The Palace Museum (or the Forbidden City)
   (Museum is a mirror of history, an ocean of knowledge, a paradise of cultural relics, and the crystallization of wealth (
    The Palace Museum, known as the Forbidden City in the West, was the imperial palaces of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
   In early 15th century, large-scale construction involved 100,000 artisans and one million civilians. The construction took 14 years and was finished in 1420.
   In the following year, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was moved from Nanjing to Beijing.  Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled from the Forbidden City.  The last dynasty fell in 1911, hut Emperor Puyi (1906-1967, ruled 1909-1911) still lived in the inner court. It was not until 1925 that the complex was converted into a museum.  Since then the palace has been opened to the public.
     The Palace Museum is located in the centre of Beijing, encompassing 72 hectares 720,000 with more than 90 courtyards of various sizes.  Actually the Forbidden City is a supergiant courtyard.  It is rectangular in shape, 961 metres long from north to south and 753 metres wide from east to west. There is a 3,428-metre-long and 10-metre-high wall, encircled by a 3,800-metre-long and 52-metre wide moat.  In the Ming Dynasty, the timber needed for building the palace was brought mostly from Sichuan, Hunan and Guizhou provinces, while in the Qing Dynasty, it was cut from Northeast China. Most of the stones were quarried from the suburban district of Fangshan and other districts.  Construction of the Forbidden City brought tremendous hardship to the labouring people.
     The Forbidden City is the largest piece of ancient Chinese architecture still standing. Some of the buildings were damaged by lightning and rebuilt in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The palace had been expanded several times, but the original layout was preserved.
     After 1949, some costly renovations were done and the Palace Museum has been listed by the Chinese Government as one of the important historical monuments under special preservation.
  The Forbidden City used to be the centre of the old Beijing. If you draw a diagonal line of the Forbidden City, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the centre of the Forbidden City, and while the emperor's throne in the Hall is the centre of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. If the emperor sat on the throne carved with dragons gilded with gold, he would appear in the centre of the world. The throne was the target of all the ambitions and the source of turbulence.
   The Forbidden City palace grounds are divided into two main sections, the Front Palace  to the south and the Inner Palace to the north. The long stone ramp carved with dragons sporting in clouds in bas-relief in the centre of the staircase called the Imperial Way (or Dragon Pavement), which corresponded with the north-south axis of the city,  was for the emperor's exclusive use; imperial family members and civil and military officials  no matter how high their ranks had to climb the forty-four steps to either side.
    In the centre of the Front Palace stand the magnificent and imposing appearance of the Hall of Supreme Harmony , the Hall of Complete Harmony  and the Hall of Preserving Harmony , commonly known as the "Three Great Halls" derives from the broad, stately 7-metre-high terraces on which they stand. The l-shaped terraces are made up of three layers of white marble, each layer bounded by a low balustrade. The pillars are ornamented at the top with carved cloud patterns, dragons and phoenixes and the panels between the pillars are adorned with vases of lotus (the lotus symbolizes purity and grace) leaves. At the base of the pillars is a small channel for water drainage and beneath each pillar a dragon's head with a bole in its mouth, which serves both practical and ornamental functions. If a tourist visits the Forbidden City on a rainy day s/he will witness the magnificent sight of 1,142 dragons on the three terraces simultaneously spurting rainwater from their mouths.
     During the Ming and Qing dynasties only the most important ceremonies were held in the 9-storey-high Hall of Supreme Harmony, also known as "Hall of the Golden Throne," rectangular in shape: such as the enthronement of an emperor, the emperor's birthday, the celebration of the first day of the New Year, the Winter Solstice, the Spring Festival, the announcement of the names of successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and the proclamation of important imperial decrees. When visitors proceed to the north they will see the Hall of Complete Harmony, a small square building with a single paramedic roof. It houses a throne, tripods and incense burners. This hall served as a resting place for the emperor on his way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The emperor received officials in the Ministry of Rites , and rehearsals for ceremonies were also held in this hall. To the back of it is the Hall of Preserving Harmony, second to only the Hall of Supreme Harmony in grandeur and spaciousness. In this hall each year on Lunar New Year's Eve, the emperor feasted his ministers and high-ranking officials and nobles of minority nationalities to celebrate the "achievements" of the feudal rulers. During the Qing Dynasty, the emperor also supervised here the final stage of examinations to select officials from among scholars from all over the nation.
