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Ziheng Yang

Mrs. Simmons

College Research Technology

September 6, 2016

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the

end of the Qing dynasty, from

the years 1420 to 1912. The

Forbidden City located in the

center of Beijing, China, and

now is the Palace Museum.

The Forbidden City

from north to south is 961

meters, and from east to west

is753 meters wide, covering an area of approximately 725,000 square meters. 12 meters high

walls, from the bottom 10 meters’ top, 6-7 m thick, protection and surrounded by a 52-meter-

wide moat. There are four: the south gate is Meridian Gate, east gate is Donghuamen, west gate

just called the West Gate, North is Xuanwumen. Xuanwumen and Meridian Gate are now the

main entrance of the Palace Museum. And all the gate walls were 9.9 meters high and 8.26

meters thick.

Early Ming Dynasty there are around 1630 temples in the Forbidden City. During the

Qing dynasty Qianlong period they added to about 1800 temples, and the existing house are

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about 2631. Each of the Forbidden City palace style diagram to a fine painting, "inch" Kangxi

from Ray's family from generation to generation measurements, draw collection to the early

Republican era. According to legend, the Imperial Palace had houses in total about 9999. In

1973, according to expert’s actual size of the Palace courtyard measuring more than 90, and

about 980 houses, at the total of 8704 houses.

The Imperial Palaces called "Forbidden City" before the Xinhai Revolution and after the

Xinhai Revolution they change the name to

“The Palace Museum.”

Since 1421, the Ming Dynasty move to

Beijing as the capital, and built a great city, and

that is the Forbidden City. On seventy-two

hectares of vast land, set all kinds of

construction culmination of techniques, the total

number of houses built in the early had reached

nine thousand more rooms.

The Forbidden City, is now the largest

palace, also is the world's largest palace. Yellow

glazed tiles. Red walls, which constitute the

main tone is from the ancient Chinese thought:

the center of the land is the yellow and red to represent Ever bright auspicious. This color is also

ignorant of the Forbidden City, shows Emperor live in the centered of the world.

The Forbidden City’s name came from the Department of metaphor Ziwei Yuan. In

ancient times, people put

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stars in the sky as divided into three enclosures, twenty-eight stars and other constellations.

Three enclosures include Supreme Palace Enclosure, Ziwei Yuan and Heavenly Market

Enclosure. Purple star in three enclosures central and therefore became the representative of

Heaven constellation. Heaven to live in a place called Purple Palace, the emperor is the emperor

of the world, so to imitate the Emperor of Heaven, to live in their own place called the Purple

Palace. And from the beginning of the Qin emperor's residence called the ban, meaning that is

not free access, thus collectively known as the Forbidden City. And the name comes from the "

Purple Forbidden enclosure," Chinese scientists to the ancient star like stars in the sky is divided

into three enclosures, four images, twenty-eight stars. Which refers to three enclosures wall

purple star, too Purple Forbidden enclosure and day. Purple star centered in the wall, reportedly

heaven God dwelling in purple star wall, the self-proclaimed emperor of the world, "Son of

Heaven" will imitate heaven God dwelling with its name "Purple" as the Forbidden City.

Forbidden City is a sight, the red walls, gold, white stone buildings constructed. And yellow

glazed tile which is the symbol of the emperor. And at the initial investment in building the

Forbidden City craftsman 230,000 soldiers, millions of migrant workers, lasted around 15 years.

This show us how important is The Forbidden City means to the emperor.

The Forbidden City’s former is Zhengyang, and is the north of Tiananmen Square, the

Meridian Gate in the future is the Forbidden City, also north of the Tiananmen Square.

Forbidden City’s important buildings are arranged in a straight line. Tiananmen Square between

Zhengyang and originally there is a door, called Ming door.

