Forbidden City
The Forbidden City (Chinese紫禁城, Pinyin Zǐjìnchéng, Purple Forbidden City ' or故宫Chinese, Pinyin GuGong, Imperial Palace ') is located in the center of Beijing. There lived and ruled until the revolution in 1911, the Chinese emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The ordinary people of were not allowed - which explains the name Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is located at the northern end of the square of heavenly peace. In 1987, she was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Forbidden City is a masterpiece of Chinese architecture out its investment corresponded to the worldview of the imperial rulers: a roughly rectangular floor plan - aligned according to the principle of Yin and Yang on the north -south axis - and the Forbidden City as a symbol of power of the emperor in the middle. In it, among other things, the palaces of the rulers were. The roofs of most of the main building were partially gilded and with yellow, the symbolic color of the Chinese emperor, glazed tiled. No building in Beijing was allowed to project beyond the Forbidden City in height.
History
Yongle, the third Ming emperor, began in 1406 with the construction of the Forbidden City. At times, to one million slaves and more than 100,000 artisans who built it. Only through such an effort, it is evident that the construction was already completed in 1420.
Yongle's successor, constructed the palace while in his spirit, and even extended to him on the floor plan but neither he nor any other emperor changed something. Therefore, the system is still always in their original manner, strictly directed North-South obtained.
From 1420 to 1644, the Forbidden City was the seat of the Ming Dynasty. In April 1644 the peasant leader Li Zicheng moved into Beijing and declared himself emperor, the last Ming emperor Chongzhen hanged himself. Soon, however, Li Zicheng had to flee from the Manchus, under the command of General Wu Sangui, which largely continued the Forbidden City it on fire. In October 1644 was held after the final victory of the Manchus in northern China, a ceremony in the Forbidden City, in which the six-year Shunzhi was proclaimed first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The rulers of the Qing Dynasty changed the name of the main building, where instead of the concept of supremacy that of harmony was emphasized.
1860 British- French troops occupied the Forbidden City until the end of the Second Opium War. 1900 Empress Dowager Cixi fled during the Boxer Rebellion of the Forbidden City, which was occupied by foreign powers again the following year.
After the Xinhai Revolution abdicated the last emperor, Puyi, 1912. He lived after his abdication and his family for a while in the Chinese imperial palaces. In 1924, she finally had to leave the Forbidden City and the gates were opened to the public.
While other monuments were looted during the Cultural Revolution of the Red Guards, or even destroyed, the Forbidden City was spared because it was backed by the armed forces of the People's Liberation Army.
Plant
The entire building complex has a floor area of 720,000 square meters and a building area of 150,000 m². On the site there are 890 palaces with countless pavilions with 9,999 ½ rooms. Half the room has a symbolic character. According to legend, only heaven could have a palace with 10,000 rooms, so the " sons of heaven " with 9,999 ½ had to be satisfied. The buildings were constructed on white, lined marble balustrades and terraces have sweeping pagoda roofs in the imperial color yellow. The wall of the Forbidden City is 10 meters high and 3428 meters long and surrounded by a 3800 -meter-long, 52 meters wide and 6 meters deep water-filled ditch. In every direction is in each case a large gate with a tower and at the four corners of walls is each a corner tower. The main entrance is the " Meridian Gate " ( Wumen ) or " Five-Phoenix Gate".
Zijincheng is divided into the inner ( Neiting ) and outer ( Waichao ) yard. The outer courtyard is located in the south and was the official area. From here, has been involved in major halls such as the Hall of Middle Harmony ( Zhong He Dian ) and the Hall of Preserving Harmony ( Bao He Dian ) governs. The 'Gate of Supreme Harmony " is how many of the palace gates by two bronze lions (see also guardian lion ) guarded that symbolize the strength of the imperial power, and leads to the " Hall of Supreme Harmony " ( Tai He Dian ). This 1420 built, 35 meters high and 2,400 m² hall is supported by 24 columns. The Dragon Throne is in the middle of the room. The throne is of two elephants, which symbolize peace, guarded. Use was made of the hall to the enthronement of a new emperor, to celebrations at the birthday of the ruler, as the new year, the winter solstice celebration, the announcement of the candidates who had passed the imperial civil service exam, or the nomination of the generals, when a campaign was imminent. Here, then, the most important ceremonies of the emperors were held: coronations, weddings and the awarding of titles to senior officials.
In the inner courtyard, the Neiting consisting of three palaces ( Quanqinggong (Palace of Heavenly Purity ), the Jiaotaidian (Hall of contact between heaven and earth ) and the Kunninggong (Palace of Earthly peace ) ), the imperial family and the court lived: hundreds of court ladies and palace eunuchs that. North of the palace of earthly tranquility was the Imperial garden.
In addition, there were many other palaces, pavilions and small courtyards with areas for the empress, concubines, the emperor, when he fasted (Fast palace ), the emperor, when he wanted to be alone ( Yangxindian (Hall for the formation of feelings) ).
The 'Gate of Divine Military talent " ( Shenwumen ) is the northernmost gate of the whole imperial palace. There used to be in the upper part of the gate tower, a drum and a bell that announced the palace residents the time.
In the film,
- In the feature film The Last Emperor, the Forbidden City is the venue of events.
- The documentary, directed by Bing ZHOU Huan XU and "Inside the Forbidden City" (B, 2006, 47 min, . Engl and German ) shows photographs of the history of collections ( 1.5 million pieces ) and the renovations in the 1950s and 2000s. For example, the two-year production of special clay in the Hall of Supreme completion, the gold brick and the ceiling paintings of the retirement palace or the discovery of over 3000 Tibetan Buddhist written documents in the attic of a Taoist temple.
- In the movie Karate Kid, the main character makes a trip to the Forbidden City.
- In the films, Curse of the Golden Flower, Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights, the Forbidden City was also seen.
The Forbidden City today
The Forbidden City now houses the Palace Museum Beijing and is a popular tourist attraction. Up to the 2008 Olympics, it has been completely restored.
An exhibition The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City, was in 2010 at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts instead and showed 90 significant ceremonial and other objects from the garden at the house, the Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century to the Forbidden City was built. Most of the objects only came into the public spotlight when the restoration was carried out.