Winter Imperial Palace in Beijing. The Forbidden City in Beijing - the greatest buildings and structures

- This is the ancient residence of the Chinese emperors, today turned into a huge museum. The city is now simply called Gugun or former palace. This is the largest palace complex in the world.

He is located a little north of the square Tiananmen and is considered the main cultural and historical attraction and everything. Tourists from all over the world come here every year.

The main palace of the Forbidden City became the residence of the emperor from the moment of construction, i.e. from the beginning of the fifteenth century. At that time, the Ming Dynasty reigned. And it ceased to be in 1912, when the last emperor of the Qing dynasty was overthrown.

The palace was built for about 15 years. The best architects, architects, stone craftsmen, artists and millions of simple unknown builders took part in its construction. Construction was carried out from precious woods and expensive materials.

The emperor lived in the Forbidden City with his family and servants. Nobody else is afraid death penalty not allowed here. The palace complex is surrounded by powerful walls and a wide moat filled with water.

In total, 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived in this city for the entire time of the empire. All significant ceremonies were held here, it was the political center of the Great Ming Empire and the Qing Empire.

In 1912, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty named Pu Yi was deposed, but he was allowed to continue living in the Inner Palace. A museum was organized in the Outer Palace. A few years later, Pu Yi was expelled from his palace.

In the 30s of the last century, when Japan attacked China and captured Beijing, the jewels of the palace had to be hastily removed. A significant part of them was captured by the Japanese, but out of respect for the former emperor, they were kept.

The Cultural Revolution brought the most damage to this object. In the 1950s and 1960s, some artifacts were destroyed here. However, the vandalism was stopped, and army battalions were deployed near Gugun to protect the cultural heritage.

For the entire period of its existence before becoming a museum in 1925, forbidden city has undergone many changes. He was constantly upset and strengthened, huge money was invested in him.

The entire complex of palaces is an example of Chinese traditional palace architecture. In the late 1980s, he was the first in China to enter famous list UNESCO, as the largest ancient wooden structure.

Forbidden city today

The Forbidden City is the center of ancient Beijing, which is called the Imperial City. Gugun itself is divided into several parts, surrounded by a wall 3.4 km long and almost 8 m high and a moat, the width of which is more than 50 m.

From its three sides grow magnificent imperial gardens and famous parks. To the south of Gugong is the Sanctuary, where all the emperors of China, without exception, worshiped the spirit of the nation and their ancestors.

Also to the south is the Gate of Heavenly Peace with a portrait of the father of the people - Mao Zedong. This gate is a link between the ancient Gugong and the modern Tiananmen Square.

The whole design of this beautiful architectural masterpiece is filled with symbols of Chinese religion and philosophy, and also emphasizes the greatness of imperial power and its direct connection with heaven. The layout follows the old traditions.

This palace complex is a real wonder of the world, which is described in books and films. In 1918, he was featured in one of the first Chinese feature films, in a biographical film about the last emperor Pu Yi, a TV series about Marco Polo, etc.

Modernity

Currently, the Forbidden City is visited by at least 7 million tourists a year, especially in the summer. This is the most famous Chinese landmark. Xi Jinping recently hosted Donald Trump at the Inner Palace.

This monument of history and culture is under state protection. All responsibilities related to the restoration work are fully entrusted to Palace Museum, there is a state restoration plan.

In China, on a vast territory in the center of the capital, one of the largest palace complexes in the world, the so-called "Forbidden City", is located. Two great dynasties - Ming and Qing ruled the empire from the walls of this residence. And these are 24 rulers of the Middle Kingdom. The place for the construction of the imperial chambers was chosen very carefully. According to astronomers of those years, this point was the center of the globe.

According to an old Chinese legend, a monk saw the plan of the city in a dream. He told about the amazing dream to the prince - the future emperor. As a result of the grandiose construction, a luxurious palace complex was erected.

Forbidden - because it is inaccessible

Why is the city called Forbidden? At a time when the ruling emperor lived within the walls of this palace with his family and numerous retinue, access to the common man was closed here. The one who dared to disobey the order and still penetrated the city - was expected to be executed.

