Imperial Palace in Beijing. City of Beijing. Forbidden City (Gugong Imperial Palace). Museum Complex Gugun

Almost 500 years forbidden city was the heart of China. It was home to the emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). It is located to the north of Tiananmen Square, from which it is separated by the gate of the same name, and to the east of Zhongnanhai Lake, where the residences of modern Chinese leaders, also known as the "Lake District", are located. At each of the four corners the walls are watchtowers, which are visible far beyond Beijing. You can enter the Forbidden City through one of the four gates located on each side of the wall.

When the Yongle Emperor (1360-1424) began building the Forbidden City in 1406, he wanted to create a "state within a state", an "inland empire" that would not depend on Beijing in any way. It was an impressive powerful fortress, which became the center of the emperor's power. Here he was in complete security from external and internal enemies, from here he could rule his country. No one had the right to enter the city, and having entered, he could not go outside. The city was divided into two parts - the Inner Palace, intended for the emperor and his family, and the Outer Palace, which served for ceremonial purposes, in which numerous servants and other residents who did not belong to the imperial family lived. This guaranteed the self-sufficiency of the city, which even had its own markets and schools.

The inner palace was intended exclusively for the emperor, members of his family and the highest officials of the country. To occupy such a high position, an official had to spend many years studying and passing the most difficult exams. Although the inhabitants of the Inner Palace could lead full life- shops, markets worked, children went to schools - members of the imperial family led an exceptionally isolated life. Only the emperor and senior officials had constant contact with the outside world. Each member of the emperor's family was under the constant supervision of eunuchs and servants. Naturally, there was no question of any personal life under such conditions. The emperor and his relatives had numerous obligations to the state and people, which is why their life was filled with numerous ceremonies and was regulated by ancient customs and traditions. This way of life existed for many centuries, until the monarchy was abolished in China in 1912.

After the Xinhai Revolution of 1912, the Forbidden City lost its function. political center countries. The last Chinese emperor, Pu Yi, who was only 6 years old, lost power and had to remain within the walls of the city. In 1924, the new Chinese government expelled Pu Yi from the capital and turned the Forbidden City into a museum. Today, the most common name in China for the city is "Gugong" - a former palace.

After the fall of the monarchy, troubled times have come for the Forbidden City. During the Civil War and World War II, many artefacts and works of art were stolen or destroyed. Many items were transported to Taiwan, where they were exhibited in the Museum of the Imperial Palace in Taipei, created specifically for this purpose. The walls and buildings of the Forbidden City were also damaged, which became targets for the rebels and the Japanese army. However, the greatest damage to the city was inflicted during the years of the Cultural Revolution, and only the efforts of Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, who organized the defense of the Forbidden City from the Red Guard, saved this unique complex from complete destruction. Only after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 for this historical monument calm times came and its full functioning as a museum for Chinese people and visitors to Beijing.

In the West, the Forbidden City became widely known after the release of Bernardo Bertolucci's film "The Last Emperor", based on the biography of Pu Yi. Bertolucci became the first Western director who was allowed to shoot on the territory of the complex. The film performed well internal organization and life of the Forbidden City, and also became a symbol of a significant warming of relations between China and Western world.

It is noteworthy that despite the fact that the Forbidden City is open to visitors, tourists are not allowed into interior spaces buildings. Their dimensions, such as the dimensions of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, are too small to accommodate those who wish. Therefore, the Chinese authorities decided to leave the doors and windows of the buildings open so that anyone can look inside and enjoy the beauty of the decoration and furniture.

The Forbidden City certainly deserves to be called one of the most beautiful places China. Here everything breathes antiquity, rich history, which you can feel as soon as you step into its territory. The architecture is stunning and impressive, and the paintings of palaces and halls are colorful and detailed. This place is a must visit for anyone interested in Chinese history and appreciating authentic ancient beauty.

In the very center of Beijing, there is a large imperial palace complex, nicknamed by the Chinese "Gugong" (故宫 gùgōng, " former palace"). Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived in it, replacing each other on the throne of the rulers of the Celestial Empire, installed here.

The complex was built in 14 years under Emperor Zhu Di (Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644). Ancient Chinese astronomers believed that the purple (Polar) star is located in the center of the heavens, and therefore the Emperor of Heaven lives in a purple palace. Accordingly, the abode of the earthly emperor was made in the same colors and was called the Purple City. It was forbidden to enter this city without special permission from the emperor himself. Thus, “Forbidden” (紫禁城 zǐjìnchéng, Purple Forbidden City) was added to the naming of the complex, but soon the color faded into the background, only the name remained, known to this day - “ Forbidden City».

Today it is a famous palace museum north of Tiananmen Square. The strict rectangle of the Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world and occupies 74 hectares. 8886 rooms are located in 980 palace buildings, surrounded by a 52-meter (wide) moat with water and a 10-meter (high) wall. Each side of the wall has a gate. Between east and west gate distance is 750 meters. Unique carved towers rise above each of the four corners of the outer wall. From them, the palaces and cityscapes of Beijing are clearly visible.

Forbidden City split in two. South part, or Outer Palace, was the place where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the people. Northern part, or Inner Palace - the place where he lived with his family.

The most important hall in both the Outer Palace and the entire complex is Hall of Supreme Harmony(太和殿 tài hé diàn). It was built in 1420, covers an area of ​​2400 square meters, and with a height of 36.57 meters is the tallest palace in the complex. During the reign of the emperor, no building in Beijing could be higher than the Hall of Supreme Harmony. In this palace is dragon throne- the imperial throne, surrounded by elephants, symbolizing the world.

Until 1924, when the last emperor of China, Pu Yi, was expelled from the Inner Palace, fourteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing Dynasty had already lived in the Forbidden City. Being the home of the rulers of the Celestial Empire for five centuries, the palace has preserved many rare treasures and legends.

Construction of the palace complex, on which, according to various sources, more than a million workers, including one hundred thousand artisans, worked in the most difficult conditions, began in 1407 during the Ming Dynasty, and ended fourteen years later. Enormous quantities of timber and other materials were brought from distant provinces. The stone for the construction was quarried in the Fangshan district (an area in the southwest of present-day Beijing). To facilitate delivery, wells were dug every 500 meters along the way, from where water was drawn, so that winter period flood the road and roll huge blocks on the ice. For example, in front of the Palace of Supreme Harmony, there is a stone slab called "Imperial Way" or Yunlong. Its area - more than 50 square meters, weight - 239 tons. It took 20,000 workers and 28 days to deliver.

Wood, including very valuable varieties, was mined in southern provinces Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei and rafted to Beijing by waterways.

The following year, after the construction of the palace complex was completed, the capital of the Chinese Empire, as planned, was moved from Nanjing to Beijing.

The ancient Chinese showed their very extraordinary skills in the construction and design of the palace. Take at least a grand red city ​​wall. At the base it is 8.6 meters wide, gradually narrowing towards the top, where it reaches 6.66 meters. The angular shape of the wall completely prevents attempts to climb it. The brick from which it is built is made from white lime and glutinous rice, while the cement is made from glutinous rice and egg whites. These incredible building materials make the wall extremely durable.

The palaces themselves are mostly built of wood, and ancient Chinese engineers, fearing fires, developed for them special heating system, in which heat was supplied under the floor of the room through underground pipes leading from bronze coal furnaces located outside the building. Thus, the palaces of the Forbidden City do not have a single chimney, and the floors are always warm.

Since yellow became the symbol of the imperial family, he acquired a dominant position in palace architecture. The roofs are built with yellow tiles; decorations in the palace are painted yellow; even the bricks on the ground are made yellow by special technology. However, there is one exception. Wenyuange, the Imperial Library, has a black roof. The reason is that the ancient Chinese considered black to be a symbol of the water element, and therefore a talisman against possible fires. But still, 90% of the roofs of the Forbidden City are lined with yellow or "golden" tiles. This tile is very heavy, when it is tapped, a clear ringing is heard, and tung oil is used to give it a special shine during polishing.