The Forbidden City is completed in the Ming Yongle five years (1407). Construction of

collecting more than 100,000 of the famous craftsman, porters 1,000,000. All materials from

across the country. Wood from Hubei and Hunan, Jiangxi, Shanxi and other provinces; white

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marble stone from Beijing Fangshan County; colored stone tiger from Jixian winding; granite

taken from Quyang. The palace walls with red, raw materials produced in Shandong Lushan,

processing in Boshan; interior walls apricot yellow pigment produced in Hebei Xuanhua

Yantongshan. Project management is Zhu Di cronies’ eunuch Nguyen Hoa minister of works

Wuzhong. Forbidden City Gate of Supreme Harmony is the outside towards the main entrance,

the Yongle Emperor summoned this palace Liao and Shi real government, known as the

"Imperial door hearing" through the Gate of Supreme Harmony is the width of more than million

square meters of Taihe Square. Held ceremony the officials, ceremonial thousand, an audience

with the emperor in this together. Since the square is too broad, you cannot see emperor at all.

Forbidden City Hall of Supreme Harmony is China's largest existing wooden structure building

section. It is the emperor palace held following Bit, weddings and birthday use.

Yonge nineteen years Di moved the capital to Beijing. The Forbidden City was the three

main hall called " Mukden, canopy, have the honor body " in the Forbidden City built less than a

hundred days, the three main hall burned. Zhu Di to recognize this is because he is the "Jingnan

change" the emperor, the fear is "contrary to God", not to build, right to Mukden door, which is

hearing of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, which is two case of Ming emperor "Imperial door

hearing". After the death of his son Zhu Di Ju Chi (Ren) to the throne, still along the old system

did not change, because he was reluctant to Xing Wang, that the complex will want to Nanjing,

Until Hidemune Qizhen, orthodox four years (1439) started in December, was even ordered

rehabilitation. Construction shift supervisor with the Bureaux craftsmen 3 million people, 3.6

million troops. November orthodox six years, three Hall all completed. Later dynasties all

repaired to the provinces levy fiscal palace. Jiajing thirty-six years (1557) the three main hall will

again fire, after reconstruction, in forty-one three Hall was finished and renamed Huangji, in a

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very, very three main halls was built. 40 years after Wanli twenty-four years, twenty-five years

(1596 - 1597), after the first three and two house the house has been burned. Wanli three years

(1604) was repaired after the Second Temple and the Palace of Heavenly Purity namely

Kunning. Three temple because of the lack of wood, and not construction. August Apocalypse

five years, Tonghui Industry Lu Tao Lang Park found dynasties remaining Phoebe in Tianjin to

coast along the reed in a thousand roots, to solve the problem of wood. In the second year (1626)

in September that they completed the temple and built very Hall.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony throne above the roof, carved with a golden dragon. As

long like a ceiling, and a mirror ball in its mouth made of mercury called Regales mirror. If not

by the legendary emperor to sit on the throne of destiny, Regulus mirror ball will drop, bringing

the man to death. In the Hall of Preserving Harmony is the north side of the inner court, which is

the residence of the emperor. Dry clean goalkeeper three main hall of the outer court and inner

court separately. In front of the dry clean, place a male and a female a Lion,

guarded the door. A lion foot Hydrangea

symbolic "unified Universe", a small foot

lioness lion, a symbol of "Preliminary

child."

Emperor Forbidden City in the inner court of life, which is borne by the guard glanced

guard Guards and the eunuch. Eunuch is a net body man. A long time ago they were royal

instructions to be recorded, to the next stage, the number of eunuchs reached thousands of

people. In the inner court, and use the walls and doors of a detailed segmentation, in which you

cannot move around freely, the door has a cabin, and the guard on duty guarding the eunuch

place. Eunuchs have butler service, the meals pipe, tube sweeping the other 24 kinds of

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positions. The deepest in the inner court, where a man named North five, what was the net room

eunuch workplace. Clean room things eunuchs mainly serve the emperor nightlife eunuch, when

the emperor to rest, the dozens of books by the emperor's concubine name fabric selection, and is

responsible for the chosen one sent to the emperor's bedroom. Emperor eunuch who often take

advantage of these opportunities to get close to the emperor, took power, which also appeared,

all of the government by the eunuch and bureaucratic process.

