The Forbidden City

Before we dive into the structures of the city, let's go over some major design motifs that are featured throughout the space.

Dragons are a common design motif throughout the city, especially with furnishings and buildings that are exclusive to the emperor. These creatures represented the emperor’s omnipotence, heavenly power, and supreme rule (Dragon in the Forbidden City, 2004). 

Birds and flowers were typically used to honor the empress and the emperor’s concubines, as they represented the triumph of good over evil, modesty, unity, and marital harmony (Gao, 2016).

Lions are another common design element that adorned the buildings’ exteriors. While they are not native to China, they were often brought as gifts from vassal states that symbolized dominance as a single, or happiness and prosperity in pairs (Gao, 2016). 

The roofs of buildings were designed to indicate the importance of the building and how they  pertained to the emperor. A hip roof (one that slopes down on all sides) that dramatically curved upwards symbolized the highest point of social hierarchy, which signaled that the building was used by the emperor regularly for his business or personal activities (Gao, 2016). Buildings with double-eave hipped roofs (like the Hall of Supreme Harmony) made it clear that they were used for the most important imperial affairs (Gao, 2016).

The city’s unmistakably bold colors served both aesthetic and cultural purposes. The ancient Chinese viewed yellow as the color of the earth, or producer of all life (Gao, 2016). Therefore, yellow was reserved for structures that specifically honored the emperor. Its prominence throughout the city was meant to symbolize that the emperor, son of heaven, had a special connection with the earth that legitimized his rule (Gao, 2016). One exception to yellow roofing for imperial buildings is the Hall of Literary Brilliance, which was fitted with a black roof. Black is associated with water, which was thought to protect the valuable books within the building (Gao, 2016). Red is another commonly used color, which was associated with power, happiness, honor, and wealth, and is featured prominently on many buildings throughout the city (Cindy, 2021).  A final major accent color found throughout the city is green, which represents wood and growth (Cindy, 2021). 

The city is surrounded by a 171 foot-wide moat with only four perpendicular access points (Jarus, 2014). The water feature acted as security, as it discouraged and prevented outsiders from entering the city. It also served as a symbolic divide between the surrounding lesser citizens and the limited elite, thus accentuating the exclusivity and authority of the emperor and his court (Gao, 2016).

The city was built on an orthogonal plan to incorporate and honor the cardinal directions. The incorporation of axial symmetry was built on the basis of I Qing (the Book of Changes), which states that balance is essential for union and harmony (Noguès, 2013). Confucian philosophy also regarded the north-south axis as the axis of power, thus the buildings that honored the emperor and the relationship between humanity and earth were placed directly on this axis (Yu, 2012). The Forbidden City did not depart from the traditional forms of Chinese imperial architecture; it applied them on a scale that had never before been seen (Gao, 2016).

While there are only four gates that act as entrances into the city and they stand at each compass point of north, south, east, and west. There are also several gates within the city that typically divide more exclusive portions of the city from the others.

In the map below, the major gates are represented by red polygons.

The Meridian Gate is the main entrance to the city and is located on the south of the axis of power. It is named as such because the emperor believed that his residence was at the center, or meridian, of the universe (The Meridian Gate, 2010). The gate was not just a point of entry or exit; it was used for promulgation of the emperor’s laws and announcements, public beatings of government officials, and celebrating major holidays (such as the Lunar New Year) (Four Gates of the Forbidden City, 2004). 

The gate consists of five archways. The center door was used by the emperor exclusively and the empress on her wedding day. The smaller door to the east was used by government officials, the smaller door to the west was used by the royal family, and the remaining two doors on each side were used for grand ceremonies. 

Divine Prowess, 2013). It was used as the entrance and exit for the royal members, concubines, eunuchs, and officials for daily affairs. The gate was also used to tell time. A bell housed in the tower was tolled 108 times after dusk every day, then a drum was beaten until dawn, then the bell was struck again (Gate of Divine Prowess, 2013). When the emperor was in the palace, only the drum was beaten. 

The Gate of Supreme Harmony separates the first court of state affairs from the emperor’s court at the Palace of Supreme Harmony (Gate of Supreme Harmony, 2010). During the Ming dynasty, the emperor held morning court sessions at the gate in which he would meet his ministers to discuss political matters. Although most of these meetings were ceremonial, they served to demonstrate the emperor’s diligence and dedication, as well as the high status of his first minister (Gate of Supreme Harmony, 2010). The door within the gate is guarded by two bronze lions, which are symbols of imperial power. The lion in the left is male and has his right paw placed on a globe; this indicates the power of the emperor. The lioness on the right is female, and she has her left paw on her cub; this represented prosperity and health of the imperial family (Gate of Supreme Harmony, 2010). 

