Preface
The Forbidden City is a living museum of Chinese history, which not only treasures countless precious cultural relics, but also hides many mysterious legends. Among them, a chair that is said to be a "curse" has become a topic of conversation after dinner.
It is said that even archaeologists do not dare to sit on it, but what is the origin of this mysterious phenomenon? How many years has the legend of this chair been handed down, and even archaeologists are helpless to explain the mystery of its curse. What kind of history and mystery is hidden behind this question?
The dragon chair is reborn
A closer look at this new dragon chair reveals that it is truly unique. The dragons on either side of the chair are lifelike, as if they are about to soar into the air, and the Sumeru seat below the seat is beautifully carved to reflect the image of the dragon flying, while also retaining the practical function of the chair itself. This design, which incorporates elements of traditional Chinese culture, undoubtedly reflects the superb skills of the maker.
The only regret is that the plaque that was supposed to hang directly above the dragon chair is gone. This plaque is undoubtedly the most important finishing touch of the dragon chair, it is engraved with the four characters of "Huangji Palace", symbolizing the supremacy of imperial power.
But unfortunately, this plaque, which has witnessed the enthronement ceremonies of countless emperors, has now been lost in the long river of history and can no longer be recovered. However, shortly after the restoration was completed, the dragon chair, which once symbolized the supreme authority of the emperor, turned out to be a puzzling "cursed chair".
A bizarre legend
There is a strange legend about this dragon chair since ancient times. It is said that it was the exclusive seat of the emperors, symbolizing their unique status and supreme power. Only the true "Son of Heaven" can sit on this chair, and if others sit without permission, it is tantamount to blaspheming the sacred, and they will be punished by heaven.
This legend casts a layer of mystery over the dragon chair. As an important carrier of traditional Chinese culture, the dragon chair is naturally different from ordinary furniture, it carries too much historical and cultural connotation.
Therefore, it is natural to think that it has some kind of supernatural power, and only a true emperor can sit on it, and others who touch it without permission will be damned. Initially, it was thought that this was just a fabricated excuse to consolidate imperial power.
After all, in feudal societies, rulers often used various mystical forces to assert their dominance. However, some bizarre events later made the legend even more convincing.
What happened to the German officer
In 1900, the Eight-Nation Coalition launched a war of aggression against China. The Empress Dowager Cixi saw that the foreigners were menacing, so she had to take the important members of the palace to escape the disaster and give up the entire Forbidden City.
Soon, the German officer of the Allied forces, Wadsey, entered the palace, and he was first attracted by the dragon chair in the center of the Taiji Hall. As someone who knows something about Chinese culture, he knows the weight of this chair. So, he decided to sit down and see what the reaction would be.
Although others dissuaded him, Wadsey did not care, and sat down confidently, complaining a few words without irony. This is undoubtedly a blasphemy of the dragon chair and a contempt for the entire Chinese civilization. Unexpectedly, Wadsey died mysteriously shortly after returning to China. This incident also made the legend about the dragon chair even more confusing.
Yuan Shikai's mistake
Another person related to the dragon chair is Yuan Shikai. After the Xinhai Revolution, he deceived Dr. Sun Yat-sen into trusting him and became the president of the Republic of China. However, this was already the highest position in the bourgeois state, but Yuan Shikai was still not satisfied and dreamed of becoming an emperor.
In order to achieve this goal, he decided to restore the imperial system and personally sat on the dragon chair in the Taiji Hall. This is a kind of betrayal and blasphemy against the entire Chinese nation. As a leader who was once regarded as the leader of the democratic revolution, Yuan Shikai was so unscrupulous in restoring the imperial system, which was also a kind of betrayal of the Xinhai Revolution.
But what he never expected was that this decision would bring him a catastrophe. His subordinates were dissatisfied with what he had done and launched a huge "Protectorate War". First, there was an uprising in Yunnan, and then Guizhou, Guangxi and other places responded.
Even if Yuan Shikai eventually abolished the imperial system, he could not stop this wave of opposition. In this way, after a short reign of 83 days, Yuan Shikai died in endless remorse and unwillingness.
The encounter between the two is shocking, and it also makes the legend about the dragon chair even more mysterious. Today, although it is impossible to determine the authenticity of this legend, the dragon chair has been properly protected for safety reasons, and no one can sit on it anymore.
The path to the restoration of the Imperial Throne
In 1956, the Palace Museum began to rearrange the Taihe Hall to restore its former glory. However, when the staff looked at the dragon chair in the center, they found a puzzling phenomenon - this throne, which symbolizes the supremacy of imperial power, is incompatible with the style of the carved dragon screen at the back, and the whole scene seems extremely inconsistent.
This dragon chair is arguably one of the most important cultural relics in the Forbidden City, and it has witnessed the rise and fall of several generations of emperors. As the exclusive seat of the 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it not only represents the supremacy of imperial power, but also an important symbol of Chinese civilization. However, time has passed, and this once majestic and dazzling throne is now in tatters, and it is difficult to regain its former glory.
After repeated research and discussion, experts have concluded that this dragon chair is likely to have lost its original appearance, and the former "imperial throne" may have long been broken. In order to restore its former majesty, in 1963, the Palace Museum decided to carry out a complete restoration of the dragon chair.
This is undoubtedly a difficult task that requires a lot of human and financial resources. But for such a cultural relic that carries the essence of Chinese culture, any price is worth it.
In order to restore the original appearance of the dragon chair as much as possible, the experts first took detailed photos and records of it, and then analyzed its production process according to the photos. Subsequently, they found a similar chair in Ningshou Palace, which was speculated to be the work of the Qianlong period.
What's even more exciting is that a portrait of Emperor Qianlong was found there, which shows him sitting on the dragon chair in the Taiji Palace. These precious clues provide an important reference for the restoration work.
With these important clues in place, the restoration work has finally begun. Carpenters, carvers, and coppersmiths began nearly 700 days of continuous work, and they even paid attention to the use of the season, arranging the oilers to do the lacquer work in the humid summer. In this way, after countless days and nights of hard work, this throne carrying royal glory was finally restored to its original style in September 1964.
epilogue
Perhaps, we will never be able to completely solve the mystery of this dragon chair. But it is undeniable that it has witnessed the end of a great era.
Isn't it true that history is showing us something that everyone who tries to restore the old system has ended up with the same fate? China has entered a new era, and any attempt to return to the past is doomed to be futile.
The dragon chair, which once symbolized supreme authority, has now become a warning mirror, standing there forever, silently telling a piece of vicissitudes of history. It reminds us that any betrayal of democracy and freedom will be severely punished by history.