The buildings were built mainly of wood, but brick and marble are also found. The heavy roofs of the buildings support powerful columns. These are protection measures against possible earthquakes.

The guards vigilantly watched who went to the imperial chambers and why. Five gates stood in the way of ambassadors and local officials who arrived to the emperor. The entrance doors face south. Thus, the inhabitants of the city fenced themselves off from the enemy, threatening the Celestial Empire from the north.

Outside, the city is surrounded by a high wall and a moat filled with water. This is an artificially created channel called the Golden Water River. There are several bridges across the canal. And each inhabitant knew which of the bridges was allowed to enter the city for a person of his class. The two central ones were used exclusively by members of the imperial family. Two bridges were assigned to senior civil and military officials. And through the remaining two, the rest of the inhabitants could enter the city, regardless of their rank and rank.

Museum Complex Gugun

Wooden buildings repeatedly suffered from fires and robberies. But each time, restoring buildings, the architects tried to give the buildings their former appearance. Therefore, today tourists see the greatness and beauty ancient buildings practically unchanged.

Now the Forbidden City is a museum complex. And now anyone can get into it and admire the rich decoration of the imperial chambers.

The palace complex occupies about 72 hectares of land. Its territory contains 800 buildings. Pavilions, carved pavilions, bright galleries interspersed with flowering gardens, lakes, even rivers. In the center stands the Pavilion of Supreme Harmony - Taihedian. Its height is about forty meters. For several centuries, this building was the tallest in all of Beijing. In the empire it was strictly forbidden to build buildings higher. In the center of the pavilion is a majestic throne - a symbol of imperial power on earth.

The roof of Taihedian is supported by 86 wooden columns. Each one is one meter in diameter. Six gilded columns surround a magnificent throne. Carved images of dragons adorn these powerful pillars. The luxurious hall of the pavilion was used for the most significant palace receptions.

Each palace is beautiful in its own way. The works of great masters are collected here: bronzes, paintings, skillfully made jewelry, rich imperial clothes. The collection of exhibits is replenished annually, and now in museum complex there are about a million luxury items.

Gugong, that is, the "Former Palace" - this is the name of the imperial possessions today, beautiful place a must see when visiting Beijing.

Imperial Palace Gugun is, in fact, not a palace, but a lot of wooden tower-verandahs with red curved roofs and golden tiles, collected in one place. This is a classic of Chinese housing construction, listed in 1987 world heritage UNESCO. The complex is one of the main attractions of China and its largest museum.

About a million exhibits are inside, but only a quarter of its premises and half of the territory are open for inspection. But even that is enough to take away half a day with a rather cursory inspection. More than 7 million people visit Gugun every year, and the definition - the Forbidden City - only attracts visitors. For it has been known since antiquity that the forbidden fruit is always sweet.

Gugun is three times larger than the Kremlin - its area is 72 hectares (almost a kilometer long and 750 meters wide), it is aligned strictly along the axis from south to north and has 9999 rooms. Everything is very simple with this: nine is a sacred number for the Chinese, and repeated four times it is generally sacred. Naturally, the Forbidden City is fenced off from outsiders: it is surrounded on four sides by a 10-meter wall and a 50-meter-wide moat.

According to legend, there are 9,999 and a half rooms there also because the heavenly king had 10 thousand rooms, and the emperor, who called himself the son of the heavenly king, could not be equal to him. So he had half a room less.

Gugong owes its origin specifically to Emperor Chengzu, the third of the Ming Dynasty. Having firmly decided to settle in Beijing, he took care of housing. The former palaces of the hated Yuan were completely ruthlessly put on fire, nothing was left of them, and a new one was needed. Gugun was under construction for 15 years, from 1406 to 1421. However, later it turned out that the tree is a short-lived matter. Numerous fires led to the fact that under the Qing, almost the entire palace was rebuilt (gradually, as the towers ignited). Basically, of course, copies of burnt buildings were erected, but the fact is that the main buildings of the present Gugun date back to the 18th-19th centuries. And the legends about the pavilions of Gugong are also told almost everything about the Qing. In total, 24 emperors of two dynasties managed to lodge in Gugong: Ming and Qing.

