Forbidden City Beijing

The Forbidden City  Beijing

Having been a big fan of Chinese Cinema for many years, the Forbidden City felt like being on the set of crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, the Last Emperor, Curse of the Golden Flower, Hero and many more.

This is where for Century the Emperors of China Ruled, living lavish lives of opulence that few people whom have lived on this planet Earth have Every had the Privilege to Experience. 

The Meridian Gate is the first building in the forbidden Palace that makes you go wow, its a gate with a traditional chinese Building on top.

Its the southern and largest gate of the Forbidden City. It has five arches. The three central arches are close together; the two flanking arches are farther apart from the three central arches. The center arch was reserved for the Emperor alone; I walked though the central gate I must be pretty special, The only exception was the Empress, she could enter through the central gate on the day of her wedding (woo whoo for woman's rights and equality) and the top 3 scholars after exams. Everyone else had to walk under the other 4 arches (commoners).

Above the arches are a series of buildings. The central one is the palace of nine bays wide, with double roofs. In each side, the 13 bays-wide building, single roof, connects the two pavilions on the top. 

The Buildings on top with its central palace and double foof's is from where The Emperor's of the Ming and Qing Dynasties looked down to admire there huge armies and send them off in search of conquest or to build very big walls (the Great Wall of China), of course the Emperor probably never ever did a day of work or even fight a battle in his life but I sure he felt great honour looking at the troops.

Its superstructure is also called the "Five Phoenix Turrets" because it is composed of five buildings. Imperial proclamations and almanacs were issued from the gate house. After successful campaigns, the Emperor received prisoners of war here, sometimes followed by mass decapitations. Emperiors are brave when the emery is beaten.

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the center of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

Built between 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 720,000 square meters. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum's former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest hall in the Forbidden City complex. It is located at its central axis, behind the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Built on a base of marble stone 3 levels high, and surrounded by bronze incense burners and other ornaments, it's one of the largest wooden structures within China. This where Emperors became Emperors ascending to the throne in the days of the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, it is also where the Emperors wedding ceremonies where hosted.

Together with the Hall of Central Harmony and Hall of Preserving Harmony, the three halls constitute the heart of the Outer Court of the Forbidden City.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony rising some 30 meters above the level of the surrounding square was the ceremonial center of Chinese imperial power. 

The six pillars nearest the imperial throne in the  Hall of Supreme Harmony are covered with gold, and the entire area is decorated with a dragon decorations. 

The imperial Dragon Throne, in particular, has five dragons coiled around the back and hand rests. The screen behind it features sets of nine dragons.

Set into the ceiling directly above the throne is an intricate caisson decorated with a coiled dragon.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor held court here to discuss affairs of state. During the Qing Dynasty, Emperors held court far more frequently. As a result, the location was changed to the Inner Court, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony was only used for ceremonial purposes, such as coronations, investitures, and imperial weddings.

The original hall was built by the Ming Dynasty in 1406 and was destroyed seven times by fires during the Qing Dynasty and last re-built in 1695–1697.

The Palace of Heavenly Purity, It is the largest of the three halls of the Inner Court (the other two being the Hall of Union and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility), located at the northern end of the Forbidden City. In the Qing dynasty, the palace served as the Emperor's audience hall for the Grand Council. An Emperor and Councilors having meeting in a Palace of heavenly purity maybe the people whom built it where a little naive when selecting a name. It also hosted banquets and visiting dignitaries.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was the residence of the Emperor. It was divided into 9 rooms with 27 beds for the purpose of security, on any one night the Emperor would randomly choose from any of these beds.However a man who has over a thousand personal courtesans who my guess is where selected from the most beautiful Chinese Ladies I guess rarely slept alone. So I imagine his bed  was the one filled with beautiful Babes a quick tip for histories assassins! 

The Palace of Heavenly Purity is a double-eaved building, and set on a single-level white marble platform. It is connected to the Gate of Heavenly Purity to its south by a raised walkway.

In the early Qing Dynasty. the Emperor Yongzheng did not wish to inhabit the palace occupied by his father for sixty years. He and subsequent emperors lived instead at the smaller Hall of Mental Cultivation to the west. The Palace of Heavenly Purity then became the Emperor's audience hall, where he held court. 

At the centre of the Palace, set atop an elaborate platform, is a throne and a desk, on which the Emperor wrote notes and signed documents during councils with ministers. A caisson is set into the roof, featuring a coiled dragon.

Above the throne hangs a tablet penned by the Shunzhi Emperor. This tablet has been translated several ways. It is often used as a Chinese Idiom, meaning "To be decent, honest and magnanimous," or "to have no secret or do a shameless deed."

From the Yongzheng Emperor afterwards, the Emperor designated his heir in secret, with one copy of the will hidden behind this tablet and another carried at all times by the Emperor.

I found this little Pavilion on the outskirts of the Forbidden City near the west gate it was so ornately decorated and the roof so colourful. 

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