Forbidden City Chinese folk. Forbidden city googong

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The gate has five doors - three in the center and two doors on the sides. The side doors were used by maintenance personnel and are now closed. Of the three central doors, the right one was used by officials, the left one by members of the imperial family, and only the emperor himself could pass through the central large door, but there were two exceptions.

The first exception was made only for the Empress and only once - on the wedding day. The second exception was made once every few years for the winners of the imperial examination. Tourists are advised to go through the central door. Feel like an emperor.

Tourists should pay attention to the rivets on the doors. In total, there are 9 rows of rivets and 9 columns (you can count it yourself in the photo in the gallery on the right). 9 is the emperor's lucky number, and you will meet him constantly in the Forbidden City.

The midday gate is stunning in its size - it is 35 meters high, which is equivalent to an 11-story building. At the top are 5 towers, which are called "phoenix towers". The whole structure really resembles this mythical bird.

The main bells and drums of Beijing were installed on the edges of the central tower. The bells rang every year, announcing the departure of the emperor to, the drums beat when the emperor left for the Temple of the Ancestors. At the most important ceremonies, bells and drums sounded simultaneously, announcing the coronation or wedding of the emperor.

The noon gate was a place of “communication” between power and the world. New laws were officially declared here, the emperor greeted subjects on holidays, hosted parades and looked at the punishments of guilty officials.

Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihimen) (2)

After the Midday Gate, you will come to a large square - the Outer Court of the Forbidden City. There is a water channel “Internal Golden River”, through which five bridges have been built. The rules for passing through these bridges were completely similar to the rules for the doors in the Midday Gate.

This channel had several functions. The first is a source of water in case of fire, the second is a natural barrier for attackers in case of an attack on forbidden city. Tourists should pay attention to the balustrades of bridges, decorated with figures of dragons and phoenixes - the symbols of the emperor.

Another interesting point on this square, which is worth paying attention to, is the pavement bricks. These bricks are made using a special technology, they produce a pleasant ringing sound when you step on them. This property of covering the area has almost disappeared, but in some places this sound can still be heard.

The main attraction of the square is two giant bronze lions. The right lion holds a sphere under its paw, symbolizing the power of the emperor, which extends to the whole world. The left lioness holds a lion cub under her paw, symbolizing the prosperity and fertility of the imperial family. The Chinese believe that such lions protect the house from evil spirits and attract good ones. Naturally, these lions are the largest in China.

Behind the lions are the Gates of Supreme Harmony themselves. The name “gate” is a convention, in fact, it is a real pavilion. It was used in all cases when they did not want to let someone go further, but a meeting with the emperor was necessary. For example, receptions of foreign ambassadors or the imperial court.

Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taikhidian) (3)

Passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you will enter the largest square in the Forbidden City - 30,000 square meters. Behind it rises the Hall of Supreme Harmony - the main building of the Forbidden City.

This is the "heart" of the Forbidden City. It was here that the emperor received officials and generals, and all the most important ceremonies and celebrations were held here. The hall is located on a marble base in three tiers. Two large staircases lead upstairs. In the center is a marble slab weighing 250 tons, which we have already talked about above, decorated with bas-reliefs with phoenixes and dragons.

The height of the building is 37.5 meters, and for a long time the Hall of Supreme Harmony was the most tall building in Pekin. It was forbidden by law to build buildings above it. When you look at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the thought does not even come to mind that this building is as high as a 12-story building.

The traditional architecture of China never aspired to gigantism. Harmony of size, form and content is the main goal of ancient Chinese architects. And, to be honest, they did it great.

Some sites on the Internet write that the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest wooden building in the world. Of course it isn't. The Odate Zhukai Dome stadium in Japan is 52 meters high and covers an area of 25,000 square meters. Compared to him, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is tiny.

Even in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, tourists will see a lot of interesting things. Pay attention to the huge vats for water - another fire safety measure. There is also the main sundial in the Forbidden City. Also here you can see very interesting stone columns, similar to lanterns, which served as a repository for standards of measures and weights.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony is 64 meters wide and 37.2 meters deep, with an area of 2381 square meters. The roof is supported by 72 columns - 6 rows of 9 pieces. Note that the number 9 is also used here - a symbol of imperial power.

Inside is the main imperial throne. It is called the Throne of Supreme Harmony. It can be difficult for tourists to see it, as it is dark inside. In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, more than four doors are rarely opened, and there is not enough light. The central door is opened very rarely, and the throne has to be viewed from an angle. In addition, at this angle, the throne is blocked by columns. In the photo on the right you can see how sad it looks.

