| |
BEIJING - CHINA -
FORBIDDEN CITY
|
|
| |
The third Ming Emperor, Yongle, moved his
capital in 1403 from Nanjing to Beijing and completed construction of the huge
palace complex sufficiently to move in by 1421. Beijing had been the imperial
capital of the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty emperor Kublai Kahn and known then as
Khanbaliq. Emperor Yongle designed the new capital and palace according to
Chinese geomancy. That dictated a square city with major north-south and
east-west streets. And all major buildings then face south. The central axis of
the original city passed dirctly through the center of the imperial palace,
located in the exact center of the city, which became known as the Forbidden
City (Gugong). Twenty four emperors then ruled from this palace. There are
8,706 rooms in the 170 acre enclosure. It is enclosed by a 30 foot high wall
behind a 160 foot wide moat.
|
. |
 |
The outer entrance gate to the Forbidden city
(Tiananmen Gate) seen from close to it. There is a park between this gate and
the Imperial Palace itself.
|
|
|
Stele outside the Gate of Heavenly Peace
(Tiananmen).
|
|
|
Close- up of the outer entrance gate
(Tiananmen Gate) to the Forbidden City with guard lion and bridge over the
moat.
|
|
|
Close view of the upper part of the entrance
gate featuring portrait of Chairman Mao
|
|
|
Another sharp Chinese soldier on guard at the
entrance gate to the Forbidden City.
|
|
|
View through the first gate toward the second
gate (the Gate of Uprightness) of the Forbidden City. It is in the park between
the Forbidden City and the Tiananmen Gate. There is a large park between the
Tiananmen and Wumen gates.
|
|
|
One of the columns that show a dragon wrapped
around the pole. The dragon represents the emperor and the phoenix represents
the empress. The crane and turtle represent longevity of rule.
|
|
|
Another column and several of the outer
buildings between the entrance gates to the Forbidden City
|
|
|
The Gate of Uprightness - between the
Tiananmen Gate and the Meridian Gate to the Forbidden City.
|
|
|
One of the service buildings between the
Tiananmen and Wumen gates.
|
|
|
Closeup detail of the upper part of the roof
and eaves above the entrance gate.
|
|
|
A view back at the inner side of the
Tiananmen Gate
|
|
|
Another service building between the two
gates.
|
|
|
A display of large cannon barrels between the
two gates.
|
|
|
Close-up of some cannon barrels.
|
|
|
The Wumen Gate ( Meridian Gate) into the
Forbidden City. The Imperial Palace grounds are surrounded by a massive
fortress wall with corner towers and four gate towers. And there is a deep moat
on all sides. But the moat is underneath this plaza between the outer arms of
the Meridian Gate.
|
|
|
The right hand extension of the Wuman Gate
walls into the fore court area
|
|
|
Another view of the Wuman Gate and a section
of the adjoining wall.
|
|
|
The outer wall on left of the Wuman gate as
one faces it.
|
|
|
The entrance gate where visitors pay the
entrance fee.
|
|
|
The magnificent Wuman Gate into the Forbidden
city.
|
|
|
The other side of the entrance gate for
visitors.
|
|
|
Upper story of the entrance gate.
|
|
|
Wuman Gate (Meridian) gate.
|
|
|
The upper part of a tower on the Wuman Gate
wall.
|
|
|
Another view of a tower atop the Wuman Gate
wall
|
|
|
Closeup detail of the eves of the gate
towers.
|
|
|
Detail of the upper part of the Wuman gate
|
|
|
Detail of the decorations on the huge gate
door.
|
|
|
At last we have passed through the Wuman Gate
and are in the Forbidden city proper. Ahead lies the Golden Water Stream and
the five marble bridges that cross it.
|
|
|
View to the right as we move forward showing
another section of the Golden Water Stream and some of the marble bridges.
|
|
|
Directly ahead as we enter the Forbidden city
through the Wuman gate and across the marble bridges is the Gate of Supreme
Harmony currently undergoing rennovation.
|
|
|
One of the small buildings that line the
sides of the main square inside the Forbidden City palace - there are hundreds
of such buildings.
|
|
|
A section of the inner moat, The Golden
Water, that surrounds the palaces. This moat fulfills the geomantic requirement
that the palace have runnning water to its south. It also is part of the water
system that brings water from hills outside Beijing.
|
|
|
Another part of the Golden Water and a
service building facing the court yard.
|
|
|
The view back to the inner side of the
Meridian gate after we cross the Golden Water.
|
|
|
Tower at corner of the square in the
Forbidden Palace
|
|
|
A side entrance gate in the inner wall
through which we pass - the Gate of Supreme Harmony to the left is being
repaired.
|
|
|
Detail of decoration above doorway in palace
in Forbidden city.
|
|
|
Detail showing interlocking rafters in
ceiling of palace
|
|
|
Detail showing interlocking rafters in
ceiling of palace
|
|
|
The inner side of the wall of the Meridian
Gate across the Golden Water moat.
|
|
|
The inner courtyard between the Hall of
Supreme Harmony and Gate of Supreme Harmony
|
|
|
One of the large buildings on either side of
the courtyard between the Hall of Supreme Harmony and Hall of Central Harmony.
|
|
|
The Hall of Supreme Harmony on its man-made,
huge marble platform hill is also being rennovated for the Olympics.
|
|
|
Magnificent building at the corner of the
square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony
|
|
|
A large copper pot now decorative - but these
were filled with water and placed all around the Forbidden city palaces as fire
protection.
