Many people will say that the Louvre Palace in France is the largest palace in the world. But the Forbidden City, once known as the palace center of China, is three times larger than the Louvre Palace, which took 1 million workers 14 years to build. The world’s largest and oldest wooden structure is preserved here. Where entry was previously forbidden to everyone, now 14 million tourists visit it annually.
Unknown facts about the Forbidden City
The Forbidden City has been used as a palace for the Chinese Empire for 492 years. 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived here. A hall on the west side of the building was built in the style of the Arabs, called the Yude Hall. There is a European building called Lingzhao Xuan in the Yangtze Palace. It has faced fires several times.
No trees will be found in the Outer Court of the Forbidden City. Because the emperors thought that the shadow of the trees would cover the grandeur of the place! They decided that no bird chicks should be allowed to sit on the roof of the palace. They will go, they will go. If the birds dirty this heavenly place!
Why is the palace called the Forbidden City
In ancient times, the emperor was called the son of heaven and therefore he was given the highest power in heaven. The residence of the emperors was also considered the heavenly Purple Palace. Since it was considered a divine place, it was forbidden for ordinary people to enter, so it was called the Forbidden City. The Chinese call it the Former Palace.
History of the Forbidden City
This palace was built during the reigns of Emperor Zhu Di and Yongle. Emperor Yongle was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In order to consolidate the power of the empire and protect his own security, Yongle decided to move the capital of China from Nanjing to Beijing. He then ordered Kuai Jiang to build the Forbidden City in Beijing. The city then suffered three fires. As a result, most of the current palace was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. During the Second Opium War, the Forbidden City was under the control of Anglo-French forces and remained in their possession until the end of the war. The last emperor, Puyi, lived here until he was expelled. The Palace Museum was then built and opened to the public.
What is in the Forbidden City
The 180-acre Forbidden City has three parts: defense (moat and wall), Outer Court, and Inner Court.
For security, the Forbidden City has a 10-meter-high defensive wall, with a circumference of 3,430 meters. There are watch towers at each corner. The main gate of the palace is called the Meridian Gate. The gate can be opened from three sides. The middle part was only for the emperors to travel. This is where the emperor gave orders for the empire and war.
The Outer Court has three main buildings, from where the emperors attended ceremonies. During the Ming Dynasty, the emperors sat in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to conduct state affairs. This is the most important and largest structure here. The Dragon Throne of the emperors is kept in this hall. During the Qing Dynasty, it was used for various events. The second hall behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Central Harmony. Here, the emperors would prepare for speeches and presentations and rest before attending major events. The Hall of Preserving Harmony was for banquets.
The Inner Court was where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty lived.
The Inner Court has three main buildings. The first is the Palace of Heavenly Purity, which was the residence of the emperors before Emperor Yongzheng. It later became the Emperor’s Audience Hall. Behind it is the Palace of Union and Peace, where the imperial seal is preserved. The Hall of Terrestrial Tran quillity was the residence of the empress during the Ming Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, it became a shamanistic temple. It was also used for the emperor’s wedding ceremonies.