  The staircase to the north of the Hall of Preserving Harmony is the most spectacular of them all in the Forbidden City. The large marble panels in the middle staircase are framed with a border of swirling flowers, while the lower section of each panel consists of ocean waves. In the centre, a sea of curled clouds set off groups of nine (the imperial number) coiling dragons (the emperor's personal symbol) that rise out of their midst, all in high relief. These stone carvings are considered to be some of the finest in China. This marble ramp carved with cloud and dragon designs  is made up of a 16.57 metre-long, 3.07-metre wide, and 1.7 metre-thick white marble slap weighing more than 200 tons, carved with a dragon flying amid clouds. This largest marble ramp in the Forbidden City was moved here on a land-road on ice in winter with logs and iron sticks. More than 20,000 civilians were involved in transportation from Dashiwo, Fangshan , southwest of Beijing 70 kilometres away from the city for 28 days at a cost of over 110,000 taels (in former times, tael or liang, a unit of weight for silver; old liang, equal to 0.0625 jin--as 16 old liang make a jin, and equivalent to 31.25 grams or 1.103 ounces of silver)
   On either side of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, outside the courtyard south of the Hall of Supreme Harmony stands a group of important buildings. To the east is the Hall of Literary Glory , which served as a study for the crown prince during the Ming Dynasty. The Ming and Qing emperors also attended lectures here in spring and autumn. Further north is the Pavilion of the Source of Literature , the Qing imperial library where the famous collection Complete Library of the Four Treasures of Knowledge  was formerly housed. Further east are the Qing Archives. The main building to the west is the Hall of Martial Valour where the empress received her female subjects during the Ming Dynasty. In 1644 at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng (1606-1645), leader of the peasant uprising, held his coronation here after he led his peasant army into Beijing. During the Qing Dynasty, it was the office where scholars compiled the Complete Library of the Four Treasures of Knowledge, the Peiwen Yunfu , a dictionary compiled according to Chinese rhymes, and an anthology of famous writings. It was also the site of the imperial printing presses. Another important building here is the South Fragrance Hall , one of the few remaining buildings from the Ming Dynasty; Portraits of emperors of various dynasties are housed here. It was here that the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties conducted grand ceremonies and held audience with their officials. The Inner Palace , which includes the Palace of Heaven (Celestial) Purity , the Hall of (Celestial and Terrestrial ) Union and the Hall of Terrestrial Tranquillity (Earthly Peace) - collectively known as the "Three Rear Palaces " together with the Imperial Garden  and the six palaces to the east and west , was the emperor's domestic quarters and the areas of the palace where the empress, concubines and children of the emperor lived, amused themselves and worshipped the gods. In addition, this section contained storerooms, libraries and a hall of historical archives.
    The Eastern Six Palaces   include the Palace of Prolonged Auspiciousness , the Palace of Eternal Harmony , the Palace of Great Brilliance , the Palace of Great Benevolence , the Palace of Celestial (Heavenly) Favour, and the Palace of (Concentrated) Purity .
     At the southern end of the eastern courtyards are the Hall for Ancestral Worship  an imperial ancestral temple, and the Palace of Abstinence , where the emperor practised abstinence from meat the day before going to offer sacrifices at the Altar of Heaven  or the Altar of Earth . These two halls and five palaces,  in which were inhabited by imperial concubines, the Palace of Great Benevolence , the Palace of Celestial Favour , the Palace of Eternal Harmony , the Palace of Great Brilliance " and Palace of Purity, have now become exhibition halls for traditional Chinese arts. Behind the six palaces were storehouses for tea and brocade, and to the north were imperial kitchen.  In a separate enclosure further east are two palace halls where Emperor Qianlong lived after his abdication and later inhabited by Empress Dowager Cixi; These are the Hall of Imperial Supremacy, a smaller replica of the Palace of Heavenly Purity , and the Palace of Tranquil Longevity , a smaller replica of the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity . These two hails now hold the famous collections of Chinese paintings whose treasures are shown in annual rotation. North of these halls are three more, the private apartments of Emperor  Qianlong and Empress Dowager Cixi: the Hall for Cultivating Character , presumably named after Emperor Qianlong's western apartment, the Hall of Mental Cultivation ; the Hall of Joyful Longevity , a library; and the Pavilion of Sustained Harmony. Empress Dowager Cixi used to receive foreign women in the Hall for Cultivating Character, and used the Hall of Joyful Longevity as a bedchamber. These three halls are now used for an exhibition of jewellery.
    A place deserving special mention is the Nine Dragon Screen. The screen was erected in the period 1771 to 1776, six metres high and 29.4 metres long. The nine dragons romping in the sea are different in colour and posture. An interesting thing is that a piece of third dragon from the east is made of wood. Legend relates that when the Nine Dragon Screen was completed, a piece of glazed tile fell and was broken the minister in charge was to come for inspection. That was the deadline. At that time it was impossible to make another glazed-tile piece to match it. The artisans involved in the project were at a loss and didn't know what to do about it but asked the carpenters to make a wooden piece to replace it. The next day during the inspection nothing was found wrong on the screen. Three strikes, and you are out! )
   The six courtyards to the west, formally inhabited by imperial concubines, now hold an exhibition presenting a picture of the Qing Dynasty palace life. The Hall of Manifest Origin  and the Palace of Eternal Spring , where Empress Dowager Cixi once lived as a concubine, have been left in their original condition. To the south and southeast of the two are the Hall of Supreme Pole and the Palace of Eternal Longevity , also inhabited by imperial concubines. To the north are four more apartments for imperial concubines, the Palace of Universal Happiness , the Palace of Queen Consort, the Hall of Manifest Harmony and the Palace for Gathering Elegance , where the last emperor's wife (Puyi's wife) lived. At present these are exhibition halls for Qing arts and handicrafts. The Hall of Mental Cultivation , south of the three rear palaces, deserves special attention. Qing Emperor Yongzheng moved into this building in 1723, abandoning the official imperial residence, the Palace of Heavenly Purity. For nearly 200 years until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, all subsequent Qing emperors lived and attended to state affairs in this hall. In front of the Hall is a pair of gilded bronze lions. On the staircase leading up to the door is a small slab carved with dragons and clouds, indicating an imperial residence. Inside are a throne and table, and above is an octagonal coffered ceiling in a dragon design. Incense burners and tripods stand to the each side of the table. The Eastern Warmth Chamber  is where the two empress dowagers, Cixi  (1835-1908) and Ci'an , (1837-1881; some people said she was poisoned by Empress Dowager Cixi, after she died), attending to state affairs from behind a screen, while in front sat the boy emperors, Tongzhi  (1862-1874) and Guangxu (1875-1908). Later Guangxu's widow, Empress Dowager Longyu , similarly held court while Puyi sat in front. In Western Warmth Chamber , the emperor received his defence minister and other trusted officials. To the west of this chamber is the Room of Three Rarities , where manuscripts by famous Chinese calligraphers collected by Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) are stored.
