wThe Forbidden City (forbiddencity) was the palace of 24 emperors of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. After Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, seized the throne, he decided to move the capital to Beijing and began to build the Forbidden City palace until the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1420)

Completed. According to ancient Chinese astrology theory, Ziweiyuan (i.e. the North Star) is located in the middle of the sky, where the Emperor of Heaven lives, and heaven and man correspond. Therefore, the emperor’s residence is also called the Forbidden City. If Li Cong wanted to establish an empire, he would naturally build a huge

Royal Palace, and the Forbidden City is the best one in existence. Of course, this is also the best royal residence in ancient times. Li Cong can only use it as a reference and cannot move in directly. This is also a kind of persecution to culture. The Forbidden City is

In a certain sense, the Forbidden City culture is classic culture. Classics are authoritative, immortal, and traditional. The Forbidden City culture has the characteristics of uniqueness, richness, integrity, and symbolism. At the same time, it is connected with today's cultural construction.

.For any nation or country, classic culture will always be the support of its life, spiritual support and source of innovation. It is also the veins and blood for its survival and extension.

The Forbidden City is located in the center of the capital. It is now called the Forbidden City, which means the imperial palace of the past. It was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is also the largest, most majestic and best-preserved ancient palace and ancient building complex in the world today.

It consists of more than 870 buildings and more than 8,700 houses. Among them, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the tallest and most glorious. Grand ceremonies such as the emperor's enthronement, wedding, canonization, appointment of generals, and expeditions were held here. The most famous one in the inner court is the Yangxin Hall.

There were three Forbidden City built in the Ming Dynasty. One was in the capital, one was in Nanjing, and the other was in Fengyang. Fengyang was Zhu Yuanzhang’s hometown back then, so there was also one here, but later emperors didn’t use it much, so basically the ones here

Outsiders don't know.

The Forbidden City was first built in the fourth year of Yongle (1406) in the early Ming Dynasty. It was continuously renovated and added during the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially the restructuring during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and the reconstruction during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. The Forbidden City finally formed its current architectural scale. Architecture of the Forbidden City

It is a collection of ancient Chinese palace architecture, from which you can appreciate the rich accumulation of five thousand years of Chinese architectural culture.

The four periods of construction of Beijing in the Ming Dynasty - Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, ordered the construction of the Beijing Imperial Palace in the fourth year of Yongle (1406). Since then, construction projects have been carried out one after another until the end of the Ming Dynasty. In addition to general maintenance, calculated based on the amount of work, roughly

It can be divided into four periods.

1. The founding period of Yongle. During this period, combined with the construction of the capital, the entire ancient capital of the Yuan Dynasty was moved southward, and the construction of the Beijing city wall was completed, thus determining the location and scale of the palace city. Since the Forbidden City was based on Fengyang in the early Ming Dynasty,

, constructed based on the experience of palace construction in Nanjing, its layout is more complete. The north and south of the palace are divided into front and back bedrooms, with a central axis running through the north and south, symmetrical left and right, with three roads in a row, and six east and west palaces arranged around it, presenting the appearance of stars.

Gongyue Zhizhi. It is basically planned according to the royal city regulations in traditional documents such as "Zhou Rites". The existing Forbidden City basically maintains this layout laid down in the Yongle period.

2. The period of completion of Orthodoxy. This period included the three dynasties of Zhengtong, Jingtai, and Tianshun. It was a period of initial stability and prosperity after the founding of the Ming Dynasty. The country's financial and material resources were relatively abundant, and the construction of major temples, temples, and imperial gardens in Beijing, including the Forbidden City, were completed one after another.

The reconstruction of the three main halls and the repair of the two palaces were also major projects during this period. After Zhu Qizhen ascended the throne, the first major undertaking was the construction of the Forbidden City, which started in the first year of Zhengtong (1436) and was completed in the tenth year of Zhengtong (1446).

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3. Jiajing expansion period. At this time, the Ming Dynasty became increasingly prosperous, commercial capitalism developed, and a prosperous commercial district gradually formed outside the first three gates of Beijing. In the 23rd year of Jiajing (1544), the southern Wailuo City was built for defense.

