Marvelous isn’t it? The Forbidden City. We stand before its imposing walls a testament to centuries of imperial power.
Imagine the Forbidden City in 1406. Construction begins. A million workers including 100000 artisans toil for fourteen years. They quarry stone from Fangshan a suburb of Beijing. They dig wells every fifty meters along the road. Water lubricates the ice paths. Huge stones slide into the city. Timber and materials arrive from distant provinces. Their skill is breathtaking. The eight-meter-wide base of the red city wall tapers to 666 meters at the top. Its angular shape defies climbing. Bricks are made with white lime and glutinous rice. Cement is made with glutinous rice and egg whites. The wall is extraordinarily strong.
Yellow dominates the Forbidden City. It is the color of royalty. Roofs are covered in yellow glazed tiles. Decorations are painted yellow. Even the bricks are specially made yellow. But there’s an exception. The royal library Wenyuange has a black roof. Black symbolized water a fire extinguisher.
The Forbidden City is divided. The southern Outer Court is where emperors ruled. The northern Inner Court is where they lived with their families. Fourteen Ming emperors and ten Qing emperors reigned here. Until 1924 when Puyi the last emperor was expelled. Five centuries of imperial history reside within these walls. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987 it is one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions.
Picture yourself inside. The Meridian Gate Wumen. Its five openings. The central opening was for the emperor only. Empresses passed through once on their wedding day. Top scholars from national examinations were granted passage. Ministers used the east opening royalty the west. Petty officials used the others. Ordinary people were forbidden.
Consider Taihedian the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The grandest timber structure ever built in China. Emperors received high officials here. Thrones ceremonies and celebrations took place. Eighteen bronze Dings represent eighteen provinces. Bronze cranes and tortoises represent everlasting rule and longevity. The floor’s fifteen layers protected against assassins.
Beyond the Outer Court lies the Inner Court. Qianqinggong the Palace of Celestial Purity the emperor’s bedroom. Jiaotaidian the Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union where empresses received greetings. Kunninggong the Palace of Earthly Tranquility the empress’s residence. Yangxindian the Hall of Mental Cultivation where Qing emperors lived and ruled.
The Forbidden City. A city of palaces gates and courtyards. A city of emperors empresses and untold stories. A city that stands as a powerful symbol of China’s rich and complex history. It’s a place that continues to captivate and inspire.