#我来唠家常#
▲ Under the moon, the birds and the spine beasts echo each other. Photo by Liu Shun'er Niu
-The Legend of the Gentleman of Things-
600 years of the Forbidden City
Why the "gilt collection" of the Chinese?
The Broken Rainbow Bridge, located outside the Taihe Gate, leads out of the Jinshui River that winds around the Forbidden City. This may be one of the earliest buildings in the Forbidden City, and the somewhat funny stone lion on the bridge is one of the new Internet celebrities in the Forbidden City, and its gaze may have traveled through six hundred years to reach that famous historical moment:
In 1403, Zhu Di became emperor after the "Battle of Jingyan" and changed his name to Yongle. In the fourth year of Yongle (1406), Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing. A huge project kicked off.
▲ The Broken Hongqiao leads out the winding Jinshui River. Photo/Visual China
▲ The Internet celebrity stone lion on the broken rainbow bridge. Photo by Liu Shun'er Niu
This is how the Forbidden City was built. From the beginning of the preparation of materials to the large-scale construction of the 15th year of Yongle (1417), this project took nearly ten years to prepare for this project alone. At the end of December of the 18th year of Yongle (1420), the Forbidden City was completed, and the following year, Zhu Di officially moved the Beijing division from Nanjing to Beijing, and the political center was moved north.
This event affected China's political pattern for hundreds of years, and hundreds of years later, the Forbidden City became the world's Forbidden City and China's pride.
▲ Beijing's urban axis. Photo by Ma Wenxiao
How was the 600-year-old Forbidden City built?
The Forbidden City building itself is the history of the Forbidden City.
In terms of architectural pattern, the layout planning of the Forbidden City can be traced back to the design regulations of the capital city similar to the "Zhou Li: Examination of the Work Record": the front faces the back and sleeps, and the left ancestor and the right society. The southern half is the former dynasty, the northern half is the back bed, and the Taimiao (now the Beijing People's Labor Culture Palace) and the Shejitan (now Zhongshan Park) are separated from each other. The planning of the noon gate and other buildings inherited the "three dynasties and five gates" shape restored in the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the central axis, which shows the magnificent beauty of Beijing, is the foundation laid by the palace ruins of the Yuan Dynasty.
▲ In the sky above the noon gate, the dragon woke up. Photo by Hu Yihui
The construction of the Forbidden City is a continuous relay of the essence of Chinese culture, and finally condensed and formed by the architectural skills of the Ming and Qing dynasties and raw materials from all over the country. Therefore, the Forbidden City complex, which sits in the north and faces the south, with the mountains and rivers in its back, is itself a big stage of Chinese history and culture.
The materials used in the Forbidden City bring together the essence of raw materials and craftsmanship from all over the world, and also condense the wisdom of the people:
The stone of Hebei and the suburbs of Beijing laid the foundation, the white marble of Fangshan in Beijing is elegant and broad, the timber of Sichuan, Henan, Jiangxi, Hubei and Zhejiang supports the delicate wooden structure, the red soil (hematite) of Boshan in Shandong Province has brushed up the red and glamorous palace wall, the glazed tiles come from Mentougou and Haiwang Village, and there is still the place name of "Liulichang" today; the bricks that pave the wall come from Linqing, Shandong, and there are more "golden bricks" that knock out the sound of metal, and the "golden bricks" with high cost come from the prosperous townships in the south of the Yangtze River such as Songjiang and Xiangcheng in Suzhou......
▲ In the interior of the Taihe Palace, the bright floor tiles on the ground are "gold bricks". Photo by Willow Deuterium
Most of these materials traveled along the Yangtze River to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and headed north to the capital. The mother river of Chinese civilization and the main artery of ancient China jointly hold up this world cultural heritage.
The 600-year-old Forbidden City was not built in a day: in the first 500 years, it carried the stories of ancient China's quest for statecraft, and in the turmoil of the past 100 years, it has left behind many deeds of great Confucian masters to protect the building.
