This magnificent palace in the world has survived the Ming and Qing dynasties and has not fallen. As we admire the glazed tiles glittering in the sun, do you wonder about the magic of this palace? Why have we never seen traces of guano on the roof of the Forbidden City in all these long years? Is it really because the birds dare not pull on the roof of the royal palace, as some rumors say?
At the beginning of the construction of the mansion, craftsmen built wonders with ingenuity
In the sixth year of Yongle (1408), Emperor Zhu Di, the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, who had just established his capital in Yen Ching Restaurant, decided to build a majestic imperial palace here. As a generation of Ming monarchs, Zhu Di knows that building a palace is the foundation of eternal life, and he has been seeking to make it the crown of the Chinese dragon vein. Therefore, he carefully selected from all over the country and gathered a large number of famous architects and skilled craftsmen to plan and design. Copy one of the famous designers Kuai Xiang, it is the master architect who was handpicked by Emperor Zhu Di to personally design the load-bearing flag. Kuaixiang was born in a family of craftsmen, followed his father to learn art since he was a child, and was awarded the reputation of "heavenly work". He has read a lot of books, learned from others, and has a lot of experience in computational mechanics, material selection and many other architectural knowledge. This time, Zhu Di handed over the heavy responsibility, and Kuai Xiang should go all out.
With Kuaixiang's excellent design and careful selection of materials, coupled with the hard work of countless craftsmen day and night, the construction of this magnificent Forbidden City was finally completed in the 18th year of Yongle (1420). When the emperor saw it, he was full of praise, personally inscribed the plaque of "Forbidden City", and canonized Kuaixiang as the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and awarded him the title of first-class supreme civil official. Since then, the eaves of the Forbidden City have become masterpieces of Chinese architectural art, and countless palaces and gardens in later generations have also imitated its system.
The royal authority intimidates the birds from daring to exceed the rules
Since the Yongle period, the Ming Dynasty opened the foundation of a generation of dynasties. Yongle Emperor Zhu Di held the power of the country, tyrannical and excessive, and killed people at every turn. Even the cronies around him, as long as they have the slightest fault, they will not escape death. In the fourteenth year of Yongle (1416), Zhu Di's favorite empress Meng Chang died of illness. For this reason, Zhu Di not only cried bitterly, but also issued an edict, ordering the people of the whole country to mourn for three days, and those who did not obey were decided. Such harsh laws and regulations show the vicious and violent nature of Emperor Yongle. The government and the opposition were shocked, and they worked together for fear that there would be the slightest omission and cause trouble.
Enjoy the cool and escape the heat, and become a bird paradise in the Royal Garden
Since the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di officially entered the Forbidden City Palace in the eighteenth year of Yongle (1420), the emperors of later generations have also created a unique garden scenery in the palace in order to escape the summer and enjoy the coolness, and it has become a paradise for all kinds of birds. In the backyard of the Forbidden City, Emperor Yongle personally built a majestic and magnificent artificial mountain, Coal Mountain. This artificial mountain is made of tens of millions of tons of earth, with peaks and peaks, clouds and mist, and soaring into the sky. In order to protect the scenery, the descendants also planted a variety of exotic flowers and plants on the mountain, such as the lush hundred-year-old tamarix, the weeping willow hanging in the air, and the clusters of delicate peonies and peonies. The forest is verdant and lush, adding a bit of vitality to the coal mountain.
Since the time of Emperor Yongle, the back park in the Forbidden City has always been a paradise for birds. A variety of birds and finches live and work here, adding a touch of life to the court. However, this peaceful scene did not last long, and in later years, the emperors began to chase away the rat-tailed birds.
After months of "anti-rebellion" actions in the park, this once bird-like backyard has finally regained its tranquility and tranquility. At the same time, however, the garden was already lonely and desolate, with dead branches and scorched earth everywhere, and there was still a little vitality to speak of. Seeing that the eunuchs completely razed this paradise to the ground, they wiped out all the creatures in heaven and earth, and they were clean, leaving not even a little dregs.
The chaos of the Jiajing Dynasty lasted until the Wanli period. It was not until the twenty-fourth year of Wanli (1596) that the new emperor Wanli completely reversed the situation.
Emperor Wanli's name is Zhu Yijun, who has been deeply influenced by Taoist thought since he was a child, and his temperament is indifferent and quiet. Although he ascended the throne as emperor at the age of sixteen, he was quite knowledgeable, and he had long been disgusted with the purified and harsh style of the last years of Jiajing. At the beginning of his tenure, he ordered the restoration of the original appearance of the back garden and the recall of the birds and beasts that had been driven out.
First, the eunuchs ordered the reintroduction of a stream of water into the long-dried Kowloon Bay lake. The water source of this Kowloon Bay comes from the foot of the Golden Mountain, and the spring is sweet and pure, and the water quality is excellent. When the lake is refilled, the surface of the lake is embedded in the verdant mountains, shining like a natural pearl.
Next, the gardeners replanted large patches of cypress, kapok, ash and other trees around the lake, and introduced some freshwater creatures from the pond. It didn't take long for the water to come alive and the sight of a land of fish and rice was everywhere. In order to attract birds to their nests, gardeners even hang countless wooden nests on the branches of trees in the forest for the dodo to stop.
After a year of painstaking management, the entire back garden has finally regained its former vitality. However, the birds and animals still seem to be suspicious of this place, and rarely appear in the park. Therefore, Emperor Wanli personally hung down an iron plaque carved from rosewood, and wrote the edict that "all birds in the garden are descendants" to protect them.
Since then, the backyard has gradually regained its full life. The first to appear are some carp and small birds, such as sparrows, orioles and the like. This is followed by pigeon birds such as the splendid turtle dove and the spot-tailed pigeon. They chirp in the trees or peck at the ground.
Then came some rare birds and wild birds that flew in by chance. From time to time, you can see a few eagles circling by, or several white cranes floating slowly on the surface of the lake. From time to time, there may be a few red-crowned cranes fluttering their wings in the garden, with an elegant posture, which is difficult to replicate. There are also several larks and thrushes that sometimes shout and sing on the Bodhi tree, which has a unique sound.
Soon after, the back garden was bustling with activity. There are probably hundreds of birds returning from the park, plus the original waterfowl and pet birds, and the whole garden is bustling. Bird's nests can be seen everywhere on the branches of ancient trees; At the edge of the pond, there are often one or two white swans cruising on the water. For a time, the fragrance of flowers and birdsong blended together, full of vitality, and the whole back garden seemed to be transformed into a beautiful natural bird garden.
In this way, under the personal care of Emperor Wanli, the back garden of the Forbidden City finally restored its former scenery and once again became a paradise that attracted phoenixes to return to their nests. And those atrocities of purging the palace in the last years of Jiajing were completely swept into the dirt of history by Emperor Wanli.