There are a lot of people who want to see the throne, and you still need to “break through” to the open doors. On weekdays, it is quite possible to do this, but on a weekend it is an epic feat. Hence the conclusion: do not go to the Forbidden City on weekends and holidays. On weekends in Beijing, it is better to go to the markets or or walk along shopping malls district. Cultural attractions these days are always crowded with visitors.

In addition to the throne, inside you can see six gilded columns decorated with bas-reliefs with dragons. These columns can be seen a little better (see photo on the right). On the roof directly above the throne is a large golden dragon playing with a pearl. There is a legend that if someone usurps the throne, then this pearl will fall on him and crush him to death. This dragon is very difficult for tourists to see, and even more so to photograph.

Hall of Central Harmony (Jonghedian) (4)

It is a small building with a pyramid-shaped roof. This hall served for the emperor to rest and dress before ceremonies. There is also a throne inside, but much more modest than the Throne of Supreme Harmony. The hall was often used as a place for conversations between the emperor and close ministers and generals.

The inscriptions near the throne read: “The way of Heaven is deep and mysterious, and the way of mankind is difficult. Only if you draw up an accurate and unified plan and follow it, then you can rule the country well. These words were left here by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. He knew what he was talking about, because he ruled the country for 60 years.

Hall of Preserved Harmony (Baohedian) (5)

This is the last building of the "outer palace" - the working part of the Forbidden City. After it, you will already be taken to the “inner palace” - the place of residence of the emperor and his family.

The Hall of Preserved Harmony had many functions. During the Qing Dynasty, it most often served as a banquet hall. During the Ming Dynasty, it served as a preparation place for the empress and princes for ceremonies.

In appearance, it is similar to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, but smaller. There is also an imperial throne inside, and also smaller.

All these three halls stand on a single base of three tiers. If during your visit to the Forbidden the city will go rain, then you should not immediately be upset. This is a good opportunity to look at the amazing drainage system. Tourists notice stone dragon heads at the base, and it seems that this is just a decoration, but these are the outlets of pipes that bring water down. There are 1412 of these dragon heads in total.

The Gugong Imperial Palace is, in fact, not a palace, but a lot of wooden tower-verandahs with red curved roofs and golden tiles, collected in one place. This is a classic of Chinese housing construction, listed in 1987 world heritage UNESCO. The complex is one of the main attractions of China and its largest museum.

About a million exhibits are inside, but only a quarter of its premises and half of the territory are open for inspection. But even that is enough to take away half a day with a rather cursory inspection. More than 7 million people visit Gugun every year, and the definition - the Forbidden City - only attracts visitors. For it has been known since antiquity that the forbidden fruit is always sweet.

Gugun is three times larger than the Kremlin - its area is 72 hectares (almost a kilometer long and 750 meters wide), it is aligned strictly along the axis from south to north and has 9999 rooms. Everything is very simple with this: nine is a sacred number for the Chinese, and repeated four times it is generally sacred. Naturally, the Forbidden City is fenced off from outsiders: it is surrounded on four sides by a 10-meter wall and a 50-meter-wide moat.

According to legend, there are 9,999 and a half rooms there also because the heavenly king had 10 thousand rooms, and the emperor, who called himself the son of the heavenly king, could not be equal to him. So he had half a room less.

Gugong owes its origin specifically to Emperor Chengzu, the third of the Ming Dynasty. Having firmly decided to settle in Beijing, he took care of housing. The former palaces of the hated Yuan were completely ruthlessly put on fire, nothing was left of them, and a new one was needed. Gugun was under construction for 15 years, from 1406 to 1421. However, later it turned out that the tree is a short-lived matter. Numerous fires led to the fact that under the Qing, almost the entire palace was rebuilt (gradually, as the towers ignited). Basically, of course, copies of burnt buildings were erected, but the fact is that the main buildings of the present Gugun date back to the 18th-19th centuries. And the legends about the pavilions of Gugong are also told almost everything about the Qing. In total, 24 emperors of two dynasties managed to lodge in Gugong: Ming and Qing.