Best time For independent visit Gugong - eight in the morning, just after breakfast and watching the flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen. The entrance fee is 45 yuan. A lot, but worth it. The ticket office is located at the Wumen gate, from Tiananmen you need to go along a long alley to them. The gates of Umen resemble a fortress - you can immediately see that you are approaching something solid, especially since there are old cannons on the side of the alleys. If you know English, there are no problems when visiting Gugun - all signs, except for hieroglyphs, are provided with fairly competent English text. During the tour, you can not only see the pavilions, but also feel like a master of the Celestial Empire for five minutes, trying on imperial clothes. You can dress as a guard. This joke costs something around 20-30 yuan.

The first thing you get in Gugun is a huge stone wasteland, which is crossed by a channel made in the shape of a small bow. It is visible only when you cross the bridge, on which there are stone torches - symbols of masculinity, hinting at you know what. On the sides of the wasteland there are pavilions with tightly closed windows, and around the perimeter there are huge copper vats for water with cool handles - their rings are embedded in the dragon's mouth. They have been standing here for a long time in case of a fire. There is not a single tree around (there could be hiding bad Boys plotting to kill the emperor). And the first feeling from the palace is emptiness and lifelessness. And this emptiness served as a kind of intimidation, suppression of anyone who was here. And only eunuchs, concubines and others from the imperial retinue found themselves here due to the prohibition of the palace. However, the emperors could afford such discomfort. The fact is that they lived in Gugun only in winter, and it was called winter palace. They had much more picturesque places in store for the summer.

Next is the entrance to the pavilions of the outer courtyard. There are only three of them, and the very first, main and largest one is Taihedian (Hall of Supreme Harmony). He is guarded creepy looking stone lions in the amount of two pieces. One of them is a lion with a scepter under his paw, the other is a lioness with a lion cub under her paw. There is a small lift in front of the hall, in the middle of which there is a narrow path with dragons engraved on the stone. Above it, under a palanquin, they carried the chair of the emperor, while the servants themselves descended simple stone steps. And no one, except the emperor, had the right to go there. In the pavilion itself stands the Emperor's Dragon Throne. The throne room was also forbidden for women, and even the all-powerful Cixi did not dare to violate this ban.

Two other pavilions: the Hall of Middle Harmony (Zhonghedian) and the Hall of Preservation of Harmony (Baohe-dian) are of a lower rank. The first is, as it were, an imperial utility room. Here the emperor announced decrees to his offspring, prepared for rituals, changed clothes. As for Baohedyan, New Year's banquets were held there with specific princes. And there are also thrones, about the same as in Taihedian. Now the hall has been turned into a museum of ancient Chinese art (mainly bronze and ceramic items from the 11th century BC to the 13th century). A recognized attraction is a life-size ceramic horse recovered from the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di. Then we go all the same course to the north, to the inner chambers of the emperor. Here, too, everything is symmetrical: there are three towers in the center, and six pavilions on each side. There were a huge number of concubines and wives, so such a number of towers is not out of place.

The first inner pavilion of Qianqinggong is, in fact, the working office of the emperor, where, to paraphrase in a modern way, the lord of the Celestial Empire “worked with documents”. Now an exhibition of court things is organized here - horse harnesses, clothes, ritual things, everything is mainly from the Qing time.

The second pavilion Jiaotaidian served as the throne room of the empress and is therefore frankly small compared to the rest (woman, know the place!).

And, finally, the third pavilion of Kunning-gun (Palace of Earthly Tranquility) is the holy of holies, the imperial bedroom. IN without fail it was here that the emperor spent his wedding night and the first night of the new year. Moreover, he was obliged to sleep that night with his wife, and not with any concubine. Pu Yi was the last to print here the girlish innocence of Pu Yi, no longer being an emperor, in 1922. The furnishings of the bedroom have remained unchanged since the time of Kangxi (late 17th century): the bed is surrounded by turtles and cranes.

