Nothing is left to chance in the Forbidden City

Photo: Newspaper 26.

It took Marco Polo years to move from Venice to the Forbidden City. It took this writer seven to make the same journey; It feels like a lifetime, because of the distance, time and unpredictability of the experience. One could stay whole days and would only be able to “scratch” this splendor.

Today the main tour is done by entering the Gate of Supreme Harmony, from which you enter the Palace of Heavenly Purity, then the Union Hall and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. On both sides there are mansions from east and west up to the mental education hall and ending in the imperial garden. Although the details are perhaps the most pertinent because nothing is done by chance here, and absolutely nothing.

Utility, safety and beauty go hand in hand

It is amazing to hear that these stone buildings with brick and wooden walls They arose in just three and a half years before the fifteenth century. In fact, the preparation of the works was much longer, it lasted 10 years. When constructing it, the craftsmen used a tongue-and-groove technology, fastening the beams without the use of nails. They provided them with a durable ventilation system that keeps the wood from moisture and the bricks from temperature extremes. This, along with the cubic arches and flexible columns, has kept them nearly intact despite more than 200 earthquakes.

It is impressive to know that the Forbidden City has a drainage system that takes into account the difference of about 1.7 meters between its northwest and southeast sides. Thus, each palace is higher in its center, causing rainwater to flow by gravity into the surrounding sewers. The 1,142 ‘chi-chos’ or draining mouths of the Three Halls of Ancient Dynasties are not just holes, they were carved in the shape of dragons that “spit” water on rainy days.

Specific colors and names

Photo: Newspaper 26.

Each architectural or artistic element of the Forbidden City is its own symbol declaring ranks, prestige, or hierarchies.; Especially yin and yang, characteristic of the worldview of this ancient civilization. The scales, shapes, surface colors and height or size of buildings say something in themselves.

In the names of its six gates (Tiananmen, Dianmen, Donganmen, Xi’an, Chang’an on the left and Changan on the right) the sound “that” stands out, which for the Chinese means security, stability, eternal peace and the search for wellness. The buildings of Taihe, Zhonghe and Baohe and the entrances to Taihe Square (Taihe, Xiehe and Xihe) carry the character “he” in their own names, another very important concept here: “harmony” which has a broad meaning, as it includes peace and coexistence of people.

The figures describe the five elements. red walls, yellow ceiling tiles, fire and earth respectively; Yellow has also been the exclusive color of the royal family since the Tang Dynasty, and thus its use has been associated with royalty. The water in black is evoked by the ceiling of the Wenyuan Pavilion or in the signs on the Shenwu Gate. Wood “speaks” from the green of the eastern region. And the white of the western region alludes to gold.

The shape of the Meridian Gate resembled a wild goose with outstretched wings and the path crossing it was traced with stones different from the rest, indicating the path reserved exclusively for the emperor. The arch of the Taihe Gate represents Confucian concepts of humanity, righteousness, decency, wisdom and trustworthiness.

The bronze lion pair in front of the Taihe Gate is not only the largest pair in the Forbidden City, but together they suggest prosperity and strength. The one who steps on the hydrangea is the male and the one who plays with the puppies is the female. His straight ears announce the desire of the emperors to listen directly to their subjects over the court bureaucracy. Both, by the way, have hair on their heads wrapped in exactly 45 rings, a number resulting from multiplying five and nine, numbers that, like the rest of the odd numbers, represent yang for the Chinese; Nine individually fit at the same time for being the largest of all singles and five for being one in the middle of the others.

Photo: Newspaper 26.

Nowadays, Similar carvings are found at the entrance to official buildings or supermarkets all over ChinaBut in the days of the Qing dynasty, they could only be placed in front of the house of the royal family, nobles or high officials, with strict regulations on the number of braids on the head indicating what rank they were allowed to wear.

However, there are two other bronze cats, but located behind the Qianqingmen Gate (of Heavenly Purity), their eyes half closed and ears drooping, they guarded the house of the Empress, the concubines and the little children of emperors, who from the point of view of the time should not pay attention to family affairs Not to mention meddling in politics.

The white marble grades of the three rooms of the first families who inhabited the city signify the earth with a figure of proportions of nine and five … We already know how important this set of numbers is to the Chinese; A superiority expressed in the doors decorated with exactly 81 hardware bolts, that is, nine times nine.

The sundial in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony personifies the unification of heaven and earth, the eternity of the country; As well as imperial power, which they claimed stretched back in time. In front of it, the tortoise and the bronze crane symbolize the longevity and long history of the country; While the eighteen incense burners also cast in bronze represent the number of provinces that made up the empire during the Qing Dynasty.

In the Qianqing Palace, his steps embody the unifying goal of the emperor, and the sundial aims to carry the observer’s thoughts toward imperial power. The tortoise and the bronze crane placed there continue to message of longevity to those in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, but their smaller size compared to the first reminds us that they are in the area ying The city, designed to embody the small.

While femininity is hinted at in the relatively small size of Kunning Palace (of the Quiet Land) compared to other buildings in the city; In the Imperial Garden, small stone walkways in their walkways tell stories of love, humor, or passages from past lives. The division into four pavilions (Wanchun, Fubi, Qianqiu and Chengrui) of this region is also not accidental: it reflects the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Crows sound off a perfectly clear sky in this autumnal Beijing as we exit the Gate of Divine Prowess, the same gate where Zhong Chen, the last ruler of the Ming dynasty was hanged, and where Puyi forever left in 1924. . , the last Chinese emperor; This historian prostrated in front of the splendid walls, squares and palaces.

The Forbidden City is the supreme expression of Chinese culture and also, if you look closely, its realism, with masks on all visitors’ faces, voice guide service, cell phones and skyscrapers in sight.