![]() The palace was also surrounded by walls that were over 10 meters high, made of brick and stone. The city was surrounded by a moat, which was over 50 meters wide and filled with water from the nearby rivers. The security was elaborate and sophisticated, with numerous layers of defenses and a vast array of guards, officials, and eunuchs tasked with protecting the emperor and his family. The Forbidden City was one of the most heavily guarded places in China. Source: imlane / Adobe Stock Palace Security The Forbidden City is a sprawling complex. The only men allowed into the Inner Court were eunuchs (men who were castrated), so as to ensure the ‘authenticity’ of the emperor’s offspring. The Outer Court was where the emperor held court and conducted official business, while the Inner Court was reserved for the emperor and his family's private residence. The palace complex is divided into two main parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The palace was also home to countless works of art and artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, and calligraphy. The Forbidden City has 800 buildings and contains close to 9,000 chambers, along with numerous gardens and courtyards. Photo credit: Daily Mail A Sprawling Complex The workers dug wells every 500 meters to get water to pour on the ice to lubricate it, which made it easier to slide the rocks.Īn historical document revealed that huge stone blocks were dragged along ice. However, last year, a 500-year-old document was translated which revealed how the giant stones were slid for miles on specially constructed sledges and dragged over slippery paths of wet ice by a team of men over 28 days. Considering the fact that the wheel was invented in China around 1500 BC, it was initially believed that the massive stones were transported using this technology. Vast numbers of huge stones were mined and transported to the site for its construction, the heaviest of which weigh more than 220 tons and would have weighed more than 330 tons before they fragmented.Īrchaeological findings have revealed that the largest blocks used to construct the Forbidden City were sourced from a quarry situated 70 kilometers away. It was constructed as a replica of the ‘Purple Palace’ in Heaven, as the emperor of China was believed to be the Son of Heaven. The site was chosen for its auspicious feng shui features, including being situated to the north of the imperial palace of the preceding Yuan Dynasty, and being surrounded by hills to the north and a river to the south. The Forbidden City was built to replace the Yuan Dynasty's imperial palace, which had been destroyed. As the center of the Chinese imperial system, it symbolized the emperor's power and authority over all of China. ![]() The exclusivity of the Forbidden City was meant to emphasize the emperor's divine and supreme status, as the Son of Heaven. Anyone who was caught trespassing in the Forbidden City without permission would face severe punishment, including execution. Even high-ranking officials could only enter certain areas of the palace complex, depending on their rank and status. The complex was the exclusive domain of the emperors, their immediate families, and their concubines, as well as a vast entourage of eunuchs, courtiers, and servants.Īccess to the Forbidden City was strictly controlled, with a limited number of individuals allowed to enter its walls. The city was given its name because the palace complex was off-limits to ordinary Chinese people, hence it was "forbidden" to enter without permission. It was the imperial palace and residence of the emperors of China for both the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the early 15th century until the early 20th century. ![]() The Forbidden City in Beijing, China, was constructed during the reign of the Ming Dynasty's Emperor Yongle, starting in 1406 AD and completed in 1420 AD. With over 800 buildings and nearly 9,000 chambers, it's easy to get lost in its grandeur. Spanning an impressive 720,000 square meters, the UNESCO World Heritage listed site contains the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. The Forbidden City of China, a sprawling imperial palace that once housed the China’s powerful emperors, is a marvel of ancient architecture and Chinese history.
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