▲ Blue sky, red wall and white marble are the most well-known hues of the Forbidden City. Photo/Visual China
After Zhu Di built the Forbidden City, there were still many emperors who expanded the architectural pattern of the Forbidden City, such as during the Jiajing period, the pattern of the palaces inside and outside the Forbidden City changed greatly, and the names of the three major palaces were changed; the Yongzheng Emperor lived in the Yangxin Palace, making it a new center of court political activities in the Qing Dynasty; the Qianlong Emperor and the Xianfeng Emperor broadened the space around the back bed, which also made the style of the Forbidden City more changeable and the functions more diverse.
▲ The interior of the Heart Cultivation Palace. Photo/Visual China
But to say that between the ups and downs, witness countless stories, it is the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, the Wuying Hall built along the Hongwu system.
This hall is far away from the Wenhua Palace, and is mainly used as the emperor's convenient hall, and is also used for the emperor's fasting. But it is always in the middle of the storm, witnessing countless stories: on April 29 of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen (1644), Li Zicheng ascended the throne and became the emperor in the Wuying Palace, and burned down the palaces such as the Taihe Palace, the Zhonghe Hall and the Jiumen City Tower, and then retreated in a hurry, and the Wuying Palace was spared;
▲ Wuying Palace. Photo by Liu Shuyi
After that, the Kangxi Emperor had temporarily resided in the Wuying Hall to immerse himself in study, and sought to get rid of Aobai, and then set up a book repair office and a manufacturing office in the 19th year of Kangxi (1680), so that this place became the core of the cultural undertakings of the Forbidden City since the Qing Dynasty; in the eighth year of Tongzhi (1869), the 14th year of Guangxu (1888), and the 27th year of Guangxu (1901), the Wuying Palace was destroyed three times and two were built, leaving detailed information for the reconstruction project of the Wuying Palace, which is called "Wuying Palace Qin Gong Office File".
In October 2002, starting from the groundbreaking ceremony of the Wuying Hall overhaul pilot project, the Forbidden City's centennial overhaul kicked off, which is expected to be completed this year when the Forbidden City is completed for 600 years. This is the largest and longest overhaul project since the Xinhai Revolution. From the far-reaching restoration technology to the integration of modern technology, behind it is the ingenuity of full-time construction and cultural protection.
▲ The Forbidden City in the rain. Photo by Liu Shun'er Niu
The beauty of the Forbidden City architecture starts with a line
Today, the Forbidden City is the world's largest and best-preserved wooden palace complex. According to Mr. Liang Sicheng, who wrote the pioneering work of ancient Chinese architectural research, "The History of Chinese Architecture", the Forbidden City is "neat and serious, and the atmosphere is majestic, which is unmatched by any group of buildings in the world".
More importantly, it is the historical and cultural hub of the entire city of Beijing. The eight-kilometer-long north-south axis in the middle of Beijing is the heart of the city's magnificence, and the core building of ancient China on the central axis is the Forbidden City.
▲ Schematic diagram of the central axis of Beijing. Cartography/F50BB
Once the Forbidden City and the central axis met, it also brought out the core of the core, that is, the three central halls of the outer court, the Taihe Palace, the Zhonghe Palace, and the Baohe Palace, and the three palaces after the center of the inner court: the Qianqing Palace, the Jiaotai Palace, and the Kunning Palace. The former is the place where the state holds big ceremonies, and the latter is the main palace where the emperor and empress live, with an ingenious layout that is quite in line with the way of yin and yang.
▲ Above: The layout of the three major halls of the Forbidden City, and the below: the section of the Taihe Palace. Drawing / Li Qianlang
Taihe Hall is the largest and highest level building in the Forbidden City: the top of the load-bearing eaves hall is set up in the middle, and there is a white marble Sumeru seat below, which is as high as 12 floors (about 35.05 meters), the building regulations are high, and the decoration techniques are fine, which can be ranked first among ancient Chinese buildings. Even the names and order of the 10 beasts placed in the corners of the eaves are still talked about today.
