The Forbidden City, located in the center of China's capital, Beijing, displays an extraordinarily harmonious balance between buildings and open space within a more or less symmetrical layout.
His three architects, Hsu Tai, Yuan An and Feng Chiao, were given the brief to build an extravagant set of palaces to serve as the emperor's metropolis. Audience halls were needed for receiving delegations, together with temples for ritual purification and processional paths. Also required were large domestic quarters with gardens for himself and his family as well as administrative accommodation, a shrine for ancestral rites and, as patron of three types of religion, temples of Buddhism, Lamaism and Taoism.
The Forbidden City, ( so named because common people were forbidden to enter ) was indeed a city. Over 800 buildings containing 8,886 rooms, and covering 250 acres. The entire complex is surrounded by a 32 foot high wall which is protected by a 165 foot wide drainage ditch forming a mote. The city is only accessible by entering through one of four gates which span the water.
Today, the Forbidden City is a public museum, drawing the attention of millions of people from around the world. It is here that you can see traditional architectural pieces up close and marvel in the treasures of the Imperial family and its court. You will find this magnificent piece of history sitting directly across from the Tiananmen Square, the heart of Beijing. Here you will find the main entrance into the museum although smaller entrances are still open through the east and north gages.
The majority of structures found within the walls of the Forbidden City are post-18th Century architecture. While some of these buildings have experienced levels of damage caused by the Gobi winds, the Manchus, and the 21st Century looting by the Japanese and Kuomintang forces, most of them are still standing firm.
The operation of the Forbidden City has stretched over five centuries during which time, 24 Emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties ruled. It was in these 500 years that the Forbidden City was considered "off limits" to the world, which even included the Chinese population. However, that has all changed and today, people mill about every day through the cluster of buildings, free to enjoy the fascinating structures, tranquil gardens, and unbelievable designs.
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