The best time for independent visit Gugong - eight in the morning, just after breakfast and watching the flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen. The entrance fee is 45 yuan. A lot, but worth it. The ticket office is located at the Wumen gate, from Tiananmen you need to go along a long alley to them. The gates of Umen resemble a fortress - you can immediately see that you are approaching something solid, especially since there are old cannons on the side of the alleys. If you know English, there are no problems when visiting Gugun - all signs, except for hieroglyphs, are provided with fairly competent English text. During the tour, you can not only see the pavilions, but also feel like a master of the Middle Kingdom for five minutes, trying on imperial clothes. You can dress as a guard. This joke costs something around 20-30 yuan.

The first thing you get in Gugun is a huge stone wasteland, which is crossed by a channel made in the shape of a small bow. It is visible only when you cross the bridge, on which there are stone torches - symbols of masculinity, hinting at you know what. On the sides of the wasteland there are pavilions with tightly closed windows, and around the perimeter there are huge copper vats for water with cool handles - their rings are embedded in the dragon's mouth. They have been standing here for a long time in case of a fire. There is not a single tree around (bad guys could be hiding there, thinking of killing the emperor). And the first feeling from the palace is emptiness and lifelessness. And this emptiness served as a kind of intimidation, suppression of anyone who was here. And only eunuchs, concubines and others from the imperial retinue found themselves here due to the prohibition of the palace. However, the emperors could afford such discomfort. The fact is that they lived in Gugun only in winter, and it was called winter palace. They had much more picturesque places in store for the summer.

Next is the entrance to the pavilions of the outer courtyard. There are only three of them, and the very first, main and largest one is Taihedian (Hall of Supreme Harmony). He is guarded creepy looking stone lions in the amount of two pieces. One of them is a lion with a scepter under his paw, the other is a lioness with a lion cub under her paw. There is a small lift in front of the hall, in the middle of which there is a narrow path with dragons engraved on the stone. Above it, under a palanquin, they carried the chair of the emperor, while the servants themselves descended simple stone steps. And no one, except the emperor, had the right to go there. In the pavilion itself stands the Emperor's Dragon Throne. The throne room was also forbidden for women, and even the all-powerful Cixi did not dare to violate this ban.

Two other pavilions: the Hall of Middle Harmony (Zhonghedian) and the Hall of Preservation of Harmony (Baohe-dian) are of a lower rank. The first is, as it were, an imperial utility room. Here the emperor announced decrees to his offspring, prepared for rituals, changed clothes. As for Baohedyan, New Year's banquets were held there with specific princes. And there are also thrones, about the same as in Taihedian. Now the hall has been turned into a museum of ancient Chinese art (mainly bronze and ceramic items from the 11th century BC to the 13th century). A recognized attraction is a life-size ceramic horse recovered from the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di. Then we go all the same course to the north, to the inner chambers of the emperor. Here, too, everything is symmetrical: there are three towers in the center, and six pavilions on each side. There were a huge number of concubines and wives, so such a number of towers is not out of place.

The first inner pavilion of Qianqinggong is, in fact, the working office of the emperor, where, to paraphrase in a modern way, the lord of the Celestial Empire "worked with documents." Now an exhibition of court things is organized here - horse harnesses, clothes, ritual things, everything is mainly from the Qing time.

The second pavilion Jiaotaidian served as the throne room of the empress and is therefore frankly small compared to the rest (woman, know the place!).

And, finally, the third pavilion of Kunning-gun (Palace of Earthly Tranquility) is the holy of holies, the imperial bedroom. Without fail, it was here that the emperor spent his wedding night and the first night of the new year. Moreover, he was obliged to sleep that night with his wife, and not with any concubine. Pu Yi was the last to print here the girlish innocence of Pu Yi, no longer being an emperor, in 1922. The furnishings of the bedroom have remained unchanged since the time of Kangxi (late 17th century): the bed is surrounded by turtles and cranes.

The side pavilions of the courtyard deserve an unconditional visit. The six Western palaces are similar to each other, but two stand out. The first one is the closest, called the Mind Cultivation Hall (Yangxindian), another study with Manchu furniture of the 18th century.

In the farthest pavilion, Chusyugun, Empress Cixi lived. This is the latest example of imperial construction (the end of the 19th century, a lot of budget money was spent on the arrangement).

Six Eastern Palaces are now repositories of treasures and art objects of the 15th-19th centuries. The exhibition of watches deserves special attention (imported samples of the 18th century, for their inspection you need to pay an additional 5 yuan). In the following pavilions there is a museum of jewels (all 25 imperial seals, swords trimmed with jewels, etc.).

In the farthest corner of Gugong is the so-called Zheng Fei Well, in which the beloved of Cisy's nephew was killed.

