Forbidden City Beijing – Imperial Splendour

images (10)The Forbidden City in Beijing must be one of the most visited places in China drawn by the allure of a royal residence and the place responsible for everything important that happened in the country for at least 500 hundred years. The world’s largest palace complex is in the centre of the ancient city of Beijing and is spread over 74 hectares. It now comprises of 980 surviving buildings.

Surrounded by an impressive 26 ft wall surmounted by four guard towers on the corners and a moat 20 ft deep and 171 ft wide, the place was indeed securely guarded. The Meridian Gate in the south which is the only gate open now out of the four that was on each side, is the largest. Out of its five gateways the middle one which was connected to the Imperial Way was generally reserved for the emperor. The empress was permitted on it on her wedding day and students who passed the notoriously difficult imperial examination had the honour of being allowed on it as well.

images (9)The Forbidden City was designed to accommodate imperial government and private life. In the southern section or the outer court is the business end of the complex where the large and formal buildings were meant to impress visiting dignitaries. The Halls of Supreme Harmony, Preserving Harmony and Central Harmony were the formal ceremonial halls with the Hall of Supreme Harmony being the tallest structure in Beijing. They are located facing a large square on a marble terrace connected by elevated ramps.

At the northern end was the inner court separated by a courtyard from the outer court. It housed the emperor and his family. In the centre of this court is another set of smaller halls. The emperor stayed in the Palace of Terrestrial Tranquillity while the empress occupied the Palace of Celestial Purity and they met in the Hall of Terrestrial and Celestial Union.

images (8)The Forbidden City set amidst landscaped gardens with forests and lakes such as Jingshan Park in the north and Beihai Park in the north-west, offers a glimpse of ritual and court culture of imperial China while its art and architecture offers insights into the ingenuity of Chinese crafts people and the artistic traditions of China.

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Umanga Kahandawaarachchi is a passionate travel writer who writes under the pen name, Maggie Tulliver. Her field of writing covers a wide array of content and articles related to travel and hospitality industry.

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