Another symbol: golden lion statues at the imperial palace they have thirteen curls-bumps on their heads. This is the highest number reserved for imperial house lions only. Other high-ranking politicians and officials were ranked by the number of curls: if an official did not deserve more than seven, then lions were not even placed at his house.

The Forbidden City is Beijing's main attraction and, no doubt, well deserved. Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site cultural heritage in 1987, the palace complex has already earned the laurels of one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.

In addition, everyone who is interested in the history of China and, in particular, the life of the Forbidden City, is strongly recommended to watch the wonderful historical and artistic film by Bernardo Bertolucci "The Last Emperor" (1987), which takes place in the real Forbidden City, including in the throne room and others. notable places. The plot is also extremely interesting, even for non-Sinologists.

Movie trailer:

China, Beijing, Forbidden City, the imperial palace, sights

Description of the Forbidden City

• The Forbidden City of Gugong is the largest and most famous palace complex in the world, located in Beijing. It served as the residence of twenty-four powerful rulers of the two dynasties of the Celestial Empire - Ming and Qing.
• Today, heading to the Forbidden City, you need to go through only three gates: Tiananmen, Duanmen and, finally, the main gate of the palace - Wumen. In former times, for foreign ambassadors and officials, the path to the palace was longer: they passed through five gates.
• All the decoration and design of the Forbidden City is permeated with philosophical and religious ideas and principles of China, which say, among other things, that the emperor, despite all his greatness, must be fair and wise.

A bit of history

• The construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406. The emperor who ordered its construction was Zhu Di. There is a legend that one of the monks dreamed about the project of the Forbidden City, and he told the prince about it, who later became emperor.
• The main material used for the construction of the palace is wood, as well as brick, marble, and tile. Almost all buildings inside the complex are one-story, and massive roofs rest on powerful columns, such a construction is most resistant to earthquakes. The facades of all the main buildings turned to the south - thus the Forbidden City turned its back on all the hostile forces of the north. Main entrance also located on the south side.
• The Forbidden City is not just beautiful name It is also a statement of fact. Simple people didn't have access to it. The family of the reigning emperor and their numerous servants lived in the closed palace. It was forbidden to enter the city without permission under pain of a slow and painful execution - although even this sometimes did not frighten the most curious. However, not only curiosity forced people to enter the Forbidden City, for example, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty was driven to suicide by the inhabitants who burst into the palace, who were angry with exorbitant taxes and hunger.
• According to legend, the Qing clan, the last ruling dynasty in the Forbidden City, was cursed - the Qing house would fall at the hands of a woman. In general, this is what happened. The former concubine Cixi ruled China after her husband's death, until her nephew, two-year-old Pu-Yi, became her successor. The kid became the last emperor and owner of the Forbidden City. In 1912, at the age of five, he abdicated, but remained in the palace.

