The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City, also known as "Gu Gong" （故宫). It is the the biggest palace ever in the history of man, furthermore it is a major symbol to Chinese people as their greatness and glory. There are any ancient Chinese constructions that are symbols that are of imperial and ancient Chinese times, however The Forbidden City is much more advanced and superior in construction than past buildings and creations. The grandeur and complexity of the palace lead to its intrigue today.

Origins

Forbidden City by Chris Chacon.

History

The creation and construction of the palace began in the time of the Ming Dynasty. The MIng Emperor Taizu had a few sons, and one of his sons named "Yongle" was a General that was based and commanded the empires army out of the city in Bei ping (also known now as Beijing). As the Ming emperor got older and was ready to pass on the Empire he had two choices, it was between Yongle and his eldest grandson Jiang Wen who was only 15 years old at the time. Not in Yongle's favor, Emperor Taizu selected Jiang Wen as the new Emperor. in 1398 the Emperor Taizu died and then Jiang Wen took over as new Emperor, Yongle was infuriated and became even more angry to see that the empire was changing to a society of scholars and education. True to his military background, Yongle felt that if the empire were to continue in that direction, the enemy Mongols could and would easily take over China.

In 1402, Yongle decided to enter into Nan jing to take over the capital. In doing so emperor Jiang Wen fled, disguised as a Buddhist monk, never to be seen again. Overtime Yongle did not feel comfortable in the city becuase Nan jing was still the city of Jiang Wen. Yongle decided the best way to establish his authority and legitimize his claim to the throne was to move the capital. He decided to move it North to the military capital of Bei ping (Beijing), so that he could strengthen the region closest to the Mongol enemies.

The most difficult aspect of establishing his authority as emperor was that he had to prove that he had the Mandate of Heaven on his side. Yongle believed that by constructing a massive palace and utilizing celestial symbols and orientation, the people would understand that he was the representative of Heaven. Yongle sought to make people forget that he had not been chosen originally to be the emperor and that he had usurped the throne through treachery. His opponents had been eradicated, the capital moved, then all that remained was the construction of his epic abode.

Forbidden City by Chris Chacon.

Construction

In 1405, plans were created for the construction of the palace. Eunuchs were ordered to measure every aspect of the old palace in Nan jing. Each and every staircase, building, plaza, and beam was measured in the effort to ensure that Yongle's palace in Beijing would be larger in every way. It was imperative that the new emperor's city dwarf that of Nan jing because its size would represent the authority and power of its owner.

Over 1 million people were sent all over China to gather materials, the conditions that these people faced were harsh and many of them did not make it out alive. In addition the people were unpaid and beat by soldiers. These individuals built approximately 900-1000 structures, using hundreds of thousands of bricks. A legend about the Forbidden City is that there are 9,999 rooms contained within the complex. This is merely a legend because this number is used more as a symbol of luck and prosperity. The number 9 is the closest number to perfection, which is 10. To associate Yongle and the subsequent emperors with the closest number to perfection, it helps establish their authority. The Chinese word for the number 9 is also a homonym for the word for luck. Obviously the emperor of China would want to be associated in any way with good fortune, so the legend of the 9,999 rooms was perpetuated.

The wood that was used came from the Southwest part of China. 380,000 large, identical, pillars were cut and transported the 1,100 miles along the Grand Canal to Beijing. The Grand Canal is a man made waterway that connects the capital of Beijing to important rivers. In order to transport the timbers from the Southwest the Grand Canal had to be re-dredged and widened. 300,000 workers were used in this process and between the logging of the timber pillars and the dredging of the Grand Canal approximately half of the workers perished.

Another important aspect of the Forbidden City was the ceramic tiles that covered the 180 acres of floors and plazas within the walls of the complex. The stones that were used came from the North from a factory that has not changed its method of production in over 600 years. Not only have they managed to maintain the traditional method of production, but they also have not ceased production of the same exact style, quality, and size of floor tiles in that same span of time.

Once the floor tiles were transported to Beijing, they were placed in many layers to prevent potential invaders from being able to tunnel into the Forbidden City. The many layers created a thick protection from beneath, but it was the formidable wall surrounding the complex that created the most imposing view. Over thirty feet tall and twenty feet thick, the walls were constructed using the rammed earth method, similar to the Great Wall, and were faced with bricks to make them last longer against erosion. The rammed earth method was characterized by the dense packing of earth in layers coupled with the mixture of components such as pig's blood to create a sort of cement. The outer layer of bricks was then added in order to make the walls an impenetrable barrier that could withstand cannon fire. Yongle sought to make physical representation of his eternal status as Emperor of China according to the Mandate of Heaven, so no expense was spared. The protective elements of the Forbidden City, the thick flooring, the towering walls, and even the 150-foot wide moat that surrounded it, were all functional symbols of his dominance and authority.

In 1417, the building began and Eunuchs were in charge decoration and supervision. It took 100 thousand craftsmen and engineers to build the palace. In addition it took 3 years to erect 1000 buildings which included offices, temples, theaters halls, etc. Each building was made my columns and beams, there was not one nail used. Also there were 188 acres of flooring that all had ceramic tiles. Finally in 1420 the construction was complete.