to the north of Baohe Hall, called Qianqing Gate, which is the dividing line between the outer court and the inner court.
The Qianqing Gate is gorgeously decorated, with eight-character screen walls on both sides, separated on the left and right. There are gold lions and gold vats arranged in pairs in front of the door. The emperor of the Qing Dynasty often listened to ministers and made decisions here.
There are several low buildings on the west side of Qianqing Gate, which are a bit crude and are called the Military Aircraft Department. The Military Aircraft Department is often on duty with the Minister of Military Aircraft. He may be summoned by the emperor every day, and he will draft edicts under the emperor's instructions. The power lies in the cabinet.
Going north through Qianqing Gate, the main buildings are Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace and Kunning Palace. On both sides of these three palaces are the East Sixth Palace and the West Sixth Palace, where the concubines live. This is what people call the "Three Palace Gate Courtyard".
There is also a throne in the middle of the Qianqing Palace, divided into east and west pavilions. This was the bedroom of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as the place where they worked daily. When there is a festival, a banquet will be held here for all the officials. The emperor died and his coffin stopped here. Since Kangxi, the Qing Dynasty has never announced its intended prince. The emperor wrote the name of the designated successor to the throne, put it in a small box, and placed it behind the "Upright and Bright" plaque in the Qianqing Palace. After the emperor dies, the box is immediately opened and the emperor's successor is announced.
The Jiaotai Hall in the north of Qianqing Palace is square and small in scale. In the Ming Dynasty, it was used as the queen's palace. In the Qing Dynasty, it was used as a place to place precious seals. Twenty-five precious seals are now collected. The hall also houses an ancient timer, a water leaking kettle (copper kettle dripping) and a Western-style clock.
Behind Jiaotai Hall is Kunning Palace, which was used as a place to worship gods in the Qing Dynasty. Ceremonies were held here when the emperor got married. There is a sedan on display against the east wall, wrapped in red and yellow satin on the inside and embroidered with exquisite dragons and phoenixes. It is the sedan that the queen transferred to the palace after she got married. To the east of this palace is the emperor's new wedding house.
To the north of Kunning Palace, past Kunning Gate, is the Imperial Garden. It was a garden for emperors and queens to visit and was built in the Ming Dynasty.
There are various pavilions, rockeries, flower beds, Qin'an Hall and Yangxing Zhai built in the Imperial Garden. Although it is not large in scale, it has the characteristics of an imperial garden. To the north of the Imperial Garden is the Shenwu Palace. Gate is the north gate of the Forbidden City.
From the Meridian Gate, the Three Main Halls, Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, Kunning Palace, Qin'an Palace and Shenwu Gate in the Imperial Garden, the palace is arranged in a straight line due south and north, forming a The Forbidden City is the central axis of all palaces, and this central axis is on the central axis of the entire city of Beijing.
Starting from Qianqing Gate, it is divided into the East and West Neiting Roads.
To the east of Qianqing Gate is Jingyun Gate. Passing through Jingyun Gate and walking eastward through Fengxian Hall, there is a glazed screen wall with nine dragons carved on it, called the Nine Dragon Wall. It was built at the same time as the Nine Dragon Wall in Beihai. To the north is the Huangji Hall, which is built quite like the Qianqing Palace. After Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty passed the throne to his son Jiaqing, he became the Supreme Emperor and lived here. Now it is a painting gallery, where authentic works of famous painters and calligraphers from past dynasties are displayed on a rotating basis every year.
Go west from Huangji Palace to Zhai Palace. Before the emperor went to the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth to offer sacrifices, this was the place where he ate. Many palaces north of Zhai Palace are where the concubines live. Now it has been turned into a comprehensive art museum of past dynasties, displaying precious works of art from various dynasties.
The Qianlong Garden was built using the space of Ningshou Palace. It has not been opened in the past, so few people know about it. The garden is less than 40 meters wide from east to west and only 160 meters long from north to south, totaling about 6,000 square meters. The area is small, but the content is rich and the artistic conception is extraordinary.
The Meridian Gate is the main entrance to the Forbidden City. It is 35.6 meters high and is located on the north-south central axis of the capital.