   Further north, visitors will see a well (altogether there are 72 wells in the palace grounds) located in the north of the Palace of Peace and Longevity where Pearl Concubine was drowned. A concubine of Emperor Guangxu, this ill-fate woman (she was named as a concubine in 1894) supported the emperor when he strove for reform and political power, and soon became his favourite. By evoking the jealousy and hatred of Empress Dowager Cixi, the concubine suffered brutal treatment and was placed under house arrest and denied access to Emperor Guangxu. In 1900, when the Eight Power Allied Forces (aggressive troops sent by Britain, the United States, Germany, France, tsarist Russia, Japan, Italy and Austria in 1900, to suppress the anti-imperialist Yihetuan Movement  of the Chinese people, known to the West as the Boxer Rebellion) were advancing Beijing, Empress Dowager fled with Guangxu to Xi'an, leaving orders with the deputy superintendent eunuch Cui Yugui  to dispose of the 25-year-old skinny Pearl Concubine by throwing her down the welt.
     The Western Six Palaces refer to the Palace of Everlasting Life , the Palace of Queen Consort , the Palace of Gathering Elegance (concentrated Beauty)，the Palace for Eternal Spring , the Palace of Universal Happinessand the Palace of Eternal Longevity . Beyond the "Western Road  of the Forbidden City lies the "Outer Western Road consisted a group of large-scale Buddhist temples. These buildings include the Rain Flower Pavilion , the Hall of Flowers and the Palace of Benevolent Peace , the Palace of Longevity and Health , and the Garden of Benevolent Peace  where the empress dowagers retired to be cared for in their old age. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Palace of Benevolent Peace served as the living quarters of the emperor's mother. Princesses would also hold their marriage ceremonies here.
     Built in 1417, the Imperial Garden  encompassing 7,000 square metres, lies to the north of the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity , with the Hall of Imperial Peace  at its northernmost point. This building is in typical Ming style and differs from the other buildings in that its roof is flat. Inside stands a statue of the Taoist Xuanwu  (the Black Warrior—the guardian spirit of the north in Taoism). The garden's ancient pines and cypresses, artificial hills and pools, and its smaller temples and pavilions are all fine relics of the Ming and Qing dynasties. At the northern end of the garden atop the Mountain of Accumulated Refinement stands the Imperial Viewing Pavilion Each the imperial family members would climb up to this pavilion on the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. East of the Mountain stands the Hall of Literary Elegance , where a library of rare books was kept. All the heads of the ancient pines and cypresses in the garden were cut off, for fear that these trees would grow taller and taller.                                                       
    The Gate of Divine Pride (Military Prowess) is the north gate of the Forbidden City. On its tower are bells and drums beaten in the morning and the evening respectively to mark time in ancient times. The Gate was formerly called Xuanwumen (Universal Prowess) Gate and Emperor Kangxi's name happened to be "Xuanye." Under the feudal etiquette, the mention of the emperor's name in ancient China was a taboo.  Therefore it was renamed Shenwumen (Military Prowess). Gate when it was reconstructed in the 17th century. The gate is the main exit for visitors. The Forbidden City started the most massive renovation project in 2003 and will continue its massive renovation project that will run until 2020.  The annual budget for the renovation of the Palace will be around 100 million yuan (US$12 million). It is the most extensive renovation for the Forbidden City since the Qing Dynasty was overthrown in 1911.
    As the hub of political power during the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, the Forbidden City epitomized the glory of the ancient empire. It is both a sparkling gem of traditional Chinese architecture and an enduring testament to the culture of human history.  For most tourists, the Forbidden City—its official name is The Palace Museum--is a must-see destination in Beijing.
   Three millions of tourists from home and abroad who visit the Forbidden City every year, but they visit only one-third of the total complex. The other two-thirds have been locked down and covered by a thick of layer of dust. The goal of the most extensive renovation is to rehabilitate the glory of the palace when it was at its peak time in the imperial era. Around 70 per cent of the palace will be open to the public after the renovations are finished in 2020.  China's ancient architecture holds a unigue and very important niche in world architecture

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