The key projects of this period were still the projects of the three main halls of the Forbidden City. There were the most fires in this dynasty. The fire in the 36th year of Jiajing (1557) actually caused "three halls and fifteen gates to be destroyed", and they had to be rebuilt one after another.

It was not rebuilt until the 41st year of Jiajing reign (1562). During this period, the construction of the three main halls was stalled due to the reconstruction of Wanshou Palace.

Fourth, the period of decline in the late Ming Dynasty. From Wanli to the late Ming Dynasty, signs of decline became increasingly obvious, and the government was no longer able to carry out large-scale construction. Fires broke out in the three main halls of the Wanli Dynasty again. However, this time the reconstruction was put on hold for 18 years, and the project lasted 12 years. It continued.

It was not until the Tianqi period that the renovation was completed.

The Forbidden City is 961m long from north to south, 753m wide from east to west, and covers an area of ​​720,000 square meters. There are 890 houses, a total of 8707 rooms. It is surrounded by a 10m high city wall and a 52m wide moat. There is a gate on each side of the city wall, including the Noon Gate in the south.

The gate and the Shenwu Gate in the north are now exclusively for visitors to enter and exit. The architectural layout of the palaces in the city spreads out along the central axis to the east and west sides. The red walls and yellow tiles, painted buildings and carved beams are magnificent. The palaces and towers are scattered in height, spectacular and majestic.

Dongxi is like a fairyland on earth. The southern half of the city is centered on the three main halls of Taihe Hall, Zhonghe Hall and Baohe Hall, supplemented by Wenhua Hall and Wuying Hall on both sides. It is the place where the emperor held court meetings.

It is called the "former dynasty". The northern half is centered on the Qianqing Palace, the Jiaotai Palace, the Three Palaces of the Kunning Palace, the Sixth Palace of the East and West and the Imperial Garden. On the east side are the Fengxian and Huangji Palaces, and on the west side are the

Yangxin Hall, Yuhua Pavilion, Cining Palace, etc. are the places where the emperor and his concubines lived, held sacrifices and religious activities, and handled daily government affairs, which are called "hou sleeps". In addition, there are Zhai Palace, Yuqing Palace, and Chongqing Palace.

Hua Palace, etc., the total area of ​​the front and rear palaces reaches 163,000 square meters. The layout of the entire palace building is rigorous and orderly, and every brick and tile follows the feudal hierarchy and etiquette, reflecting the emperor's supreme authority. In the feudal imperial era,

Ordinary people cannot and do not dare to take a step closer. However, after Li Cong established the Imperial Palace, Li Cong's idea was to be semi-open like the Americans. This is the model of the White House. Don't make it so mysterious.

The name of the Forbidden City comes from the metaphor of the Ziwei Star Altar. Ancient Chinese astronomers once divided the stars in the sky into three yuan, twenty-eight constellations and other constellations. The three yuan includes Taiwei yuan, Ziwei yuan and Tianshi yuan. Ziwei yuan is in the three

The center of the wall. According to the ancient Chinese astronomy theory, based on long-term observations of celestial bodies, it is believed that the Ziwei star wall resides in the middle of the sky. Its position remains unchanged forever. Therefore, it has become a constellation representing the Emperor of Heaven. It is the residence of the Emperor of Heaven. Therefore, the Heavenly Palace where the Emperor of Heaven resides is considered

The so-called Purple Palace is said to be "Ziwei Zhongzhong". The "forbidden" is more understandable, which means that the palace is an important place of the royal family, and no idlers are allowed to come here.

The feudal emperors claimed to be the sons of the Emperor of Heaven and considered themselves the real Dragon Emperor; and the palace they lived in was likened to the Purple Palace in the sky. They even hoped that living in the Purple Palace, they could govern with virtue and be naturalized in all directions.

Come to the dynasty to achieve the goal of establishing a permanent empire and maintaining long-term rule. Modern people know a lot about the whole situation, and no one will foolishly say that he is the son of God. Li Cong will not risk that foolishness, but

Solemnity is indeed a must.

