Chapter 3 3. Features of the Forbidden City

The earliest known palace in China, scholars believe that it is the remains of the Xia Dynasty palace in Yanshi, Henan.Later, there were remains of Yin Shang palaces in Anyang, Henan. "Historical Records·Benji of Yin" records: King Zhou of Yin "used wine as a pool and hung meat as a forest", indulged day and night, leading to his downfall.Qin Afang Palace, Weiyang Palace of Han Dynasty, Daming Palace of Tang Dynasty, as well as the Nanjing Palace of Liao and Nanjing, the Palace of Jin Zhongdu, the Palace of Da Nei of the Yuan Dynasty, and the Nanjing Palace of Ming Dynasty, all of which were built in Beijing, were all burned or destroyed. Long gone.What can be seen now are the "two palaces and three courtyards", that is, the Beijing Palace Museum and the Shenyang Palace Museum, the Beijing Palace Museum, the Shenyang Palace Museum and the Taipei Palace Museum.The Shenyang Forbidden City was built for a relatively short period of time. It was built in the tenth year of destiny (1625). It was built 218 years later than the Beijing Imperial Palace in the Ming Dynasty. It occupies an area of ​​60,000. More than square meters, 116 buildings and more than 500 rooms; 20,700 cultural relics in the courtyard.

The Imperial Palace of Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing, referred to as the Forbidden City, also known as the Forbidden City, was included in the World Cultural Heritage List in 1987.This marks that the Forbidden City in Beijing is not only a Chinese cultural treasure, but also a world cultural treasure, because it is the largest and best-preserved ancient palace complex in the world, and it is also the largest museum of history, culture and art in the world.For this reason, I would like to introduce the Forbidden City of Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing, China to the Chinese and the world.

Why is the title of this series of TV lectures in "Lectures of Hundred Schools" and the title of this book called "The Great Forbidden City"? The plane of the Forbidden City is rectangular, 961 meters long from north to south, 753 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of ​​more than 720,000 square meters (about 1,078 acres), with a construction area of ​​150,000 square meters. There are more than 9,000 palaces and houses of various types in the Forbidden City. Resplendent and magnificent.Outside there is a city wall 10 meters high and 3428 meters in circumference, decorated with four magnificent turrets. Outside the city is surrounded by a moat 52 meters wide and 3800 meters long.This is a concentrated display of 13 million square kilometers of territory, 400 million people and 5,000 years of Chinese civilization in the heyday of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The Forbidden City in Beijing decided to build it in the first year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1403). Construction began in the fourth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1406), and it was basically completed in 18 years (1420).Fourteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty, ten emperors of the Qing Dynasty, a total of 24 emperors and one "Empress" Cixi lived in the Forbidden City and ruled China for nearly 500 years.It has been 609 years since the decision to build the Forbidden City.In the history of existing imperial palaces in the world, the only imperial palace that has been used continuously for five hundred years is the Forbidden City in Beijing.In the history of Chinese dynasties, the only imperial palace that has been used continuously for five hundred years is the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The Forbidden City now collects cultural relics, including architecture, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, inscriptions, bronzes, jade, furniture, sculptures, treasures, classics, archives, etc. After seven years of comprehensive and careful inventory by Dean Zheng Xinmiao and other Forbidden City staff, there are 1.8 million pieces. The National Palace Museum in Taipei Collection of 650,000 handed down treasures and about 400,000 archives, as well as cultural relics collected in the National Museum, Shenyang Palace Museum, Chengde Summer Resort, Nanjing Museum, Summer Palace Management Office, Temple of Heaven Park Management Office, and China's First Historical Archives The 10 million files and the 2 million Manchu files are the essence of the 5,000-year Chinese civilization and the crystallization of the wisdom of the people of all ethnic groups in China.

The scope of the Great Forbidden City includes not only the Forbidden City, but also altars and temples, royal gardens, palace mausoleums related to the Forbidden City, Shenyang Forbidden City and Summer Resort, Mulan Paddock, Ming Zhongdu and Ming Nanjing related historical sites, etc., as well as the Taipei Forbidden City The treasures of cultural relics moved southward in the museum, etc., are generally covered by the "Great Forbidden City" within the scope of the former Ministry of Internal Affairs. The buildings of the Forbidden City strictly follow the rules of symmetry, arranged in sequence along a north-south meridian, namely the central axis, and unfolded symmetrically. Whether it is plane layout, three-dimensional effect or architectural form, they all show solemnity, majesty, magnificence and neutrality.This central axis extends north-south, which is the central axis of Beijing city, from Yongding Gate to the Bell and Drum Tower, about 16 miles long.The whole layout pays attention to balance, east, west, north, south, even and symmetrical.East and West—Temple of Heaven to Xiannong Temple, Six Departments of Wenya to Wuya and Five Army Dudufu, Taimiao to Sheji Altar, Wenhua Hall to Wuying Hall, Donghua Gate to Xihua Gate, East Sixth Palace to West Sixth Palace; north and south— —The front three halls face the rear three halls, the Hall of Supreme Harmony faces the Hall of Preserving Harmony, and the Palace of Qianqing faces the Palace of Kunning. Jiaotai Hall, Duanmen is between Tiananmen and Meridian Gate, Daming Gate (Great Qing Gate) is between Zhengyangmen and Tiananmen.The center of this meridian, that is, the central axis, is the Forbidden City; the main buildings of the Forbidden City face south, and the emperor's throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony is just on the central axis, reflecting the supreme, most important, and prestige of the imperial power, as well as the traditional Chinese culture - Zhongzheng The essence of Anhe concept.

In short, only the great China, the great history, the great culture, and the great wisdom can have the great Forbidden City in Beijing!In today's world, all the existing palaces in Asia, Europe, Africa, America, etc., in terms of their vast area, majestic architectural groups, rich collection of cultural relics, long continuous time, profound concept and long-lasting cultural influence On the whole, Beijing's Ming and Qing Forbidden City is unparalleled. The Forbidden City is complex and multifaceted.Some people use "Blood Court" to reveal the dark, cruel, bloody and tyrannical side of the imperial palace in the imperial era.However, the buildings, utensils, clothing, calligraphy and paintings, classics, and archives of the Forbidden City are no longer the wealth of the royal family. The precious wealth of the Chinese nation.Future generations should be in awe, praise, pride, and enjoyment of Chinese cultural heritage, and perform the duty of protection, caring, learning, and promotion.