▲ Snow scene of Taihemen Square in the Forbidden City. Photo by Willow Deuterium
The emperor ascended the throne, got married, ordered the generals to go on the expedition, and held ceremonies on the three major festivals of Wanshou Festival, New Year's Day and Winter Solstice every year, and the place was in the Taihe Palace. The selection of talents is such a major event, and the Taihe Hall plays an important role: in the early Qing Dynasty, the emperor held the palace examination for new jinshi in the Taihe Palace.
Therefore, the reconstruction of this palace is also rich in historical significance. In the thirty-fourth year of Kangxi (1695), the Taihe Hall was rebuilt, and it was completed in thirty-six years. In front of the palace, the "sundial" and "Jialiang" stand opposite each other, time and space are united here, and the Taihe Hall is the highest symbol of imperial power in ancient China.
▲ The golden pillar in the Taihe Palace. Photo by Willow Deuterium
▲ In the Qianqing Palace. Photo/Visual China
The center of the inner court is the Qianqing Palace, the Jiaotai Palace, and the Kunning Palace, collectively referred to as the three palaces. But there is a little more tranquility and elegance in life. After all, in addition to the etiquette of the inner court and the occasion of sleeping, there are also places such as study, Buddhist hall, and garden, and there are still many details of ancient royal life.
The Forbidden City has gone through two unified dynasties of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The change of the two dynasties is naturally indispensable to the integration and penetration of the Manchu culture of the Qing Dynasty and the original Han culture in the Forbidden City, such as the Manchu and Mongolian characters added to the plaque, and the auspicious grass and ceiling painting of the treasure bead outside the Guankou used at the noon gate, which are the embodiment of this blend, and these architectural details also show the broad and inclusive characteristics of Chinese culture.
▲ Gold leaf on the painting. Photo by Willow Deuterium
Kunning Palace, which sits at the back of the inner court, is the core of this Manchu and Han culture: in the twelfth year of Shunzhi (1655), imitate the Qingning Palace in Shenyang, and rebuild the Kunning Palace of the Forbidden City as a shaman sacrifice place: the door is biased to the east but not in the center, and the big kang is set up on the south, north and west sides of the shrine to worship the gods;
The shaman sacrifice ritual of the ancestors of the Manchu Qing Dynasty is quite quaint, each time two black pigs are carried into the temple, slaughtered and cooked and offered, supplemented by various singing and dancing ceremonies, interestingly, after sacrificing the meat of the gods, it will also be distributed to the princes and ministers and palace guards as rewards. It is said that there is no salt in the sacrificial meat, and the taste is also very bland, but eating meat in Kunning Palace can be said to be the supreme glory for them.
▲ The sacrificial area of Kunning Palace. Photo by Willow Deuterium
▲ Kunning Palace wedding room. Photo by Willow Deuterium
In addition, Kunning Palace is still the place where the emperor married, and the two rooms on the east side are still reserved as the cave rooms where the emperor lived during his wedding. The marriage of Emperor Tongzhi, Emperor Guangxu, and even the last emperor Puyi was held in Kunning Palace. On one side is the gorgeously decorated cave house of the newlyweds, and on the other side is the pot stove used to kill livestock and cook meat, and the Forbidden City with strict weather adds a bit of fireworks to life.
Why does the "hidden corner" of the Forbidden City hide the beauty of life?
Today, the Forbidden City is a microcosm of Beijing's spiritual life. Whether it is taking photos under the red wall of the Forbidden City on a snowy day, or a rare night tour of the Forbidden City, it seems to be an expectation for a better life.
When you go to the Forbidden City, if you go all the way up the traditional central axis, you will always face a surging crowd of people, which is tiring. But there are so many more treasures to discover in this sprawling palace complex. The first three halls and the last three palaces on the central axis represent the beauty of the Forbidden City's architecture, and in these "hidden corners" of the Forbidden City, there are more time-honored moments of quality life.
