Route B
(Inside the Hall of heavenly Purity)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are now entering the inner court. From the Gate of Heavenly Purity northward lies the inner court where the emperors and empresses once lived .The Hall of heavenly Purity is the central hall of the inner court ,and was completed during the Reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. There are 10 pillars supporting the entire structure and the hall is 20 meters in height .In the center of the hall there a throne. Above it hangs a plaque with an inscription that reads “Be open and above-board,” written by Shenzhi,the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Beginning with Qianlong` s reign, the name of the successor to the throne was not publicly announced .instead, it was written on two pieces of paper, one to be kept on the emperor` s person throughout his reign, and the other placed in a small strongbox that was stored behind his plaque. The box was opened only after the emperor passed away. Altogether there where 4 emperors who ascended the throne in this way, namely Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daohuang and Xian feng.
The hall of heavenly purity was where the emperors lived during the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to tradition ,extravagant annual banquets were held here on New Year` s Eve in honour of royal family members. Foreign ambassadors were received here during the late-Qing period. Two important “one thousand old men` s feasts” of the Qing Dynasty were also held here. All the invitees had to be at least 65 years of age.This hall was also used for mourning services.
(Inside the Palace of Union and Peace)
this hall sits between the Hall of heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, symbolizing the union of heaven and earth ,as well as national peace .It was first built in 1420 and reconstructed in 1798. The hall is square in shape ,and is smaller than the Hall of complete Harmony .You will see a plaque here inscribed with two Chinese characters, wu wei, which were handwritten by Emperor Qianglong. A throne sits in the middle of the hall with a screen behind it .Above the throne there hangs a caisson ,or covered ceiling. The emperor held birthday celebrations and other major events here.
In 1748 during Emperor Qianlong` s reign, 25 jade seals representing imperial authority were kept in this hall .No seals were allowed out of the room without the prior consent of the emperor. On each flack there is a water clock and a chiming clock.
(Inside the palace of earthly tranquility)
This used to be the central hall where successive Ming empresses lived. During the Qing dynasty, it was converted into a place where sacrifices and wedding ceremonies were held .The room on the western side was used for sacrifices and the room on the east was the seeding chamber.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
You have seen the three main halls of the Forbidden City. Now I` d like to show you around scenes of interest along the eastern route. The first is the Treasure Hall. This mansion is called the Hall of Imperial Zenith. This is where Sing Emperor Quailing lived after abdication. Nearly 1,000 artifacts and treasures are on display here, among which the Golden Hair Tower is one of the most famous. This tower is 1.53meters in height and its base is 0.53 meters in circumference .It was built under the order of Emperor Quailing to be used to collect fallen hair in commemoration of his mother. There is also a “Day harnessing Water Jade Hill ” on display here. Yu was a legendary monarch of the remote Ixia dynasty. Under his leadership, the people learned how to harness the Yellow River. This jade assemblage, 224 centimeters in height and 5 tons in weight, is the largest jade artwork in China. This mat was woven with peeled ivory. These artifacts are among China` s rarest treasures.
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