206. Forbidden City

 

Forbidden City 
Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century C.E. and later. Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile

It stands for the culmination of the development of classical Chinese and East Asian architecture and influences the development of Chinese architecture. The largest surviving wooden structure in China is surrounded by 7.9 meters (26 feet) high walls and 3,800 meters (2.4 miles) long moat.

Basic Info

• The Forbidden city was built up as the main palace for the Chinese emperors over the centuries
• The Forbidden City was the political and ritual center of China for over 500 years
• The final additions occurred in 1420
• The last emperor was expelled in 1925

Form 

• The Forbidden City is a large precinct of red walls and yellow glazed roof tiles located in the heart of Beijing 
• The precinct is a micro-city in its own right
• The city is 960 meters long and 750 meters wide
• There are 98 buildings and a moat that is 50 meters wide
• The Forbidden City is a ceremonial, ritual and living space, so the architects who designed its layout followed the ideal cosmic order in Confucian ideology
• This layout ensured that all activities within this micro-city were conducted in the manner appropriate to the participants’ social and familial roles
• Living quarters in the Forbidden City were determined by individuals' social status

Function 

• The function of the palace was to serve as home to the Chinese emperor and his (or her) court
• By separating the court from the city on a physical island, the emperors considerably strengthened their influence
• Since 1925, the palace has effectively served as the national museum of China
• During his reign of secretary general of the PRC, Chairman Mao hung his picture from the Gate of Heavenly Peace, one of the entrances to the city
• The portrait still hangs on the wall of the city today
• This emphasized his despotic rule over China

Content 

• There are several key buildings to know from the Forbidden city
• The palace is divided into an inner and outer court
• The outer court was for state affairs, and only men were allowed inside
• The inner court contained living spaces, and was focused on domestic life
• The main building in the outer court is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the important decisions of state are made
• The main buildings from the inner court are the emperor’s residence known as the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and the empress’s residence, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility

Context 

• The palace was operating for over 500 years, so it saw major political, technological and other changes over its lifetime
• The palace was originally built to solidify power from a coup d'etat
• The fourth son of the Ming emperor usurped power from his older brothers and seized control
• In order to solidify his power he moved the capital, as well as his own army, from Nanjing to Beijing and began building a new palace
• The Qing dynasty, which ruled after the Ming until the rise of the ROC, continued use of the Forbidden City as headquarters of the royal court