▲ The corner tower under the moon also has a more hidden color. Photo by Liu Shun'er Niu
▲ How exquisite is the internal structure of the corner tower? Drawing / Li Qianlang
Entering the Forbidden City for the first time, you can go up to the city wall, step on the corner towers of four "nine beams, eighteen pillars and seventy-two ridges", climb high and look far away, these corner towers are not different from the palace pavilions and neat, but quite exquisitely beautiful, perhaps you can see the most hidden corner of the Forbidden City between the exquisite wooden heavy buildings-Shufangzhai area.
It is said that it is not secret enough, because it is the place where Xiaoyanzi and other protagonists live in the national drama "Huanzhu Gege", but in history, Shufangzhai has not lived in any princess or Gege, but there are some details of life warmth.
▲ Changyin Pavilion, the Qing Palace's inner court acting building. Photo/Visual China
Changyin Pavilion, the largest stage of the Forbidden City, built during the Qianlong period, carried the celebration and entertainment in the ancient imperial palace, and Shufangzhai was often the beginning of the Qianlong Emperor's day's life. When the Empress Dowager Niu Hulu had breakfast with Emperor Qianlong, she liked to call the people of the opera troupe to perform for a quarter of an hour, so as to relax and help her spirits.
Later, it also became a carrier of the life of the Forbidden City, whether it was Emperor Jiaqing, Emperor Daoguang, or Emperor Xianfeng, they all liked to set up family banquets here, inscribe poems and paint. Even after the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the last emperor Pu Yi got married in 1922, he also invited the famous drama masters Mei Lanfang and Yang Xiaolou to celebrate the gift here with a "Farewell My Concubine".
▲ A Western-style building suddenly appeared behind the layers of red walls and yellow tiles, which is another hidden corner of the Forbidden City, Yanxi Palace, which became popular because of the TV series. Photography / Kunpeng Zhizhi HF, Picture / Picture Worm Creative
Perhaps it is because it inherits both the busy and the light-hearted sides of life: from the east gate, there is an imperial garden built for the emperor and concubine to rest and enjoy.
Although the Imperial Garden is also located on the north-south axis of the Forbidden City, it is not neat and tidy, but has a little more interest in the unity of nature and man. The pavilions along the way, can be called exquisitely chic, even the Yonglu under the feet, is also carefully paved with pebbles of different colors, composed of more than 900 different patterns, there are characters, flowers, scenes, dramas, allusions, etc., watch along the road, endless fun.
▲ Imperial Garden Chiaki Pavilion caisson. Photo/Visual China
The Wanchun Pavilion and the Qianqiu Pavilion in the Imperial Garden are the most exquisite and ingenious pavilions in the Forbidden City. The colored glazed vase supports the gilt canopy, the square white jade steps are the bottom, and the roof is round and below, imitating the shape of the Guming Hall of "the sky is round and the place is round". The ceiling of the pavilion is painted with two phoenixes, and the caisson is built with a gold carving coiled dragon, which hides a long world.
Although the Imperial Garden is used for rest, there is also a collection of books, which can also be used for reading, which can be used for sacrifices and for the rest of the year. Nowadays, it can fly into the daily life of every ordinary person and become a moment to appreciate the quality of life.
▲ Look at Wanchun Pavilion through the towering ancient trees. Photo/Visual China
The beauty of life in the Imperial Garden is often the most impressive end of every trip to the Forbidden City. Standing under the Wanchun Pavilion, it seems that you can look at the Broken Hongqiao leading the Jinshui River to roam the Forbidden City, lead the Forbidden City for 600 years of morning and twilight, see the eaves of the corner towers on all sides, guard the splendid standing of the Taihe Palace, and blend with the various colors of the Kunning Palace, as if you can think of the echo of the life of Yan Yan on the Shufang Zhai......