Well, actually, everything. Gugong ends with the imperial garden of Yuhuayuan (it is also called the Secret Garden of Qianlong). You get into it, leaving the imperial bedroom of Kunning Gong. This is a classic of the landscape gardening genre in China, with bizarre hills of stones, an artificial rock with a gazebo at the top, courtyards, paths, galleries, odd-looking bronze urns - the creation of the same Emperor Qianlong. popular place for a photo - "trees of lovers". These are two trees with strangely intertwined trunks, which the devil knows how old.

- This is the ancient residence of the Chinese emperors, today turned into a huge museum. At present, the city is simply called Gugun or Former Palace. This is the largest palace complex in the world.

It is located a little north of Tiananmen Square and is considered the main cultural and historical attraction and everything. Tourists from all over the world come here every year.

The main palace of the Forbidden City became the residence of the emperor from the moment of construction, i.e. from the beginning of the fifteenth century. At that time, the Ming Dynasty reigned. And it ceased to be in 1912, when the last emperor of the Qing dynasty was overthrown.

The palace was built for about 15 years. The best architects, architects, stone craftsmen, artists and millions of simple unknown builders took part in its construction. Construction was carried out from precious woods and expensive materials.

The emperor lived in the Forbidden City with his family and servants. No one else, under pain of the death penalty, was allowed here. The palace complex is surrounded by powerful walls and a wide moat filled with water.

In total, 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived in this city for the entire time of the empire. All significant ceremonies were held here, it was the political center of the Great Ming Empire and the Qing Empire.

In 1912, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty named Pu Yi was deposed, but he was allowed to continue living in the Inner Palace. A museum was organized in the Outer Palace. A few years later, Pu Yi was expelled from his palace.

In the 30s of the last century, when Japan attacked China and captured Beijing, the jewels of the palace had to be hastily removed. A significant part of them was captured by the Japanese, but out of respect for the former emperor, they were kept.

The Cultural Revolution brought the most damage to this object. In the 1950s and 1960s, some artifacts were destroyed here. However, the vandalism was stopped, and army battalions were deployed near Gugun to protect the cultural heritage.

For the entire period of its existence before becoming a museum in 1925, the Forbidden City has undergone many changes. He was constantly upset and strengthened, huge money was invested in him.

The whole complex of palaces is an example of Chinese traditional palace architecture. In the late 1980s, he was the first in China to enter famous list UNESCO, as the largest ancient wooden structure.

Forbidden city today

The Forbidden City is the center of ancient Beijing, which is called the Imperial City. Gugun itself is divided into several parts, surrounded by a wall 3.4 km long and almost 8 m high and a moat, the width of which is more than 50 m.

From its three sides grow magnificent imperial gardens and famous parks. To the south of Gugong is the Sanctuary, where all the emperors of China, without exception, worshiped the spirit of the nation and their ancestors.

Also to the south is the Gate of Heavenly Peace with a portrait of the father of the people - Mao Zedong. This gate is a link between the ancient Gugun and modern area Tiananmen.

The whole design of this beautiful architectural masterpiece filled with symbols of Chinese religion and philosophy, and also emphasizes the greatness of imperial power and its direct connection with heaven. The layout follows the old traditions.

This palace complex is a real wonder of the world, which is described in books and films. In 1918, he was featured in one of the first Chinese feature films, in a biographical film about the last emperor Pu Yi, a TV series about Marco Polo, etc.

Modernity

Currently, the Forbidden City is visited by at least 7 million tourists a year, especially in the summer. This is the most famous Chinese landmark. Xi Jinping recently hosted Donald Trump at the Inner Palace.

For centuries, only the emperor and his family lived on the territory of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The entire royal retinue was located outside its walls, until a certain time the entrance ordinary people was banned here.

The history of the construction of the Imperial Palace

The building was the Imperial Palace built in 1406-1420, 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived here for 5 centuries. 1 million builders and more than 100 thousand other specialists took part in the construction, including artists, wood and stone carvers, and many others. This is magnificent building and the unique landmark of China is included in the list of world heritage of mankind.

Full title historical building- Zijingchen, which in translation meant the Purple Forbidden City, later another name appeared - Gugong, the Palace of the former rulers, it almost supplanted the first. Very often this city is simply called the Imperial Palace or the Winter Imperial Palace, because the emperor often visited here in winter time, and in the summer he visited one of his country residences.

The last Chinese emperor, Pu Yi, who abdicated in 1912, left the Forbidden City only in 1925. The palace building was often destroyed due to constant fires, after which many sections had to be rebuilt. Most of them date back to the 17th-19th centuries.