After being the home of 24 emperors –

14 of the Ming dynasty and 10 of the Qing

dynasty – the Forbidden City ceased being

the political centre of China in 1912 with

the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of

China. Under an agreement with the new

Republic of China government, Puyi

remained in the Inner Court, while the Outer

Court was given over to public use, until he was evicted after a coup in 1924. The Palace

Museum was then established in the Forbidden City in 1925. In 1933, the Japanese invasion of

China forced the evacuation of the national treasures in the Forbidden City. Part of the collection

was returned at the end of World War II, but the other part was evacuated to Taiwan in 1948

under orders by Chiang Kai-shek, whose Kuomintang was losing the Chinese Civil War. This

relatively small but high quality collection was kept in storage until 1965, when it again became

public, as the core of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. After the establishment of the

People's Republic of China in 1949, some damage was done to the Forbidden City as the country

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was swept up in revolutionary zeal. During the Cultural Revolution, however, further destruction

was prevented when Premier Zhou Enlai sent an army battalion to guard the city

That is the center of Beijing, my hometown. By any chance I really hope everyone can go

to Beijing, I will show you Beijing’s Culture, and real Chinese Culture.

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Works Cited

"Beijing Travel Guide - Forbidden City Documentary (Palace Museum) Part 1 'Secrets'

HD." YouTube, uploaded by Wikibeijing, wikibeijing, 13 Sept. 2014,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHypO2ISPas. Accessed 2 Sept. 2016. Seat of

supreme power for over five centuries (1420-1911), the Forbidden City in Beijing,

with its landscaped gardens and many buildings, constitutes a priceless testimony

to Chinese civilization during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

"A brief history of the Forbidden City and its important part Wu Men Gate." Beijing

Internation, Feb. 2014,

www.ebeijing.gov.cn/Elementals/eBeijing_Neighbourhood/t1048557.htm.

Connolly, Bruce. Interview. 26 Jan. 2016. Interview: “Much to discover in the Forbidden

City,” Radio Beijing AM 774

"Forbidden City." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Tzu-chin Ch’ing, Tzu-chin Ch’ing.

Accessed 5 Sept. 2016.

"Forbidden City, Beijing, China in 4K (Ultra HD)." YouTube, uploaded by Amazing

Places on Our Planet, Amazing Places on Our Planet, 17 Dec. 2015,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9vcSWb6mug. Accessed 6 Sept. 2016. Forbidden

City is the widely popular name of the Imperial Palace in Beijing. On the list of

the UNESCO World Heritage (quote): "Seat of supreme power for over five

centuries (1416-1911), the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its landscaped gardens

and many buildings (whose nearly 10,000 rooms contain furniture and works of

art), constitutes a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization during the Ming and

Qing dynasties" 

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Hsia, Ronnie. Interview. 13 Jan. 2012. Francesca Borgo (Harvard University, Art

History) interviews Ronnie Hsia (Penn State University) about his book "A Jesuit

in the Forbidden City: Matteo Ricci, 1552-1610" (Oxford University Press) as

part of the De Bosis Colloquium in Italian Studies at Harvard University. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AojRKnEoNsQ

MacFarquhar, Roderick. The Forbidden City. Newsweek, New York, S. Arthur

Dembener.

Obama, Michelle. "The First Lady's Travel Journal: Touring the Forbidden City." The

First Lady's Travel Journal: Touring the Forbidden City, 21 Mar. 2014,

www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/03/21/first-ladys-travel-journal-touring-

forbidden-city. Accessed 5 Sept. 2016. While we loved our visit to the Forbidden

City, we only wish we had more time to see everything. But then again, I’m not

sure there could ever be enough time to fully appreciate all of the art and history

within this extraordinary place.

The Palace Museum. "About the Palace Museum." The Palace Museum, 2016,

en.dpm.org.cn/about/about-museum/2015-01-20/1615.html.

Peng, Ying-chen. "The Forbidden City." KHANACADEMY, edited by Ying-chen Peng,

Aug. 2011, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/imperial-china/ming-

dynasty/a/forbidden-city.

Reich, Tova. Forbidden City. No. 43, BEYOND ARCADIA, 2004.

Travel China Guide. "Forbidden City Maps." Travel China Guide, 2012,

www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/forbidden-city/maps.htm. Accessed

6 Sept. 2016. Map.