Randy W Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 (edited) An ongoing topic - click here for most recent post A little bit of reading material and graphical interaction for those who are interested - from the SCMP The Palace MuseumBy the South China Morning Post graphics team CHAPTER 1The origins of Beijing’s Forbidden City Sculpting mountains A total of 29,000 cubic metres (1 million square feet) of mud was excavated for the moat and used to build a protective hill. According to Feng shui principles, this hill - Jingshan Hill, also known as Prospect Hill - restored the balance between water and earth Ten of the 14 years spent building the Forbidden City (1406-1420) were dedicated to planning the Yongle Emperor’s new home in painstaking detail. Among the many aspects which architects had to take into account were location, the orientation of the buildings, and how to source, prepare and transport the raw materials SHAPES AND SYMBOLISMThe Forbidden City complex was the beating heart of Beijing. The rectangular walled palace was encircled by two square ring roads which defined, and protected, the ancient city. As Beijing expanded over the years, square ring roads radiated outwards from the Forbidden City. Even today, the seventh ring road - which links Hebei with Tianjin to form the megacity known as Jingjinji - retains the original square shape, with the palace at the centre . . . By using sleds, 40 to 50 men could transport huge stones the 70-kilometre distance from the quarry to the palace in as little as 30 days. In summer, the same stone would have taken around 1,500 men at least 40 days using wheeled transportation GOLDEN TILESAnother special material was prepared in Suzhou, in the lower valley of the Yangtze River: millions of golden tiles. It is estimated some 100 million tiles were used throughout the Forbidden City, with the courtyards alone devouring 20 million paving tiles The floors of buildings frequented by the emperor were of the highest quality. Making these floor tiles was an expensive and demanding process. During the Ming dynasty, a single brick cost the equivalent of 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds) of rice, or three months of a Qin dynasty magistrate’s salary The slow kilning process results in a highly durable material, but surprisingly, given the name, the tile does not resemble gold. “Golden tile” actually refers to the cost of the time invested in the manufacturing process FURTHER READINGThis is the first chapter exploring the Palace Museum’s architecture We would like to invite readers to navigate between the chapters as they are published. Other visual narratives will investigate daily life in the palace and follow the odyssey undergone by the royal collection. We hope you enjoy immersing yourself in the project much as we did making it for you Edited August 19, 2020 by Randy W (see edit history) 1 Link to comment
eseum Posted June 1, 2018 Report Share Posted June 1, 2018 Jingshan Hill, is in a very nice little park. My wife and I have enjoyed going there several times while in Beijing. Wasn't really crowded any of the times we were there. Really good views when the air quality is good. I would say they did a really good job restoring the balance way back then. Link to comment
dnoblett Posted June 1, 2018 Report Share Posted June 1, 2018 A few years ago IBM built a virtual tour of Forbidden City, looks like it died a while ago. Link to comment
Randy W Posted June 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 The Forbidden City’s unique architecture CHAPTER 2 The Dougong: A nailless Chinese construction method Even today it sounds a near impossible task: build an earthquake-resistant wooden building, strong enough to endure several tumultuous centuries, but without using nails or glue. Chinese carpenters rose to the challenge more than 600 years agoDuring the Ming dynasty period, variations on the basic shapes of the dougong system were developed allowing for taller and more decorative structures. It is believed that the more layers of brackets, the superior the building THE CORNER TOWERSObservation points were strategically built at each corner of the Forbidden City. These towers were to provide the city with protection. They are among the most intricate structures in the city complex because this was considered befitting of their crucial function 1 Link to comment
Randy W Posted July 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2018 Everything you never really wanted to know about eunuchs . . . Life inside the Forbidden City CHAPTER 2 How an army of eunuchs ran the Forbidden City 1 Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 . . . and concubines Life inside the Forbidden City CHAPTER 1 Life inside the Forbidden City: how women were selected for service 1 Link to comment
Randy W Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 Along with a little bit of Chinese history The collection, and the odyssey of the objects CHAPTER 1 How China’s Forbidden City became the Palace Museum China’s powerful dynasties were all but impregnable to outside influence for more than four millennia. But in the 19th century an inward-looking Chinese empire became master of its own destruction when the regime failed to reform and modernise. The imperial system collapsed at the start of the 20th century and the Forbidden City, which had been home to emperors since 1420 and housed the world’s greatest collection of art treasures, was turned over to the public and transformed into the Palace Museum LegacyChina was ruled for 4,000 years by imperial dynasties. Each successive leader contributed his, or her, unique stamp on the country’s rich and complex cultural heritage. During the last two millennia, emperors strove to outdo their predecessors by amassing more art collections, libraries, relics and treasures. Tragically, these priceless collections were not exempt from the ravages of time and nature, war and looting CHINA’S DYNASTIES TIMELINE Cast bronze ritual wine vessel from the Shang dynasty, about 1600BC to 1050BC Symbols of power were transferred between dynasties to add legitimacy to each new ruler’s claim to power. The bronze ritual vessels containing the oracle bones used by the Shang dynasty during the Bronze Age for example, were treasured by each dynasty and venerated as emblems of political authority 1 Link to comment