The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, in order to maintain their own authority and dignity and consider their own safety, built palaces that were both magnificent and fortified. This city not only has many palaces, many pavilions, and is surrounded by 10

The city wall is more than 1 meter high and the moat is 52 meters wide. There are many sentries and the security is tight. Common people are absolutely not allowed to look at the towers and pavilions, even to get closer.

The palace where the emperors of the Ming Dynasty and their families lived, in addition to the maids, eunuchs, and guards who served them, only summoned officials and authorized personnel could enter. This was a place where outsiders could not cross the threshold. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty

The imperial palace is both a purple palace and a forbidden area, so it was formerly known as the "Forbidden City". Li Cong didn't want his palace to be so strict. But the name was very good, so Li Cong decided to use this name for his palace.

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The Forbidden City in Beijing was planned to be built in the five years from 1404 AD to 1424 AD, and was built from the 15th to 18th years of Yongle. The entire construction project was supervised by the Marquis Chen Gui, and the specific responsibility was the planner Wuzhong. From the fifth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty,

Beginning in 1407 (AD 1407), Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty gathered craftsmen from all over the country and recruited 200,000 to 300,000 migrant workers and military workers. After 14 years, he built this large-scale palace complex. After the Qing Dynasty adopted it, it was only partially completed

The overall layout of the reconstruction and renovation has basically not changed. Of course, the productivity at that time was relatively low, so it took so many people and so much time to build it. Looking at it now, the manpower and material resources of the Consolidated Energy Group are about

It can be built in one to two years.

The Forbidden City is located in the center of the capital. The central axis passes through the middle of the imperial city, that is, through the three main halls and the three back palaces of the Forbidden City. The main entrance of the Forbidden City is the Meridian Gate, also known as the "Five Phoenix Tower" in the south. The Meridian Gate is the center of the palace city.

The highest gate, major ceremonies such as amnesty and prisoner sacrifice were held at the Meridian Gate. Its north gate is Shenwu Gate, its east gate is Donghua Gate, and its west gate is Xihua Gate.

The Forbidden City was the palace city of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The entire palace is divided into two parts: the "outer court" and the "inner court". It is located in the front of the Forbidden City. The outer court consists of - Duanmen - Meridian Gate - Taihe Hall - Zhonghe

The main axis of the outer dynasty is Taihe, Zhonghe and Baohe. There is Taihe Gate in front and Wenhua and Wuying on both sides.

Two groups of palaces. From the perspective of architectural functions, the outer court is where the emperor handles government affairs and holds court meetings. All major national activities and various rituals are held in the outer court. The inner court is where the emperor and his concubines live, including the central axis.

It consists of the Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, Kunning Palace, Imperial Garden and the six east and west palaces on both sides. The inner court is located at the rear (north) of the Forbidden City, including the Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, and Kunning Palace. It is the imperial palace

This group of palaces is where the emperor lived. On the side of this group of palaces are the East and West Sixth Palace, Ningshou Palace, Cining Palace, etc.; as well as four imperial gardens distributed throughout the inner court. There are also rooms for the Imperial Guard and some services in the palace.

It was built as a small house for eunuchs and palace maids to live in. Between the main entrance of the palace and the Meridian Gate, there are two rooms on the imperial road. Facing outward, there is the Taimiao Temple in the east and the Sheji Altar in the west. Jingshan in the north of the palace is another building attached to the palace.

Building complex. The use of buildings in the Forbidden City seems a bit out of date at this time, but Li Cong likes this style. In the past, Li Cong also felt that the emperor was awkward in it, but now that he wants to be the emperor, he will not

It feels so good.