• According to legend, there are ten thousand rooms in the palace of the Heavenly Emperor. The Palace of the Son of Heaven, as the emperors of China called themselves, should be at least a little more modest so as not to outshine the Heavenly Ruler. So it covers an area of ​​72 hectares, on which there are about eight hundred buildings and a total of 9,999 rooms.
• The city is surrounded by a high wall and a moat filled with water - the Jinshuihe Canal (Golden Water River). Several bridges were thrown across the moat - the central two were intended only for members of the imperial family, the next - for the highest military and civil officials, and the extreme ones were called public and any inhabitant of the Forbidden City could pass through them, regardless of his rank and origin.
• There are many beautiful and graceful buildings on the territory of the Forbidden City. Pavilions, gazebos, galleries, as well as lakes, rivers, gardens. And their names, as a rule, are in no way inferior to grace. appearance- for example, the pavilion of the Contact of Heaven and Earth, the Gate of Heavenly Purity or the Gazebo, from where you can see the arrival of spring.
• The Forbidden City was repeatedly rebuilt after fires, destruction and robberies. However, they tried to reproduce its appearance with maximum accuracy, so that what we can see there now is not too different from the original appearance of the palace.
• The collection of valuable exhibits is replenished year by year, has already reached a million. The main part of the exhibition consists of paintings, books, bronze items, imperial clothes and jewelry, made with amazing skill.
• The Forbidden City is divided by a central axis, eight kilometers long. In the center stands the Taihedian (Higher Harmony) Pavilion, which is almost forty meters high. For many centuries, it remained the tallest building in Beijing, because during the time of the empire it was not allowed to erect buildings higher than it - the ban did not apply only to temples. In the center of the pavilion is the Throne, a symbol of the emperor's power on earth.

Not the last role is played by the location, it is located in the very center of Beijing.

GPS coordinates

Opening hours / Schedule

8.30 – 17.00 – open
8.30 - 16.00 - ticket office hours

Price

Adult - 40 yuan
Child up to 1.2 m - free of charge
Audio guide rental - 40 yuan
Entrance to the east wing, the so-called treasury - 10 yuan

general information

Forbidden City (other names - Forbidden Palace, Forbidden City)

This central location in the city, and therefore there are always a lot of people here. At the same time, those wishing to visit the Closed City do not care about the time of year. The best time to visit is early morning on a weekday. By forcing you to come here before others, you will save yourself from kilometer-long queues.

In summer it is very hot here - the sizzling sun will cherish your desire to hide under the shade, and closer to winter it is very cold - winds piercing to the bones walk. So what's the best best time The years to visit are autumn and spring. This is just a statement of fact, and visit at any time of the year, just be prepared.

Impression

The closed city is the place that is more impressive in terms of documentaries. When visiting live, many complain about the monotony: behind one gate, an area appears almost identical to the one that was left behind. Much of the architecture is very similar. In part, we can agree with this and I recommend that you definitely take an audio guide. In this case, faceless and similar buildings will begin to come to life in your imagination.

Audio guides in Beijing work automatically. The story begins when you approach the right place. Of the pluses, you do not need to follow the map, of the minuses - it malfunctions. May start earlier right place, sometimes terminate unexpectedly.

And that is not all. Audio guide lectures are lame with all sorts of speech errors. Audio guides in Beijing are recorded by local Chinese who study Russian, hence the trouble.

On the other hand, it will be very insipid without an adio guide. How can you get superficial information. Anything is better than going through the Forbidden City and saying that it is nothing.

Many parts of the Forbidden City are closed to the public: some have never been opened, others are under restoration.

The city gave me a gloomy feeling. Everything is somehow too dry, without life. Maybe, of course, everything was different before, but now the bare, straight, stone walls from all sides are depressing. It is not surprising that some emperors preferred most time to spend in

Be sure to climb the hill ( jinshan park) outside the Forbidden City. When you are inside the palace, this is one thing, and when you look at it from a height, it is another. If you imagine that you are 300 years behind and you can see this city from a height, you will feel in touch with a miracle. After all, it was impossible to get there, what was happening there was unknown to a mere mortal.

Photos of the Forbidden City

Queue at the checkpoint. All Chinese people are checked and identified. Foreigners are treated more loyally, they do not look at their passports. But it's best to have it with you just in case.

The ticket is bought at the box office on the left side of the entrance. Then we go straight and see the turnstiles.

Behind them is a building where you can take an audio guide.

Here is such a thing

Entering the Forbidden City
(Rebus: find the ninja in the photo below)

It's not the same building. I've already talked about similarity.

This is the original building we passed through.

It is disappointing that you cannot go inside the most important palace premises. You can only huddle in the crowd to move closer to the open viewing area. It's scary to imagine what's going on here in the summer.