Randy W Posted December 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2018 An interesting story covering the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression . . . The collection, the odyssey of the objects CHAPTER 2 Forbidden City treasures survived 14 years fleeing war before being split between Beijing and Taipei Many of the Forbidden City’s ancient treasures were evacuated from the Palace Museum in Beijing when Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China. The collection took to the road for 14 years, traversing some 75,000km. The harrowing journey preserved one of humanity’s most important artistic legacies . . . With a night curfew decreed, the heavy crates are moved from the Forbidden City on wooden carts under cover of darkness The rattle of the carts can be heard nightly as they rumble through the Qianmen Gate to the Western Railway Terminal . . . During a decade of painful flight, not a single artefact was lost or damaged The war ends with the surrender of the Japanese in August 1945. The entire treasure trove is sent to Nanjing in a process that takes longer than a year . . . Faced with threats of an imminent arrival of communist troops, the nationalists manage to send only three ship consignments to the port of Keelung. It is midwinter and the journey is difficult in rough seas . . . The nationalists only manage to take 3,824 boxes with them, much less than was transferred from Beijing when the objects took to the road. However, the nationalists managed to take a great deal of the most valuable objects 1 Link to comment
Randy W Posted March 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 (edited) on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/720187838382077/ South China Morning Post 3 hrs · Quote Thousands go through rigorous tests to enter the Forbidden City, but even then, favour was not guaranteed. This is life as one of the emperor's many women. Edited June 13, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history) 1 Link to comment
Randy W Posted January 10, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2022 🇫🇷 Do you know the defensive buildings of the Forbidden City? Angular towers are buildings located on a platform around the corners of the Forbidden City. The platform and the angle tower reach a height of 27 meters. The structure is complex, with 9 beams, 18 columns, and 72 crests. The buildings are beautiful and delicate, but also stunning. Outside the forbidden City, there is a doubt of 52 m wide and 6 m deep, commonly known as the tube river. The Forbidden City has proven its defenses, it has been attacked several times in its history. So these defenses weren't there for decoration, despite the feeling they can give nowadays. The corner tower is a building on the four corners of the forbidden city, and the city table and the corner tower passes up to m The structure is complex, with She is fine and elaborate, and she does not lose her splendor. Outside the palace city, surrounded by a wide circle of meters, a moat of deep chill, commonly known as the Tuttle River. There are four Watchtowers on each comer of the wall surrounding the Forbidden City. The combined height of the wall and the tower is 27 meters. These Watchtowers have an intricate structure, with nine beams, eighteen columns and 72 ridges. Their exquisite craftsmanship makes them a majestic sight to behold. Outside the Forbidden City is a 6-meter-deep, 52-meter-wide moat and which is commonly known as the Tongzi River. from Centre Culturel de Chine à Paris 巴黎中国文化中心 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/centrecultureldechine/posts/4583265791723224 Link to comment
Randy W Posted June 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 Sneak peek inside Hong Kong Palace Museum Set to open on July 2, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will exhibit hundreds of relics on loan from Beijing, including priceless “national treasures”. Read more: sc.mp/tn56 from the SCMP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/5142235025829566/ Hong Kong Palace Museum previews opening shows featuring national treasures loaned by Beijing Centuries-old Chinese imperial ceramics will be among the highlights of the inaugural exhibitions at the museum when it opens to the public on July 2 Hundreds of national treasures will be on display, with others due to be loaned by the Palace Museum arriving later having been delayed by Covid-19 outbreaks Quote After years of discreet planning verging on secrecy, the Hong Kong Palace Museum has unveiled three of the nine exhibitions the public will see when it officially opens on July 2. They feature a number of top national treasures on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing. . . . “No Boundaries” includes multimedia works by six Hong Kong artists that combine technology with elements of traditional Chinese culture. For example, Chris Cheung’s Waving Script is an installation that uses artificial intelligence to explore the history of calligraphy. Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 4, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2023 The Inner Golden River is seen inside the Forbidden City in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2023. As the city of Beijing was hit by rainstorms in recent days, the Forbidden City remained free of flooding thanks to the sound drainage system. The system, first built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), still retains ancient rain ditches adding up to 15 kilometers in length, 13 kilometers of which are hidden. All those ditches lead to the Inner Golden River connected to the surrounding moat outside the Forbidden City as well as the Outer Golden River and the Zhonghai-Nanhai water systems. The foundation of the Forbidden City follows the sloping terrain of Beijing, which is higher in the north and lower in the south. It is also higher along the central axis and lower on both wings, which is ideal for natural drainage. from China Pictorial on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChinaPic/posts/pfbid03jfJ9mEoUbFyJJagH1mF5iNS5pVTXwAtqDHXAYYnDoJZQTrA3fyCGWWmJtsGTMAcl Link to comment
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