故宫_英文版.pptVIP

The Forbidden City The Introduction of Forbidden City The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. The origin of name The common English name, the Forbidden City, is a translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng (Chinese: 紫禁城;literally Purple Forbidden City). Another English name of similar origin is Forbidden Palace. The name Zijin Cheng is a name with significance on many levels. Zi, or Purple, refers to the North Star, which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the abode of the Celestial Emperor. The surrounding celestial region, the Ziwei Enclosure (Chinese: 紫微垣) was the realm of the Celestial Emperor and his family. History The site of the Forbidden City was situated on the Imperial City during the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Upon the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor moved the capital from Beijing in the north to Nanjing in the south. When his son Zhu Di became the Yongle Emperor, he moved the capital back to Beijing, and construction began in 1406 of what would become the Forbidden City. Architecture The Forbidden City is a rectangle 961 metres from north to south and 753 metres from east to west. The Forbidden City was designed to be the centre of the ancient, walled city of Beijing. It is enclosed in a larger, walled area called the Imperial City. The Imperial City is, in turn, enclosed by the Inner City; to its south lays the Outer City. Inner Court From the south, these are the Palace of Heavenly Purity (乾清宮), Hall of Union(交泰殿), and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. The Emperor, representing Yang and the Heavens, would occupy the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Empress, representing Yin and the Earth, would occupy the Palace of Earthly Tr