The side pavilions of the courtyard deserve an unconditional visit. The six Western palaces are similar to each other, but two stand out. The first one is the closest, called the Mind Cultivation Hall (Yangxindian), another study with Manchu furniture of the 18th century.

In the farthest pavilion, Chusyugun, Empress Cixi lived. This is the latest example of imperial construction (the end of the 19th century, a lot of budget money was spent on the arrangement).

Six Eastern Palaces are now repositories of treasures and art objects of the 15th-19th centuries. The exhibition of watches deserves special attention (imported samples of the 18th century, for their inspection you need to pay an additional 5 yuan). In the following pavilions there is a museum of jewels (all 25 imperial seals, swords trimmed with jewels, etc.).

In the farthest corner of Gugong is the so-called Zheng Fei Well, in which the beloved of Cisy's nephew was killed.

Well, actually, everything. Gugong ends with the Yuhuayuan imperial garden (it is also called secret garden Qianlong). You get into it, leaving the imperial bedroom of Kunning Gong. This is a classic of the landscape gardening genre in China, with bizarre hills of stones, an artificial rock with a gazebo at the top, courtyards, paths, galleries, odd-looking bronze urns - the creation of the same Emperor Qianlong. popular place for a photo - "trees of lovers". These are two trees with strangely intertwined trunks, which the devil knows how old.

There are more miracles in the world than we know! And one of them is the Forbidden City in Beijing. This is a huge palace complex, which is considered the largest in the world. It consists of many buildings, pavilions, squares. In total, the complex has 9,999 rooms! And the area covers more than 700 thousand square meters. This is more than impressive, but not surprising for China. We can say that gigantomania is in their blood, just look at the Great Wall.

But back to the palace. This the greatest building, built at the beginning of the 15th century, has become a true work of art. Construction began on the orders of the Yongle Emperor (3rd in the Ming Dynasty). He pursued the main goal - to move the residence, and, accordingly, the political center and capital of China from Nanjing to Beijing. And, I must say, he more than succeeded. Further rulers of the Celestial Empire have already carried out their activities in this residence.

Top view of the City

The reign in the Forbidden City lasted until 1911, which became a turning point for China. During the revolution, the monarchy was overthrown in favor of democracy.

The uniqueness of the location

Having already seen this impressive architecture from a distance, you feel some kind of magic of architecture. The original buildings lure you to look further, the stucco figures amaze with their splendor and grandeur.

golden lions

But the peculiarity of the Palace complex is not in this.

It is far from a secret that the basic philosophy of the arrangement of objects, the influence of the cardinal points on human life - all this came from China. This people has a meaning in everything. A lifetime is not enough to discover and understand it. But this is the Celestial Empire and attracts inquisitive minds.

The palace is located in such a way that all facades face south. And all because the south is the side of grace, prosperity and prosperity.

There was no free access to the palace. The whole complex was divided into two parts. The inner palace was part of the personal life of the emperor, and the outer one was the state. In the inner palace there were halls of Heavenly purity, Earthly tranquility.

Looking at the photographs of the Forbidden City, you can see that most of the buildings are painted in bright colors. Few people know, but this paint is due to once former name Purple Forbidden City.

An example of decorations in the Emperor's City

The most interesting thing is that when the Manchu conquerors came, they overthrew the Ming dynasty, dealt with the former emperor, but they treated the buildings in the city very respectfully. And they even continued to actively look after the architecture. Thanks to this, the palace has not lost its grandeur.

In fact, getting into this place, it seems that time stops and everything around freezes. There is harmony and peace in the soul. It is in this place that a feeling of weightlessness is created, as if you really are somewhere high “under heaven”.

A. Wumen Gate.
B. Shenumen Gate.
B. Sihuamen Gate.
D. Donghuamen Gate.
E. Watchtowers.
E. Taihemen Gate.
J. Taihedian Pavilion.
Z. Zhonghedian Pavilion.
I. Baohedian Pavilion.
K. Outbuilding Wingdian.
L. Wing Wenhuadian.
M. Sad Tsynin.
N. Nansanso.
A. Qianqinggong Palace.
P. Jiaotaidian Palace.
R. Kunninggong Palace.
C. Imperial Garden.
T. Yangxindian Pavilion.
W. Ningshougun Palace. The structure and scheme of the Forbidden City

1. Three main pavilions - Zhonghedian, Baohedian, Taihedian: have a common hieroglyph, which is a kind of amulet and literally means harmony and peace. These most majestic pavilions showed the full power of the emperor. But at the same time, in China, it is important to observe organicity in everything. Thus, one of the philosophies is the harmonious existence of all people and a certain spiritual equality between the king and common man, parents and children, older and younger. That is why there is also a hieroglyph on the pavilions.

2. Giant stone slab. This element is perhaps the most striking. The huge slab is decorated with magnificent bas-reliefs. But they are not a mystery. The fact is that the plate was delivered to the palace during the Ming Dynasty, that is, no technology was supposed at that time. And the weight of the plate reached 300 tons! It is believed that about 16 thousand people were involved in its transportation, among which were ordinary people as well as the soldiers.

It is located behind one of the main imperial pavilions - Baohedian.

3. Arrow. Between the Qiangqingmen gate and the Baohedian pavilion there is a square that separated the inner and outer zones of the emperor's possessions. Looking up at the banner above the gate, you can see an arrow sticking out from there. This "admonition to posterity" was left by the ruler of the Qing dynasty after the peasant uprising in 1813. When the rebels, with the help of eunuchs and other employees of the palace, entered the Forbidden City in order to exterminate the dynasty. One of the leaders of the uprising took aim and fired at the banner, as a sign of his imminent victory. I must say that it was a very bloody picture. However, the uprising was crushed, the traitors were executed, and the arrow was left as a reminder to future generations.

4. Miracle refrigerators. No wonder it is believed that many of the benefits of civilization came from the Middle Kingdom. No less interesting example of the Forbidden City in China are the refrigerated cabinets that were located in the palace. These cabinets were cooled with ice stored over the winter. Inside the refrigerator is lined with lead, for better tightness and food safety. In addition, the design had holes for the flow of melt water. But, of course, the art of design is striking. The cubes were beautifully ornamented.

5. Gong. Of course, few people associate this instrument with another country. A large gong was placed to notify everyone of the changing of the guard or the declaration of a state of emergency.

6. glazed figurines. On all the buildings in the complex you can see a variety of ceramic figures of animals. It's not just decoration. Each animal denotes a certain quality inherent in it.

7. Marble balustrade with a secret. When you enter the Forbidden imperial city, involuntarily pay attention to the chic balustrade of white marble. It fits perfectly into the overall "red" background of buildings. But, like everything in China, it has its own hidden purpose and is not exclusively a decorative item in the exterior.

Looking more closely, you can see that the balustrade has a very beautiful carving in several tiers and original posts along the edges of the gate. It is there that the main secret is hidden - the signal system.

Each column has its own stone Flower» with a rounded cavity. And in the holes, which at first glance may seem washed out by rains, a special tube was inserted. The guard began to blow into it with force, which set the balls in motion and created a special muffled sound, but audible in every corner of the city. This was how a fire or an invasion was reported if it was impossible or impossible to use the gong.

The Chinese Forbidden City is a unique place. Here you will find a lot of secrets and legends that have their own meaning. Perhaps this will reveal you from the other side. In China, everything is imbued with a special sense of calm and prudence. Having visited the palace complex, one gets the impression of participating in something great, intangible and beautiful.

An interesting video about the sights of the Chinese capital from a Chinese guide girl (translated into Russian):

Forbidden City (Gugong)- the world's largest imperial palace, architectural masterpiece And grand design that has become a reality. Its construction lasted 14 years. and was completed by 1420. - about a million workers and 100,000 artisans were involved in it.

Erected in the center of Beijing, the palace was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but for ordinary people it was always closed, the daredevils who violated this ban were waiting for inevitable death. Today, even after many years, after Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, abdicated in 1912., some of the buildings are still closed to visitors.

Emperor Ming lived a luxurious life, but in 1644 new taxation took its toll on the population and they literally starved. An uprising broke out and then broke into the city. The emperor is said to have been drunk when the rebels broke in.

He killed all the women in his harem in order to protect them from reproach, and he himself hanged himself, opening the way for the Qing dynasty with his death.

According to legend, it is known that the Qing clan was cursed by the emperor: "the Qing house will fall at the hands of a woman." However since 1644, the Qing dynasty began to settle in the Forbidden City. In 1853, the Cixi girl, at the age of 17, was brought to the city as a concubine.

Over time, she turned out to be the most powerful woman in the history of the Chinese Empire and is widely believed to have led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and all of imperial China. Breaking with tradition, Cixi became empress dowager. She ruled the country until her nephew Pu-Yi, at the age of 2, succeeded her.

In 1911, the Qing dynasty was overthrown. After the reign of 24 emperors (14 from the Ming Dynasty and 10 from the Qing Dynasty), the city lost its title political center China, and Pu-Yi inherited the fate of the last emperor and owner of the Forbidden City. On February 12, 1912, the five-year-old Pu-Yi officially abdicated However, he was allowed to stay in the palace.

In 1925 he left the Forbidden City. And 24 years later, the complex was opened to visitors. The Forbidden City was officially renamed the "palace-museum" ("Gugong" from the Chinese language, translated as "Palace of the former rulers").

purple forbidden city

From the very beginning, the Forbidden City was entangled with ritual and religious concepts. Legend has it that the structure of the palace was conceived in a dream by master Yongle, a seer monk. The monk imagined an extraterrestrial city where the Lord of Heaven would live, polar Star was considered the home of the God of Heaven (in China, the star was called purple). According to Chinese cosmology, purple was a symbol of joy and happiness, and also the color of a guiding star.

Thus, the emperor established himself as the Son of Heaven, with a mandate to maintain harmony between the human and natural world. He and his city became connected with the divine powers of the universe. Only the emperor could use purple, his residence, the color of the walls, as well as the special ink with which he signed his name.

The place for the construction of the city was chosen in accordance with Feng Shui. The layout of the Palace-Museum is subject to the "wu-sin" theory, according to her, there are five primary elements in the world, which give rise to all other things and natural phenomena: earth, fire, wood, water and metal.

Its vast territory covers over 700,000 square meters, on which there are about 800 buildings, totaling 8707 rooms, however, as the legend says, these rooms are 9999.

Most rooms have an odd number of rooms arranged symmetrically about the axis. However, there were six rooms in the Emperor's library, this was done to protect against fire, because the number six in astrology is associated with water.

Literally, China (Zhonghua) means “country in the center” or “Middle Kingdom”, which leads to the idea that the Forbidden City is located in the very center of the world. It was built according to ancient spatial design rules first used during the Han Dynasty for the city of Chang'an (modern Xian), between 206 B.C. and 220s.

According to the rules, the main buildings should be aligned in a straight line, from south to north. Cold north side viewed as a negative direction. Because all invasions arose from the north: evil spirits, cold winds and unholy warriors from the steppes.

Thus, almost all the buildings in the palace complex face south, in a holy direction, giving protection from the ice. north wind, as well as additionally decorating the city with endless variations sunlight. The walls of the city have gates on each side. To the south is the Tiananmen Gate; in the north, the Gate of Divine Power.

The Forbidden City is divided into outer palace and the Inner Palace. The outer palace was used for ceremonial purposes (coronation, wedding) and state affairs of the emperor.

The outer palace included three halls: Supreme Harmony, Complete Harmony and Preservation of Harmony. Inner Palace included the "Hall of Heavenly Purity", "Unification of the World" and "Earthly Tranquility".

Inner Palace - the place where the emperor worked and lived with his family. They are surrounded by three gardens: the Garden of Longevity, Kindness and Tranquility. In the northern part is the Imperial Garden with pavilions and colorful rock formations. The city is divided by a central axis, 8 km long. In the very center is the Throne of the Emperor.

The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex and in 1987 was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It contains about a million historical relics. Ancient China and also one of the most famous landmarks in the world.

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