And with some palaces, things are even worse: you need to look through the window.

And then you can see the interior.

Territory of the Forbidden City

View of the side buildings

One of the side entrances in the Closed City

In this place surrounded by trees in old times Emperors chose their concubines from pretty girls 15-17 years old brought from all over the area. So, for example, the great empress was chosen here Ci Xi subsequently ruling China from 1861 to 1908.

Before visiting the main attractions of Beijing, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the last two centuries Chinese history. In particular, read, for example, on Wikipedia about Empress Dowager Ci Xi, about whom a lot will be told in audio guides.

The building is built on wonderful stones nearby. Only the emperor and his wife could go upstairs. This happened once a year on one of the holidays.

Ceiling in one of the unremarkable rooms

Wall of Nine Dragons. There are several Nine Dragon Walls. This one was built in 1771 and is located in the Forbidden City at the entrance towards the treasury. The entrance is separate and paid (10 yuan). The second wall can be seen near the Forbidden City, in Beihai Park.

Not just dragons 9. This figure in China has a sacred meaning. And the dragons themselves in China are good creatures, they are created to protect and support from evil spirits and all that is bad.

Selected expositions from the treasury of the Forbidden City.

The gate has five doors - three in the center and two doors on the sides. The side doors were used by maintenance personnel and are now closed. Of the three central doors, the right one was used by officials, the left one by members of the imperial family, and only the emperor himself could pass through the central large door, but there were two exceptions.

The first exception was made only for the Empress and only once - on the wedding day. The second exception was made once every few years for the winners of the imperial examination. Tourists are advised to go through the central door. Feel like an emperor.

Tourists should pay attention to the rivets on the doors. In total, there are 9 rows of rivets and 9 columns (you can count it yourself in the photo in the gallery on the right). 9 is the emperor's lucky number, and you will meet him constantly in the Forbidden City.

The midday gate is stunning in its size - it is 35 meters high, which is equivalent to an 11-story building. At the top are 5 towers, which are called "phoenix towers". The whole structure really resembles this mythical bird.

on the edges central tower the main bells and drums of Beijing were installed. The bells rang every year, announcing the departure of the emperor to, the drums beat when the emperor left for the Temple of the Ancestors. At the most important ceremonies, bells and drums sounded simultaneously, announcing the coronation or wedding of the emperor.

The noon gate was a place of “communication” between power and the world. New laws were officially declared here, the emperor greeted subjects on holidays, hosted parades and looked at the punishments of guilty officials.

Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihimen) (2)

After the Noon Gate you will be taken to large area- The outer courtyard of the Forbidden City. There is a water channel “Internal Golden River”, through which five bridges have been built. The rules for passing through these bridges were completely similar to the rules for the doors in the Midday Gate.

This channel had several functions. The first is a source of water in case of fire, the second is a natural barrier for attackers in the event of an attack on the Forbidden City. Tourists should pay attention to the balustrades of bridges, decorated with figures of dragons and phoenixes - the symbols of the emperor.

Another interesting point on this square, which is worth paying attention to, is the pavement bricks. These bricks are made using a special technology, they produce a pleasant ringing sound when you step on them. This property of covering the area has almost disappeared, but in some places this sound can still be heard.

The main attraction of the square is two giant bronze lions. The right lion holds a sphere under its paw, symbolizing the power of the emperor, which extends to the whole world. The left lioness holds a lion cub under her paw, symbolizing the prosperity and fertility of the imperial family. The Chinese believe that such lions protect the house from evil spirits and attract good ones. Naturally, these lions are the largest in China.

Behind the lions are the Gates of Supreme Harmony themselves. The name "gate" is a convention, in fact, it is real pavilion. It was used in all cases when they did not want to let someone go further, but a meeting with the emperor was necessary. For example, receptions of foreign ambassadors or the imperial court.

Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taikhidian) (3)

Passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you will enter the largest square in the Forbidden City - 30,000 square meters. Behind it rises the Hall of Supreme Harmony - the main building of the Forbidden City.

This is the "heart" of the Forbidden City. It was here that the emperor received officials and generals, and all the most important ceremonies and celebrations were held here. The hall is located on a marble base in three tiers. Two large staircases lead upstairs. In the center is a marble slab weighing 250 tons, which we have already talked about above, decorated with bas-reliefs with phoenixes and dragons.

The height of the building is 37.5 meters, and for a long time the Hall of Supreme Harmony was the most tall building in Pekin. It was forbidden by law to build buildings above it. When you look at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the thought does not even come to mind that this building is as high as a 12-story building.

The traditional architecture of China never aspired to gigantism. Harmony of size, form and content is the main goal of the ancient Chinese architects. And, to be honest, they did it great.

On some sites on the Internet they write that the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest wooden building in the world. Of course it isn't. The Odate Zhukai Dome stadium in Japan is 52 meters high and covers an area of ​​25,000 square meters. Compared to him, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is tiny.

Even in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, tourists will see a lot of interesting things. Pay attention to the huge vats for water - another fire safety measure. Still here are the main ones in the Forbidden City sundial. Also here you can see very interesting stone columns, similar to lanterns, which served as a repository for standards of measures and weights.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony is 64 meters wide and 37.2 meters deep, with an area of ​​2381 square meters. The roof is supported by 72 columns - 6 rows of 9 pieces. Note that the number 9 is also used here - a symbol of imperial power.

Inside is the main imperial throne. It is called the Throne of Supreme Harmony. It can be difficult for tourists to see it, as it is dark inside. In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, more than four doors are rarely opened, and there is not enough light. The central door is opened very rarely, and the throne has to be viewed from an angle. In addition, at this angle, the throne is blocked by columns. In the photo on the right you can see how sad it looks.

There are a lot of people who want to see the throne, and to open doors still need to "break through". IN weekdays it is quite possible to do this, but on a day off it is an epic feat. Hence the conclusion: do not go to the Forbidden City on weekends and holidays. On weekends in Beijing, it is better to go to the markets or or walk along shopping malls district. Cultural attractions these days are always crowded with visitors.

In addition to the throne, inside you can see six gilded columns decorated with bas-reliefs with dragons. These columns can be seen a little better (see photo on the right). On the roof directly above the throne is a large golden dragon playing with a pearl. There is a legend that if someone usurps the throne, then this pearl will fall on him and crush him to death. This dragon is very difficult for tourists to see, and even more so to photograph.

Hall of Central Harmony (Jonghedian) (4)

It is a small building with a pyramid-shaped roof. This hall served for the emperor to rest and dress before ceremonies. There is also a throne inside, but much more modest than the Throne of Supreme Harmony. The hall was often used as a place for conversations between the emperor and close ministers and generals.

The inscriptions near the throne read: “The way of Heaven is deep and mysterious, and the way of mankind is difficult. Only if you draw up an accurate and unified plan and follow it, then you can rule the country well. These words were left here by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. He knew what he was talking about, because he ruled the country for 60 years.

Hall of Preserved Harmony (Baohedian) (5)

This is the last building of the "outer palace" - the working part of the Forbidden City. After it, you will be taken to " inner palace” - the place of residence of the emperor and his family.

The Hall of Preserved Harmony had many functions. During the Qing Dynasty, it most often served as a banquet hall. During the Ming Dynasty, it served as a preparation place for the empress and princes for ceremonies.

In appearance, it is similar to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, but smaller. There is also an imperial throne inside, and also smaller.

All these three halls stand on a single base of three tiers. If it rains during your visit to the Forbidden City, then you should not be upset right away. This good opportunity look at the amazing drainage system. Tourists notice at the base stone heads dragon, and it seems that this is just a decoration, but these are the outlets of the pipes leading the water down. There are 1412 of these dragon heads in total.