Forbidden City

Having arrived at the entrance of the Forbidden City, I was awestruck by its size. This UNESCO-listed micro-city is a perfect rectangular shape measuring 3,153ft (961m) long by 2,470ft (753m) wide, surrounded by a 26ft (8m) high red wall and a 171ft (52m) wide moat. Some of the statistics for this palace are even more staggering, such as the complex's collection of 980 buildings and more than 9,000 bays of rooms, which has its own story that I'll regale you with shortly.

The Forbidden City was built by Zhu Di, Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, between 1406 and 1420. It was the former imperial palace and winter residence for 24 successive emperors from 1420 to 1924. Once the imperial system was abolished after the Qing dynasty was dissolved, the last emperor was evicted in 1924, and the Forbidden City lost its status as an imperial residence.

In 1925, the Forbidden City was converted into a public museum called the Palace Museum, showcasing more than 1.8 million rare and precious items primarily from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Within the collection, the museum holds more than 340,000 ceramics and porcelains, covering more than 8,000 years of ceramic production, making it one of the largest collections in the world. Tens of thousands of pieces such as paintings, jade, bronzeware, timepieces and personal imperial artifacts line the museum's hallways. Some of these pieces date to dynasties before the common era making them more than 2000 years old, and a few pieces of jade date even further back to the Neolithic period (10,000-2,000 BC). The collection is incredible, and it's not even all of it. During the early 20th century, the threat of invasion and civil war forced the museum to evacuate its most important pieces. A quarter of the evacuated artifacts now form part of the main museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Another collection is in Nanjing, a city that served as the capital of China on many occasions.

Getting back to the Forbidden City, one of its most fascinating stories is the number of rooms. At first glance, 9,000+ bays of rooms seem outlandish, except for when one understands the definition relating to the Forbidden City. Here, a "bay of rooms" refers to the sub-division of larger buildings into smaller interconnected spaces, with each bay being a space defined by four structural pillars. This type of layout was necessary to accommodate the imperial palace's needs, such as ceremonial activities, residential quarters and administrative functions, while keeping cohesion within its architectural design. According to folk legend, there were 9999.5 rooms, although that has never been substantiated. However, in ancient times the emperors saw themselves as the Sons of Heaven, and the Heavenly Palace consisted of 10,000 rooms. Since the son's palace could not exceed Heaven's residence, the emperor cut down the room number by half as a deliberate approximation to the heavenly number, asserting the emperor's connection to celestial rule.

The easiest way to imagine this huge complex is by splitting it in half. The front half, entered via the Meridian Gate (main gate), was the outer court used for official and ceremonial functions, while the back half was the inner court, traditionally the residence of the emperor and his family.
The architectural style of the Forbidden City shows hierarchy, with each building's design following rules outlined in a 12th-century manual called "Yingzao Fashi" (State Building Standards). This manual gave specific design instructions for different-ranked buildings, highlighting how architecture conveyed status and authority within its society.

Another distinctive element of the complex's architecture is the use of two main colours: red and yellow. Red, seen on the walls, is an auspicious colour signifying good fortune and happiness. It is often used during festivities like Chinese New Year. Yellow, on the other hand, is the colour of the emperors. These colours have been used for centuries in Chinese art, architecture and decoration. Combining them in the Forbidden City connects it to a rich historical and cultural tradition while conveying prosperity, authority and the emperor's divine connection.

There is so much more to learn about the Forbidden City, but my journey has come to an end. Although this vast and impressive complex was inaccessible to most people during the imperial era, I am glad that it is no longer the case.

See you on the next adventure.



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