What to see in the Forbidden City

The Imperial Palace is located in the center of the city near Tiananmen Square, it is made in the shape of a rectangle, there are watchtowers at the corners of the walls of the building. Moreover, the Forbidden City is a whole complex of structures, there are 9999 of them here, the usual site, which is surrounded by columns, is also considered a room. They cover an area of 72 hectares.

The main entrance to the city is south gate Umen, or Midday Gate, they are also called the Middle. Behind them is big square Jinshuihe with a canal ("Golden Water River"). 5 marble bridges rise across the canal, they lead to the Taihemen gate, which encloses the complex of buildings. Official events were held here.

The northern part of the sights of Beijing is decorated with the Imperial Garden, its size is small, but the beauty is indescribable. Here you can walk among the pools and fancy stones, visit small pavilions and relax in a cozy gazebo. And nearby are some of the best hotels in Beijing.

Information for visitors

The address: 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng, Beijing.

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The Forbidden City in Beijing is the world's largest palace complex, with an area of 720,000 sq.m. In plan, it is a slightly elongated square (the length of the northern and southern walls is 753 meters, the western and eastern walls are 961 meters), almost correctly oriented to the cardinal points.

Getting to know Beijing:

The square in front of the Taihedian Hall (Hall of Supreme Harmony), the Taihemen Gate, behind them is the Wumen Gate

The full name of the palace is purple forbidden city, 紫禁城, zijincheng. It is currently called 故宫 - Former Palace.

The Forbidden City was built from 1406 to 1420, when the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Zhu Di (朱棣, 1360-1424, on the throne from 1403; reigning motto Yong-le 永乐, "Eternal Happiness") ruled. It was Zhu Di who turned Beijing into the capital. All buildings are made of wood. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Forbidden City was repeatedly burned and rebuilt.

According to legend, there are 9999.5 rooms in the Forbidden City. It is said that the emperor wished to have 10,000 rooms ("ten thousand", 万 van, is a significant number in Chinese culture). However, an angry Jade Lord appeared to him and stated that he had only ten thousand rooms in Heaven in his palace, so the earthly emperor, even if (天子 tianzi, the title of Chinese emperors), it is not appropriate to have the same number of rooms. Therefore, they made a little less - 9999 and another half of the room. In reality, there are 8707 rooms.

The Forbidden City was built in strict accordance with the rules of Chinese geomancy - Feng Shui. The emperor was not only the ruler great country, but also endowed with a sacred status and priestly functions, mediating between Heaven and Earth, so every detail in Gugun has a certain meaning. The word "Purple" in the name refers to the North Star (Chinese 北极星 beijing), which was considered the abode of the Jade Lord. Just as all the stars in the firmament make their course around the fixed Pole Star, so the emperor in the Forbidden City remains inactive and rules the Celestial Empire.

The entrance to the Forbidden City was limited to mere mortals. Foreigners were practically not allowed here. Therefore, naturally, the most fantastic legends about what is behind the high walls of the palace were composed.

Over a million workers and about 100,000 different craftsmen took part in the construction of the Forbidden City. The rulers of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) spent less time in Gugong than their predecessors, living most of the year in or in. In total, 24 emperors ruled from behind the walls of the Forbidden City for almost 500 years - 14 emperors of the Ming Dynasty and 10 emperors of the Qing Dynasty. After his abdication in 1912, until 1924, the last Chinese emperor Pu Yi (溥仪, 1906-1967, Chinese emperor in 1908-1912, retained the title until 1924) lived here.

Gugong in Beijing and Gugong in Taipei

The first museum in the Forbidden City appeared in 1914 - in the Hall of Military Glory (武英殿, Wingdian). In 1924, the entire territory passed into the hands of the Republic of China (1911-1949). On October 10, 1925, a museum was established here, which was named 故宫博物院 gugong boyuan— Museum “Former imperial palace". According to an inventory carried out in the same year, it contained about 1.17 million items. In subsequent years, the Gugun collection expanded significantly.

How to get to Gugun

Gugong is located in the heart of Beijing. On the map, it looks like a huge square.

Metro: station "Tiananmen si zhang" 天安门西站 ( Tian'anmen West Station), "Tiananmen dong zhang" 天安门东站 ( Tian'anmen East Station), line 1.

Buses: 1路, 2路, 10路, 52路, 52路区间, 52路区间2, 59路, 82路, 90路, 99路, etc.