The Forbidden City

Occupying a rectangular area of more than 720,000 square meters, the Forbidden City
was the imperial home of 24 emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911)
dynasties. From their throne in the Forbidden City, they governed the country by holding
court sessions with their ministers, issuing imperial edicts and initiating military
expeditions. The Forbidden City is one of the largest and best-preserved palace
complexes in the world.
The architecture and design of the Forbidden City along a North South axis reflect its
dual purpose of providing a suitable environment for both Imperial government and
Imperial life. To the South the buildings are grandiose and formal, built on a scale to
impress visiting dignitaries. As you wander further north into the Emperor's personal
quarters, you will see smaller structures, reflecting the greater intimacy of the Emperor's
private life. The division between the private and public quarters takes place about the
Gate of Celestial Purity. To its south are the three formal reception halls of Supreme
Harmony, Central Harmony and Preserved Harmony. To its north is the Empress's
Palace of Celestial Purity, the Emperor's Palace of Terrestrial Tranquillity and between
them the Hall of Terrestrial and Celestial Union.
Thus, in Imperial times, seniority translated into geography. The more senior you were
the further north you were invited to advance. Whereas a visiting ambassador might only
be allowed as far as the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the tallest building in Imperial
Beijing, a King might be invited further north into the Hall of Preserved Harmony.
The Forbidden City is an extremely formal place. It is almost symmetrical and
hierarchically arranged so that all the important buildings run down the center, north
south. In keeping with geomancy, the main gate is in the south and the northern side is
"protected" by the artificial Coal Hill. The palace contained many diversions but in the
summer months the emperors gladly retired to summer palaces north of Beijing
perhaps visiting the Fragrant Hills.
The Forbidden City was designed to reinforce the idea that emperor is the Son of God
and will rule forever, and this ideology is seen throughout the architecture of the
buildings. The buildings are painted red and its tiles yellow, and these Imperial colours
are seen exclusively in the Forbidden City.
The layout of the buildings within the city strictly followed the principles of Feng Shui.
The city is laid out along a north-south axis as it is believed the balance of yin (north)
and yang (south) will bring universal harmony to the kingdom. Carved dragons were
placed on rooftops as it was believed that they attracted cloud and water and would
therefore protect the buildings, which were very prone to fire as they were all made of
wood.
The number nine carried a special meaning in ancient China when it was deemed that
odd numbers represent yang while even numbers yin. Since nine is the largest odd
number under ten, it was regarded the extremely lucky number. So, emperors liked to
monopolize it to symbolize their superiority. Designs related with nine appeared almost
on every imperial structure such as palace. For example, on gates of the Forbidden City,
there are 81 gold-plating bronze studs that were arranged in nine columns and nine
rows. Ancient palaces usually were designed to be nine-section architectural complex.
Based on the same reason, number or size concerning imperial architecture often
equals or multiples nine.