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Stories Behind Architectural Charm
The Forbidden City
What does its name mean
The Forbidden City is called Zi Jin Cheng in Chinese. What does that mean
The Forbidden City is INDEED a big name. The Forbidden City is literally known in Chinese as the “Purple Forbidden City.” Jin (forbidden) is easily explained, as the complex was off limits to commoners for over 500 years. But “Purple” is puzzling, as red and yellow dominate the imperial
structure.
To find the answer, just look up to the sky.
According to ancient Chinese astrology, the constellations were divided into groups and centered round the North Star, also called Ziwei Xing, literally Purple Star. Legend has it that Yudi, the heavenly emperor from Chinese folk stories, lives on this star and his palace was known as Purple
Palace.
As Chinese emperors claimed themselves to be sons of heavenly gods, they liked to use the word “Purple” to name their residence. Thus came the name, “Purple Forbidden City.”
The name of the residence isn’t the only celestial influence found in the Forbidden City. The Heaven, the earth, the sun, the moon and stars all have their respective counterparts in the historical structure. Their purpose None other than stressing the stateliness and heavenliness of the
Emperor.
How many rooms are there in the Forbidden City
This magnificent, palatial architectural complex covers an area of over 2,350,000 square feet and is said to contain 9,999 and one half rooms.
In folk stories, the palace in the Heaven has 10,000 rooms. To show their respect, the Ming and Qing emperors built 9,999 and one half rooms, meaning the sky palace ranks No. 1 and the Forbidden City follows immediately behind.
Where’s the half room It’s rumored that this half room is located to the west of Wenyuange Pavilion (imperial library). As a matter of fact, this half room does not exist. The Wenyuange Pavilion is a library where “Si Ku Quan Shu”- China `s first comprehensive anthology-was stored. In
order to maintain symmetry, the room to the west of the Wenyuange was built extremely small, as if it were half a room.
Where’s the cold palace
Most of the Ming and Qing emperors had a large number of wives. Those who fell out of the imperial favor or somewhat offended emperors would be confined to imprisonment (known in Chinese as a 'cold palace' or lenggong).
Where are the cold palaces in the Forbidden City Two versions are popular. Some said Qianqing Palace and Changchun Palace were used as ‘cold palaces.’ It’s also said that any place where disfavored wives or sons of emperors were imprisoned could be a cold palace. The second version was more
reliable, according to historical records.
Why were no trees planted along the path from the Front Door to the Baohe Hall
There isn’t a single tree along the path from the Front Door through the Taihe Hall, the Zhonghe Hall, and at last to the Baohe Hall, where the grand royal examination was taken in the ancient days.
Some hold the view that the reason why no trees were planted lies in the fear that enemy might hide behind trees to attack emperors. Yet, it’s more widely believed that the architects intended to remove all trees, leaving only high and thick walls and showing the stateliness of the palace. You
can imagine the psychological effect on frightened officials)
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