Taihe Gate was built in the 18th year of Yongle. It is the south gate of the three main halls of the outer dynasties. It was called "Fengtian Gate" in the early Ming Dynasty and was renamed "Taihe Gate" in the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the three-meter-high one-story stone Xumi Ting. It has nine rooms in width, four rooms in depth, and a total height of 238 meters. It is the tallest and largest door among the existing ancient buildings in China. Its roof is in the form of a mountain with double eaves. There is a pair of tall bronze lions in front of the door. There are two gates on both sides of Taihe Gate: Zhaode Gate and Zhengdu Gate; there are Xiehe Gate and Xihe Gate on the east and west sides of the courtyard; there are verandas connecting each gate. There are Chong Towers on the northeast and northwest corners. .The size and volume of all these gates, towers and verandas are smaller than those of Taihe Gate, which makes Taihe Gate occupy a prominent position in the entire square. After entering Taihe Gate, there is a larger courtyard, which is still wide from east to west. It is 200 meters long and about 190 meters deep from north to south, enough to accommodate an honor guard procession of ten thousand people. This place was proposed by Li Cong as a place that must be preserved in the new palace. Now all meetings are held indoors. Although the energy group has a huge conference room, this ceremony still has to be done. From now on, this will be the place where Li Cong meets with all the senior management of the group on the first day of construction every year. Of course, things like kneeling and worshiping can be omitted, and the sky can also be used It is natural. It can also be replaced by a canopy after being closed. This is mainly because the weather was relatively cold at that time. If Li Cong gave them a banquet together, they would probably freeze to death after finishing the meal outside.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony is commonly known as the "Jinluan Hall". This is also a place that Li Cong requested to be preserved. It is the tallest building in the Beijing palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties, including the three-story Xumizuo with a height of 3,505 meters, and the total height of the Zhengqi is 3,744 meters. , each floor is in the form of a xumizuo, surrounded by white jade railings. On the railings there is a pillar head, and below there is a chi head spitting water. Each pillar head is decorated. The hall is eleven rooms wide and five rooms deep. The building area At 2,377 square meters, it is also the largest wooden structure palace among the existing ancient buildings in China. However, this will soon be replaced by the new palace of the Energy Group. The Hall of Supreme Harmony in the new palace will be hundreds of times larger than the current one. Around the 1970s, the roof of the main hall has a double-eaves verandah style, which is the "Si A Zhongwu" in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, and is a "supreme" shape. The number of horned beasts and dougongs on the roof is also the largest; The carvings, paintings inside the palace and the caisson patterns all use dragon and phoenix themes that represent imperial power.

The sundial, Jialiang, bronze turtle, bronze crane, etc. on the platform can only be displayed here. The golden lacquered dragon 'throne' in the palace is a symbol of imperial power. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is where the emperor held the enthronement ceremony, celebrations and received civil and military orders. It was a place where officials paid their congratulations. If a general was ordered to go on an expedition, he would also receive his seal in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. In the Ming Dynasty, palace examinations and New Year's Day banquets were also held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Li Cong believed that there was no need to preserve the Zhonghe Hall behind the Taihe Hall, so there was no such place in the new palace.

The main entrance of the inner court is called Qianqing Gate. In front of it is a long and flat courtyard, commonly known as Hengjie. To the south of the Hengjie is the Baohe Hall. To the north behind the Baohe Hall, go straight down the three-story platform to the Hengjie, so this is the outer courtyard. The junction between the imperial court and the inner court. Qianqing Gate is located in the north of Hengjie, centered in the middle and facing south. It is a palace-style gate with five bays in width, a single eaves resting roof, and a white stone platform below. The specifications of Qianqing Gate are as follows: The main entrance of the three main halls, Taihe Gate, is slightly lower. On both sides of the door, there is a glazed screen wall arranged in a figure of eight. The pair of screen walls are made of bricks, with a glazed eaves on the red wall and a glazed Xumi pedestal below. The center and four corners are also decorated with colored glaze. The main function of this place is the dividing line between the front court and the back courtyard, so this is what Li Cong wanted to retain.

