Design of the Forbidden City during the Ming Dynasty:
Forbidden City is located in the center of Beijing, China, and it now became a Palace Museum. Forbidden City is named as the largest ancient palatial structure in the world and the best preserved imperial palace in China. This palace possessed the essence of traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment. The current location of the structure was the Chinese imperial palace from Ming dynasty to Qing dynasty (1420 to 1912), and the construction of this grand palace has been completed in 14 years (1406-1420). This palatial architecture contains 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms in serving the emperors of China from 1421 to 1911. Defensive walls and moats were built for security, and all the design of the gates, palace and other structures were arranged with the north-south central axis in the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City is formed by two main parts: the outer court and the inner palaces. The outer court is made up by three main buildings, and each building has its own function. For instance, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the most important and largest structure in the Forbidden City since it was the placed where the emperors' Dragon Throne located. The Hall of Central Harmony was the resting place for the emperor before he presided over grand events and the Hall of Preserving Harmony was used for banquets and imperial examinations. On the other hand, the inner court is composed of the three main structures at the back of the Forbidden City. Palace of Heavenly Peace was the place where the emperors slept, the Palace of Union and Peace was the place where imperial seals were stored, and the Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility was the wedding room for emperors. There are also six eastern palaces and western palaces next to these three main buildings where the living quarters for the emperors were.
Forbidden City is located in the center of Beijing, China, and it now became a Palace Museum. Forbidden City is named as the largest ancient palatial structure in the world and the best preserved imperial palace in China. This palace possessed the essence of traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment. The current location of the structure was the Chinese imperial palace from Ming dynasty to Qing dynasty (1420 to 1912), and the construction of this grand palace has been completed in 14 years (1406-1420). This palatial architecture contains 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms in serving the emperors of China from 1421 to 1911. Defensive walls and moats were built for security, and all the design of the gates, palace and other structures were arranged with the north-south central axis in the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City is formed by two main parts: the outer court and the inner palaces. The outer court is made up by three main buildings, and each building has its own function. For instance, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the most important and largest structure in the Forbidden City since it was the placed where the emperors' Dragon Throne located. The Hall of Central Harmony was the resting place for the emperor before he presided over grand events and the Hall of Preserving Harmony was used for banquets and imperial examinations. On the other hand, the inner court is composed of the three main structures at the back of the Forbidden City. Palace of Heavenly Peace was the place where the emperors slept, the Palace of Union and Peace was the place where imperial seals were stored, and the Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility was the wedding room for emperors. There are also six eastern palaces and western palaces next to these three main buildings where the living quarters for the emperors were.
The Forbidden City in Ming Dynasty had some important buildings which symbolized the supreme power of the emperor such as a row of six great palaces that built along the city’s main axis. The geometric center of the whole city had shifted south to a point just north of the new Forbidden City, and the Tai Miao and She-ji Tan moved to the new location at the outside of the south gate of the Forbidden City from their old locations inside the east and west walls. The walls of the Royal City in the south, north, and east were also extended a bit, and there are six gates in the walls of the Imperial City, which are Great Ming Gate, Gate of Heavenly Peace, Chang’an Gate, Gate of Eastern Peace Gate of Western Peace and Gate of Earthly Peace.
The Forbidden City occupied the most important location on the central axis since it was surrounded by the mountain and the temples. For example, Long Life Mountain (W) was on the north, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple (T1) and the Temple of Land and Grain (T2) were on the southeast and southwest of the Forbidden City. The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower were two new buildings constructed at the northern end of the axis where the old Central Platform was located.
The southern part of Beijing was outside the Inner City wall also called “The Outer City”, and two major new groups of buildings were constructed at the east and west side on the central axis of the city. The Temple of Heaven, where the emperor paid homage to the gods of heaven, was on the east, and the Altar of Mountain and River, where he paid his respects to the gods of mountain and river, was on the west. All the design that established in Ming dynasty played an important role in protecting the Forbidden City where the emperors lived.
This new palace city was larger and more symmetrical compared with the palace from Yuan. The imperial city is much bigger than the one that was created in Yuan since the city walls extended in all direction, and it made huge changes in advocating their powerful and protecting their security. The imperial city planning in Ming achieved a higher aesthetic level than Yuan.
Sources:
[1] Renzhi, Hou. The Transformation of the Old City of Beijing, China—A Concrete Manifestation of New China’s Cultural Reconstruction. Symposium on Chinese Historical Geography China Academic Library, 2014, 31-48.
[2] Stephen Marshall, Urban Coding and Planning, Chapter 6 Prescribing the Ideal City: Building Codes and Planning Principles in Beijing by Qinghua Guo, 2011, Pg.112-114.
Media:
Figure[1] Hao, Li. The Implications of the Planning of Beijing's Imperial City for Sustainable Community Development, 2013, Pg.28.
Figure [2] Renzhi, Hou. The Transformation of the Old City of Beijing, China—A Concrete Manifestation of New China’s Cultural Reconstruction, 2014, Pg.40
The Forbidden City occupied the most important location on the central axis since it was surrounded by the mountain and the temples. For example, Long Life Mountain (W) was on the north, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple (T1) and the Temple of Land and Grain (T2) were on the southeast and southwest of the Forbidden City. The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower were two new buildings constructed at the northern end of the axis where the old Central Platform was located.
The southern part of Beijing was outside the Inner City wall also called “The Outer City”, and two major new groups of buildings were constructed at the east and west side on the central axis of the city. The Temple of Heaven, where the emperor paid homage to the gods of heaven, was on the east, and the Altar of Mountain and River, where he paid his respects to the gods of mountain and river, was on the west. All the design that established in Ming dynasty played an important role in protecting the Forbidden City where the emperors lived.
This new palace city was larger and more symmetrical compared with the palace from Yuan. The imperial city is much bigger than the one that was created in Yuan since the city walls extended in all direction, and it made huge changes in advocating their powerful and protecting their security. The imperial city planning in Ming achieved a higher aesthetic level than Yuan.
Sources:
[1] Renzhi, Hou. The Transformation of the Old City of Beijing, China—A Concrete Manifestation of New China’s Cultural Reconstruction. Symposium on Chinese Historical Geography China Academic Library, 2014, 31-48.
[2] Stephen Marshall, Urban Coding and Planning, Chapter 6 Prescribing the Ideal City: Building Codes and Planning Principles in Beijing by Qinghua Guo, 2011, Pg.112-114.
Media:
Figure[1] Hao, Li. The Implications of the Planning of Beijing's Imperial City for Sustainable Community Development, 2013, Pg.28.
Figure [2] Renzhi, Hou. The Transformation of the Old City of Beijing, China—A Concrete Manifestation of New China’s Cultural Reconstruction, 2014, Pg.40