There are several palaces and halls throughout the Forbidden City, some of which are dedicated to ceremony, government officials, and the emperor himself. Below is an overview of all the major palaces and halls.

The hall of Supreme Harmony is 116 feet tall and has a double-layered roof, which indicates  the highest construction rank in the city and is thus used exclusively by the emperor (Pang, 2021). No building in Beijing was allowed to be taller than this hall during the Ming and Qing dynasties because it was a symbol of ultimate imperial power (Pang, 2021). The hall was used for grand ceremonies, including the enthronement of the emperor and the emperor’s wedding. The hall was also used by the emperor and his military officials to strategize and dispatch generals to battle (Pang, 2021). 

The hall also housed another throne for the emperor. The throne was perched in the center of a nine foot tall dais, which was engraved with clouds and nine dragons. The assemblage was surrounded by six golden pillars that were engraved with dragons representing the supreme dignities and powers of the emperor (Pang, 2021). On either side, there were incense burners shaped like unicorns, which symbolized the obedience of all other kingdoms.

This palace acted as the emperor’s primary residence until the early Qing dynasty and is located in the center of the city along the axis of power. Here, the emperor also carried out his daily affairs, reviewed documents, and interviewed ministers and envoys (Peng, 2015). The palace is a double-eaved building, and set on a single-level white marble platform. The space is divided into nine rooms on two levels with 27 beds (Noguès, 2013). For security, the emperor would randomly choose to stay in one of these beds (Noguès, 2013). 

The emperor’s throne is located in one of the palace’s nine large rooms. It’s arranged on a platform, surrounded by incense burners, long red candles, and large mirrors, all of which were believed to ward off evil spirits. Above the throne hangs a tablet that reads zhèng dà guāng míng (正大光明), meaning “let the righteous shine” (Palace of Heavenly Purity, 2001) .

The palace was also used to hold ceremonies, such as the “1000 Elders” banquets, one of the most important rituals of the Qing dynasty. Men over 60 from the nation were brought to the palace to be treated by the emperor as a celebration of their old age and accompanying wisdom (Palace of Heavenly Purity, 2020). 

No matter where the emperor died within the city, his coffin was placed in this palace for memorial ceremonies (Noguès, 2013). 

While the symmetric and uniform design of the city sought to reflect the Confucian values of the empire at the time, the Forbidden City incorporated organic shapes and spaces to offset the harsh systematic geometry of the city (Gao, 2016). 

Feng shui was a major influence in the inclusion and design of these more organic areas. Feng shui (translated as “wind and water”) is the traditional chinese practice used to harmonize people with the natural world and is believed to ensure prosperity, and acted as a way in which untamed nature could be accommodated in the uniform design of the city (Xu, 1998). According to feng shui, the paternal sky entity fertilizes the mother earth entity with Qi, a positive energy, to produce all life on earth. Qi is carried by rain (shui) and moved by wind (feng) (Xu, 1998). Therefore, it was imperative to include natural elements in the Forbidden City to incorporate natural elements to encourage the reception and diffusion of positive energy throughout the space. 

Feng shui heavily influenced garden design within the city. One of the most notable garden spaces is the Imperial garden.

It was necessary for the garden to appear organic to capture the untamed essence of nature, which greatly juxtaposes the order of the unnatural elements within the city (Gao, 2016). The garden acted as a private refuge for the imperial family, and its design is reflective of typical Chinese landscaping, which included elements of the hills and water (Noguès, 2013). The hills represent stillness and peace, and water represents the flow of Qi (Elwood, 1930). Unlike the moat or other waterways in the city, the water features in the garden were not straight. The ancient Chinese believed that good Qi traveled through a meandering path, therefore it was necessary to incorporate bends in these waterways (Xu, 1998). The hills are represented in the garden through gongshi, or scholar’s rocks. These limestone structures were naturally dissolved by moving water, creating intricate loops and hollows in the rock. Their irregular patterns were highly sought after, as they represented the ruggedness of the earth and the power of nature (Xu, 1998). 

The Golden Water River Bridges were placed just past the Meridian Gate, and is an arrangement of five bridges over the Golden Water River (Golden Water Bridge, 2003). The central bridge was used exclusively for the emperor, the two on either side were used by members of the royal family, and the outer two were used by court officials. With the consistent threat of fire damage to palace buildings, the river served as a water reservoir in case of emergency (Golden Water Bridge, 2003).

The bridges also represented the five virtues championed by Confucian teachings: benevolence, rites, intelligence, righteousness, and fidelity (Gao, 2016). The bridges were shaped like five arrows that were oriented toward Heaven (Golden Water Bridge, 2003).

The Forbidden City has become a Chinese cultural icon. The city's architectural elements represent a striking combination of order, symmetry, and nature. Together, these elements achieved a symbolic equilibrium, and served to reflect the ultimate power of the empire and its officials.