While traveling around the world, a person can visit many wondrous and mysterious sites that conjure up images of historical events of long ago. One of the most fascinating sites in existence is the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, not far from the location of the 2008 Olympics. The Forbidden City has stood for almost five centuries and is rich in history and mystique. It has housed many Chinese emperors and was once considered China's political and ceremonial center.
Construction on the Forbidden City began in 1406 when Zhu Di, son of the Hongwu Emperor, became the Yongle Emperor and moved the capital of China to Beijing. The Forbidden City’s architecture is one that signifies traditional Chinese designing at its best. The Forbidden City's complex designs have influenced the design of many buildings in East Asia. According to legend, the inspiration for the Forbidden City came from Nguyen An, a eunuch from Annam (now present-day Vietnam). It is said he was inspired to design the Forbidden City based on his pet cricket’s cage. He was also in danger of being beheaded if he did not come up with a design that was “heavenly-inspired.” It took more than a million workers and 15 years to construct the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 rooms covering 720,000 square meters.
After serving as the home of 24 emperors, the Forbidden City ceased being China’s political center in 1912. The Palace Museum was established in the Forbidden City after a coup in 1924. The Forbidden City has survived many events in China’s history such as the Cultural Revolution and World War II. In 1987, it was declared a World Heritage Site.
The Forbidden City is also an important part of Beijing’s civic layout. Its central north-south axis is the central axis of Beijing. The axis goes through Tiananmen Square. A wall measuring 7.9-meters with a six-meter deep, 52-meter wide moat surrounds it. The Forbidden City has four gates on the north, west, east and south sides. It holds many historical pieces including ceramics, paintings, bronze ware, timepieces, jade and many artifacts.
The Forbidden City is a treasure to behold and is truly one of the great historical sites in China. If checking out ancient art and architecture is up your alley, then visiting the Forbidden City should definitely be on any traveler’s wish list. Read more about the Forbidden City at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment