Reason: In ancient astrology, purple had a respected status, so it was called the Forbidden City.
The ancient emperors of our country were very keen on astronomy, or astrology to be precise. The paths of the stars are seen as symbols and prophecies of the rise and fall of the human world. The ancient astrology officials divided the North Pole as the center and divided it into three areas within a thirty-six-degree circle, which were called Sanyuan, namely Tianshi, Taiwei, and Ziwei.
Taiwei is the upper wall, Ziwei is the middle wall, and Tianshi is the lower wall. In ancient times, the middle was the most noble. There are 15 stars in Ziwei Yuan, which is the center of the middle sky and where the Emperor of Heaven lives. , also called "Purple Palace" or "Purple Mansion". Regarding the origin of the name "Zigong", "Spring and Autumn Yuan Ming Bao" mentioned: "The word Zi means this, the word Zhongye means the movement of the gods, and the opening and closing of Yin and Yang, all in this."
Although it has nothing to do with color, the relationship between purple and nobility goes far beyond this example. After the term "Purple Palace" came into being, synonyms for purple appeared frequently in Taoism.
For example, Zixian (representing China), Zifang (Taoism calls the place where immortals live, also known as "Purple Mansion"), Zijindan (an elixir that ancient alchemists said could lead to immortality if taken by Sun Wukong). The small balls eaten in Taishang Laojun's room are Zijindan), Zihuang (the Emperor of Heaven in Taoist legends), Ziji (the name of the star, borrowed from the emperor's palace), Ziyun (purple clouds, considered auspicious omens in ancient times) .
It is said that before Laozi, the founder of Taoism, passed the Hangu Pass, Guan Lingyin saw purple energy coming from the east and knew that a saint would pass the pass. Sure enough, I came riding a green ox. In Taoism, purple has an auspicious meaning, and this concept has been accepted by emperors of all dynasties, who all regard purple as an auspicious color. At this point, the reason why the palace is called the Forbidden City is quite clear.
The Purple Palace is the place where the Emperor of Heaven lives, and it is in the center of the heavens and has a distinguished status. Since ancient emperors regarded themselves as the Son of Heaven, they naturally imitated the "Purple Palace", the residence of the Emperor of Heaven, in the places where they lived and lived. In addition, the hierarchy of the imperial palaces in the past dynasties was strict. To enter the Jinluan Hall in the Forbidden City from the Meridian Gate, you must pass through the Jinshui Bridge, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe, the Hall of Baohe, and the Qianqing Gate.
There are countless steps and N avenues in the middle. Officials going to court every day are doing physical work. This kind of strictly hierarchical palace is a restricted area that is difficult for ordinary people and even ordinary officials to access. Therefore, the word "forbidden" was chosen as the name of the imperial city. "Forbidden" also added to the majesty of the palace. This is the origin of the "Forbidden City", that is, the emperors found a noble residence suitable for their status as emperors.
Extended information:
The Forbidden City is the ultimate form of enclosure. In fact, whether it is the astrological division of Sanyuan or the momentum of the imperial city sitting in the center, it all embodies The Chinese people’s ultimate concept of “building in an enclosure” and “harmony between man and nature”. Not only the Forbidden City is surrounded by red walls and yellow tiles, but even the famous royal residences or the private courtyards of nobles and celebrities are also surrounded by courtyard walls and occupy a unique space.
This creates the absolute privacy of a separate house, which further demonstrates social status and majestic identity. Therefore, "a family and a country should be built in an enclosure", which is in line with the reserved and restrained character of our people. It is precisely for this reason that high walls have become an absolute symbol for dividing space areas. Inside the red walls and yellow tiles, is the glory of the Forbidden City from generation to generation. , the blue brick courtyard walls hide the inheritance and past events of many families.
The Forbidden City, formerly known as the Forbidden City, is located at the center of the central axis of Beijing. It was the palace of the twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Forbidden City in Beijing is centered on the three main halls and covers an area of ??720,000 square meters. It covers an area of ??about 150,000 square meters, with more than 70 large and small palaces and more than 9,000 houses. It is one of the largest and best preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
The construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing began in the fourth year of Yongle (1406), the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty (1406). It was built based on the Forbidden City in Nanjing and was completed in the 18th year of Yongle (1420). It is a rectangular city with a length of 961 meters from north to south and a width of 753 meters from east to west. It is surrounded by walls 10 meters high and a moat 52 meters wide outside the city. The buildings in the Forbidden City are divided into two parts: the outer court and the inner court.
The center of the outer dynasty is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe, and the Hall of Baohe, collectively referred to as the three main halls. They are the places where the country holds major ceremonies.
The center of the inner court is the Qianqing Palace, the Jiaotai Palace, and the Kunning Palace, collectively known as the Housan Palace. It is the main palace where the emperor and queen live.
The Forbidden City in Beijing is known as the first of the five major palaces in the world (Forbidden City in Beijing, Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, the White House in the United States, and the Kremlin in Russia). It is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction and was listed as the first in 1961. It was approved as a national key cultural relic protection unit,[4] and was listed as a world cultural heritage in 1987.
From January 2012 to June 2018, the Forbidden City received a total of 100 million visitors. Starting from 2019, the Forbidden City will trial time-based ticket sales. On September 3, 2018, the Yangxin Hall of the Forbidden City officially entered the implementation stage of research-based protection and restoration work on ancient buildings.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Forbidden City