Going Places – Beijing

(Continued)

At the northern end of the square sits the imposing Tiananmen Gate or Gate of Heavenly Peace. For many Chinese people, this is still an important symbol of Beijing and indeed the whole of China. Five passages lead through the massive walls. The one in the center was originally reserved for the emperor, but is now open to all. In imperial China, this was the location for many official events and government affairs. Historians have pointed out that Mao Zedong consciously chose Tiananmen Gate for the proclamation of the People’s Republic to give the Revolution its place in China’s larger historical context.

One of the best-known features of the square is Mao’s gigantic portrait that hangs high from the south wall. The painting measures 15 by 20 feet (4.5 by 6 meters) and weighs about one and a half tons, its canvas being reinforced by fiberglass and plastic to protect it from the elements.

Just north of Tiananmen Square lies the Forbidden City, the Imperial Palace, also known to the Chinese people as “Ta Nei,” which means “The Great Within.” It was the home of China’s emperors for almost five centuries. This remarkable complex measures a full square kilometer in size and has 8,706 rooms and halls that once housed thousands of imperial officials, servants and concubines.

At the height of its power, the imperial court was considered by the Chinese people the center of the world, a sacred ground where every aspect of life was strictly ritualized in compliance with the eternal order of the universe. Consequently, the Forbidden City was not simply the home of a mortal ruler but the sanctuary for the “Son of Heaven.” Legend has it that the emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, who began construction of the court in 1409, had received the original architectural plans from a heavenly messenger.

The geometrically exact layout of the Forbidden City reflects the hierarchical structure of imperial China with its strong belief in cosmic harmony and order. The buildings are carefully aligned on north-south lines with entrances facing south toward the sun. Many of the structures are made of wood, and a number of them have burned down and had to be restored more than once. Most of the present edifices date back to the 18th century.

Until the last emperor was overthrown and forced to leave the palace in 1924, the public had no access to the premises. Following the founding of the People’s Republic, the Forbidden City eventually became what is now officially called the “Palace Museum.”

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