Page 27 - Boca ViewPointe - October '21

October 2021 Viewpointe, Page 27

The Forbidden City from page 26 Zhou Enlai stationed a battalion of army
troops in the city to stabilize the situation.
When Japan invaded the area in 1933, the national The “Imperial Palace of the Ming and
treasures in the museum were divided and sent to various Qing Dynasties” was the official name
areas of the country. A small but very valuable portion of the given to the Forbidden City in 1987, when
treasures were sent to Taiwan under orders of Chiang Kai- it was declared a World Heritage Site by
shek. These were not returned and kept hidden until 1965, UNESCO.
when they reappeared at the core exhibit of the National The Outer or Front Court is found on
Palace Museum in Taipei. the south end of the complex. The great
In 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was open space was used for ceremonial
established, there were several confrontations and damage purposes. The Inner Court, or Black
was inflicted upon portions of the palace. Further destruction Palace as it is often called, lies to the north;
was thwarted during the Cultural Revolution when Premier this was the residence of the emperor and
where the day-to-day affairs of the state
were carried out. The three tiered terraces Hall of Preserving Harmony
further elevate the Hall of
Supreme Harmony, which
dominates the Outer Court.
Odd numbers, particularly the
number nine, dominate many
of the city’s architectural
elements.
The Golden Water
River meanders around the
Meridian Gate, which is Northwest corner of the Forbidden City. Photo by Charlie Fong
the main south gate to the
Forbidden City and the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Five the Forbidden City is purposely smaller than the southern
Located in the Imperial Gardens, the rock was formed by bridges cross the river; each were designated to allow passage entrance as dictated by feng shui. Likewise, the main axis is
the ocean waves to provoke meditation. of a certain class of people. The smaller building to the north and south – although in actuality, the Forbidden City’s
north of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Central axis is a little more than 2 degrees off of north to match
Harmony, where the emperor rested between ceremonies Xanadu, the other capital of the empire that was designed in
where he would be out of view of the people. The next the Yang Dynasty.
building in line is the Hall of Preserving Harmony, where The Palace Museum still contains a record number of
ceremonial rehearsals were held. All three halls have thrones. artistic works. They count 340,000 pieces of ceramic and
The Inner Court likewise has three halls. From south to porcelain; 50,000 paintings, with more than 400 before the
north, they are the Hall of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Celestial Yuan Dynasty; 10,000 bronze pieces, with more than 1,000
and Terrestrial Union, and Palace of Earthly Tranquility. These pieces dated before 220 B.C.; 1,000 18 and 19 century
th
th
halls were the official residence of the emperor and empress. timepieces; 30,000 pieces of carved jade; and numerous
The emperor, representing yang and the heavens, occupied the artifacts of the imperial families and court.
Hall of Heavenly Purity, while the empress, representing yin Needless to say, a visit to the Forbidden City is one of
and the earth, occupied the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. It is those “once in a lifetime” experiences.
said that the Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union, located Don Kiselewski writes from his personal experiences,
between them, is where yin and yang produced harmony. having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans,
The Imperial Gardens are located to the north of these seas and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel
three halls, with the Gate of Divine Might along the north Leaders, his family owned and operated agency, is located
The Dragon Throne wall being the exit to the outside world. The north gate of at Mirasol Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road, Building
A, Suite 102-6, Palm Beach Gardens. The agency has been
serving the travel needs of the South Florida area for over
a quarter of a century. Contact him at (561) 694-9696 or
Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
Photos by Don Kiselewski 

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