The Qianqing Palace is the main hall of the Housan Palace. In the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, the Qianqing Palace has always been the bedroom of the emperor and the queen. It is 20 meters high. The shape of the palace is nine bays wide, with a double-eaves verandah-style roof, and Zhaoren on the left and right. The main hall and the Hongde Hall are connected by two small halls. There is a passage between the two ends, which can communicate with the Tai Palace and the Kunning Palace. In addition to the emperor's residence, he often summoned the palace ministers here, read memorials, handled government affairs, and even stayed in the palace. To receive foreign envoys, the Hall of Supreme Harmony just now can be said to be the largest conference room of the group. The Palace of Qianqing can be regarded as the office of the emperor of the future empire. This is also a must. As for the rest room and so on, there are also It is necessary. The Qianqing Palace is the main hall of the inner court. There is a throne in the middle of the palace and a plaque of "Upright and Bright" inside. There are warm pavilions at both ends. The Qianqing Palace is the residence of the feudal emperor. Before Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, this place was where the emperor lived and handled government affairs. After Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor moved to Yangxin Hall, but he still reviewed reports, selected officials and summoned ministers here. Li Cong thought that these internal furnishings should be there. After all, the palace was just a furnishing. Did Li Cong really want to be here? Office?

Jiaotai Hall is located between Qianqing Palace and Kunning Palace, which means "the union of heaven and earth, health and happiness". It was built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the third year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1798 AD). It has four pointed corners and a gold-plated roof. The square hall decorated with dragons and phoenixes. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this hall was the place where birthday celebrations were held for the queen. In the Qing Dynasty, the queen's so-called silkworm kissing ceremony was required to come here to check the preparations for the ceremony. The "Precious Seal" (seal) of the Qing Dynasty It is also stored here. If it is according to Li Cong's idea, this place can be omitted. But unfortunately Li Cong's wives are unwilling, especially Zhou Yu, who is about to become the emperor, is even more unwilling.

In addition, there is an important digital secret in the Forbidden City. Just like the mysterious pyramids of ancient Egypt, there are also many numbers hidden in the buildings of the Forbidden City. Scholars are trying to decipher the codes set by the builders of the Forbidden City from the numbers and explore the secrets hidden in these numbers. The mysterious laws behind it.

The courtyard composed of the second palace in the back, Qianqing Palace and Kunning Palace, is 218 meters long from north to south and 118 meters wide from east to west. The ratio between the two is 6:11; the three main halls in the front are Taihe Hall, Zhonghe Hall and Baohe Hall. The length of the courtyard is 437 meters from north to south, and the width from east to west is 234 meters. The ratio between the two is also 6:11. At the same time, the length and width of the front courtyard are almost twice that of the back bedroom courtyard. The area of ​​the front courtyard is the back bedroom. Four times that of the harem. The length and width of the six east and west palaces and the five east and west palaces in the harem are basically consistent with the courtyard of the harem. Ancient Chinese emperors had the concept of "turning the family into the country", so when building the palace, the emperor's home, which was the harem, was used. As a module, the front facade and other building groups are planned in proportion.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Fengtian Hall was nine rooms wide and five rooms deep, with a ratio of 9:5. The Taihe Hall, Zhonghe Hall, and Baohe Hall were co-located on a large earth-shaped platform with a north-south length of 232 meters and an east-west width. It is 130 meters. The ratio between the two is exactly 9:5; the east and west are nine bays wide and the north and south are five bays deep. The ratio between the two is still 9:5. Ancient numbers are divided into yin and yang, odd numbers are yang, and even numbers are yin. .The number of palaces in the front dynasties in the Forbidden City is all yang numbers, while the number of palaces in the back are all yin numbers. Among the yang numbers, nine is the highest, and five is in the middle. Therefore, in ancient times, nine and five were often used to symbolize the authority of the emperor, which is called "The Lord of Nine-Five". The emperor's rooms on the central axis are all nine rooms wide and five rooms deep, including the number of nine-five. Nine dragon walls, nine dragon chairs, and eighty-one door nails (nine vertically and nine horizontally), The large roof has five ridges, and the eaves are decorated with nine horned animals. The nine dragon walls are composed of 270 pieces (including nine), and the turret structure of the Forbidden City has nine beams and eighteen columns. The total number of rooms in the Forbidden City is 99,995, which is also a metaphor for the "Ninth Five-Year Plan".

The Hall of Supreme Harmony (i.e. the Hall of Fengtian in the Ming Dynasty) in the Qing Dynasty was not nine rooms wide, but eleven rooms wide. It is impossible to confirm the above statement. In fact, this is because the Fengtian Hall was destroyed after Li Zicheng entered the capital, and the eighth floor of the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty was destroyed.

During the reconstruction in 1669, the old technician Liang Jiu made the model himself, but because he could not find the best golden nanmu, he had to change the width to eleven rooms to shorten the span of the stringers. Some people also think that,

The palace architecture, including the bays of the palace, reflects the distinction of levels. In the Ming Dynasty, nine rooms were the most noble, and in the Qing Dynasty, eleven rooms were the most noble.

The depth of the Gate of Supreme Harmony courtyard is 130 meters and the width is 200 meters. Its length-to-width ratio is 065, which is very close to the golden ratio of 0618. The most important palace in the Forbidden City, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is located on the central axis. On the central axis,

The distance from Daming Gate to Jingshan is 25 kilometers, while the distance from Daming Gate to the center of the courtyard of Taihe Hall is 15,045 kilometers. The ratio between the two is 0618, which is exactly the same as the golden ratio.

The doornails of palace doors in the Forbidden City usually have nine pins per door and nine pins per pin. Numbers here become a measure of rank and status. As the highest yang number, "nine" appears frequently in the architecture of the Forbidden City. The homophony of "nine"

"Jiu" means "eternal", so it also means that the country will last forever and never change its color.

In addition, there are some unexplainable "accidents". The order of the ridge beasts in the Palace of Taihe is: dragon, phoenix, lion, seahorse, pegasus, fish, suan, chi, bullfighting, Xingshi (monkey). There is one more

Xingshi. The ridge beast on ancient buildings, Xingshi only appeared once, that is, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Generally, the number of animals on the eaves of the palace is usually Yang number, with the most being nine. And the animals on the eaves of the Hall of Taihe,

But there are ten. The left and right gates of the Meridian Gate and the middle gate and the left and right side gates of the Donghua Gate are not like other palace gates with nine door nails each, but only eight. This does not seem to be caused by carelessness, but by the palace builder.

The puzzles he set are waiting for future generations to solve. Li Cong believed that these things were calculated by his ancestors, so Li Cong strictly required that they be enlarged according to this ratio. Even if it is larger, this ratio must be guaranteed.

Li Cong, who was not superstitious, was sometimes a little superstitious.

Of course, something like the Jinshui Bridge, Li Cong, who likes to show off his face, must want that thing. The Jinshui Bridge is in front of the Gate of Taihe. There is an artificial river in the shape of a bow, called the Neijinshui River. There are five bridges across the river.

The side-by-side stone bridges are the Inner Jinshui Bridge (the artificial river in front is called the Outer Jinshui River and the five stone bridges are called the Outer Jinshui Bridge). The water from the Inner Jinshui River is introduced into the Forbidden City from the moat at the northwest corner of the Forbidden City. It winds southward, eastward and then southward.

, either hidden or visible, wide or narrow, connected to the moat outside the southeast corner of the Forbidden City, with a total length of more than 2,000 meters. The section of the river in front of the Etaihe Gate is the widest, most regular, and most gorgeously decorated. The river bottom and

The river bank is entirely made of white stone, and there are white marble pillars and railings on both sides of the river. Among the five inner Jinshui bridges, the longest and widest is the main bridge. In the past, only the emperor could pass; the four on the left and right are guest bridges, which are divided by the clan.

Princes and civil and military officials pass through. The five stone bridges are all made of white marble. The pillars and railings are engraved with cloud and dragon patterns. They are beautiful in shape and finely carved, just like exquisite and clear carved ice and jade. Lying on the blue waves,

Located among the red walls and yellow tiles of the surrounding tall buildings, it looks even more elegant and beautiful.

Originally, Li Cong wanted to build ten buildings in the new palace, but when he thought of some famous figures in the Forbidden City, he had no intention of changing them at this time. Although the things left by the ancestors are not necessarily correct, they are still relevant to the current situation.

It is still necessary for people to abide by and not change these things at will. Sometimes changing these things at will may lead to unpredictable things. Li Cong didn't know why. His mind came up for no reason.

So one sentence.

As for the location of the new palace, Li Cong also consulted many Feng Shui masters.
To be continued...