William J H Leonard
Throne Rooms
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The Gudong (故宫), or the Imperial Palace, better known by its unofficial title the 'Forbbiden City', was the home to 24 Emperors of China, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and from where the Emperors issued their commands, with absolute authority, over their millions of subjects. During these reigns the palace was closed off to the outside world, with regular Chinese not even allowed to approach the walls. The Palace is a venerable maze of over 800 buildings containing supposedly over 9000 chambers.
Although the commencement building of the palace was issued by Kublai Khan, the palace was really built by the Ming Emperor Yongle when he switched the Imperial capital to Beijing in 1403, and construction lasted from 1406-1420, and the majority of buildings are in Ming style. The buildings are laid out in accordance with geomantic theories; the balance of yin and yang, negative and positive. As such the palace stood at the centre of Beijing, which was also considered the centre of the universe, and as such was the essence of supreme harmony.
After being the home of 24 emperors the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. Under an agreement with the new Republic of China government, Puyi remained in the Inner Court, while the Outer Court was given over to public use,until he was evicted after a coup in 1924.The Palace Museum was then established in the Forbidden City in 1925.In 1933, the Japanese invasion of China forced the evacuation of the national treasures in the Forbidden City. Part of the collection was returned at the end of World War II, but the other part was evacuated to Taiwan in 1948 under orders by Chiang Kai-shek, whose Kuomintang was losing the Chinese Civil War.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, some damage was done to the Forbidden City as the country was swept up in revolutionary zeal. During the Cultural Revolution, however, further destruction was prevented when Premier Zhou Enlai sent an army battalion to guard the city.
The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO as the "Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties", due to its significant place in the development of Chinese architecture and culture. It is currently administered by the Palace Museum, which is carrying out a sixteen-year restoration project to repair and restore all buildings in the Forbidden City to their pre-1912 state
Throne Rooms
Press "L" to view in Lightbox.
The Gudong (故宫), or the Imperial Palace, better known by its unofficial title the 'Forbbiden City', was the home to 24 Emperors of China, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and from where the Emperors issued their commands, with absolute authority, over their millions of subjects. During these reigns the palace was closed off to the outside world, with regular Chinese not even allowed to approach the walls. The Palace is a venerable maze of over 800 buildings containing supposedly over 9000 chambers.
Although the commencement building of the palace was issued by Kublai Khan, the palace was really built by the Ming Emperor Yongle when he switched the Imperial capital to Beijing in 1403, and construction lasted from 1406-1420, and the majority of buildings are in Ming style. The buildings are laid out in accordance with geomantic theories; the balance of yin and yang, negative and positive. As such the palace stood at the centre of Beijing, which was also considered the centre of the universe, and as such was the essence of supreme harmony.
After being the home of 24 emperors the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. Under an agreement with the new Republic of China government, Puyi remained in the Inner Court, while the Outer Court was given over to public use,until he was evicted after a coup in 1924.The Palace Museum was then established in the Forbidden City in 1925.In 1933, the Japanese invasion of China forced the evacuation of the national treasures in the Forbidden City. Part of the collection was returned at the end of World War II, but the other part was evacuated to Taiwan in 1948 under orders by Chiang Kai-shek, whose Kuomintang was losing the Chinese Civil War.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, some damage was done to the Forbidden City as the country was swept up in revolutionary zeal. During the Cultural Revolution, however, further destruction was prevented when Premier Zhou Enlai sent an army battalion to guard the city.
The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO as the "Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties", due to its significant place in the development of Chinese architecture and culture. It is currently administered by the Palace Museum, which is carrying out a sixteen-year restoration project to repair and restore all buildings in the Forbidden City to their pre-1912 state