|
|
|
The side of the Hall of Central Harmony
|
|
|
The side and rear of the Hall of Supreme
Harmony
|
|
|
Another service building near the Hall of
Perfect Harmony
|
|
|
Here we are walking up a ramp to reach the
court yard by the Hall of Preserving Harmony
|
|
|
Detail of decorations under the eves of a
palace building.
|
|
|
Tourist crowds crossing between the Gate and
Hall of Supreme Harmony
|
|
|
Details of the series of walls that hold the
artificial hill on which the main halls of the palace are located - roof of the
Hall of Central Harmony is visible on the left and the upper part of the Hall
of Preserving Harmony is on the right
|
|
|
Another gate between court yards beside the
main halls of the palace complex
|
|
|
Detail of water spouts on the retaining wall
around the main halls.
|
|
|
Roof of a side building - piles of slates for
rennovation of the Hall of Supreme Harmony
|
|
|
View from on the built up hill toward several
of the side buildings and wall.
|
|
|
Another view of the side court yards around
the main halls.
|
|
|
Another view of the side court yards around
the main halls.
|
|
|
The Halls of Central Harmony and Preserving
Harmony
|
|
|
Roofs of several buildings next to the Halls
of Central and Preserving Harmony
|
|
|
The Hall of Preserving Harmony
|
|
|
Roofs of other buildings next to the main
halls.
|
|
|
Description of the Hall of Preserving Harmony
|
|
|
The Hall of Preserving Harmony
|
|
|
A Chinese tour guide attempting to assemble
her group. The Palace of Heavenly Purity is in the background. and behind it
the Coal Hill outside the Forbidden City.
|
|
|
View to the northwest across palace
buildings. The White Dagoba in Beihai Gongyuan park is a Buddhist shrine
commemorating the first visit of a Dalai Lama to Beijing. The park is in a lake
where the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan had his summer palace.
|
|
|
Another large urn, now decorative, but
formerly used for fire protection.
|
|
|
More of the adjoining buildings around the
main halls.
|
|
|
View from in front of the Hall of Preserving
Harmony over the roofs of some of the many adjacent buildings below the
elevated platform of the halls.
|
|
|
View north from beside the Hall of Preserving
Harmony - the Gate of Heavenly Purity is in the cross wall and above the
various smaller buildings is the Palace of Hevenly Purity and beyond it covered
as it is the Palace of Earthly Tranquility being rennovated - and beyond is the
Coal Hill.
|
|
|
Detail of roofs and eves of minor buildings
below the Hall of Preserving Harmony
|
|
|
Detail of roofs and eves of minor buildings
below the Hall of Preserving Harmony
|
|
|
Another side gate between courtyards in the
Forbidden City.
|
|
|
Details of the wall surrounding the platform
built up to hold the Halls and Palaces.
|
|
|
The Palace of Heavenly Purity
|
|
|
Detail of decorations on walls in the
Forbidden City
|
|
|
Detail of decoration on eves.
|
|
|
Detail of decorations on upper part of a
wall.
|
|
|
Detail of a decoration on wall
|
|
|
Detail of a decoration on wall
|
|
|
Detail of a decoration on wall
|
|
|
Detail of a decoration on wall
|
|
|
A lion guarding a gate
|
|
|
Decoration on wall by gate
|
|
|
Gate in passageways with lions standing
guard.
|
|
|
Upper part of gateway.
|
|
|
Another well decoration
|
|
|
Detail of a ceramic wall decoration
|
|
|
Doorway into the palace with incense burner
in foreground.
|
|
|
Cloose-up view of incense burner
|
|
|
Corner of roof eves with decorations
|
|
|
Detail of figures on the corner of building
roof
|
|
|
Interior of a palace throne room
|
|
|
Detail of decorations in the ceiling of
palace throne room
|
|
|
Another view of interior of a palace throne
room
|
|
|
Another view of ceiling of a palace throne
room
|
|
|
Open passageway between the many buildings
beside and behind the Palace of Hevenly Purity
|
|
|
One of the many gates along the passageways
around the various palace buildings.
|
|
|
Decorations over a doorway in the maze of
passageways around the palaces.
|
|
|
Another long passageway between palace
buildings
|
|
|
More decorated doorways
|
|
|
More decorated doorways
|
|
|
The palace garden in the Forbidden City - the
workers brought interesting rock formations from many places to fill this
garden.
|
|
|
The palace garden in the Forbidden City - the
workers brought interesting rock formations from many places to fill this
garden.
|
|
|
Tourists admiring the unusual rock shapes in
the imperial palace garden.
|
|
|
More unusual rock formations carefully
designed into the palace garden.
|
|
|
One of the many pavilons in the palace garden
|
|
|
One of the many pavilons in the palace garden
|
|
|
One of the many pavilons in the palace garden
|
|
|
One of the many pavilons in the palace garden
|
|
|
Detail of upper story and eves of building in
the palace grounds
|
|
|
Upper story and roof of another building seen
through the garden trees
|
|
|
More buildings around the palace garden area
- leading to the northern Gate of Divine Prowess.
|
|
|
We are about to exit the Forbidden City and
its palace garden through the northern gate of Divine Prowess.
|
|
|
More walls and gates - this is the exit and
northern entrance to the palace grounds. From here please retun to the main
section on Beijing to continue the photography
north of the Forbidden city.
|
|
