Imperial architecture

4-31 Hall of Supreme Harmony, Imperial Palace, Bejing, Begun 17th c.

The Forbidden City, Beijing

The Forbidden City, Qing period

Imperial Beijing, the Three Great Hall, Qin Dy.

The Forbidden City

• Built during Ming and Qing Dynasties (14-20th centiries; founded in 1407; many halls were built in the 18th C.

• Purple Forbidden City-identification of the emperor with the numinous purple radiance of the Pole Star

• As the Son of Heaven, the emperor maintained cosmic order by performing annual rituals such as those at the Altars of Heaven and Earth, the Temple Imperial Ancestors, and the Altar of Society

• Oriented North-south axis; encompassed the main altar complexes, with the palace building facing south

• The complex surrounded by walls, which protecting the royal family from the outside world.

Feng Shui

• Qi (energy) is the most important• Belief that people and nature are linked in an invisible

dialogue.• The flow of energy along the surface and within the earth

are believed to have the power to influence the lives of people near them.

• The flow of qi runs from mountains along the outlines of hills. It may altered and improved along the landscape, plant, and objects.

• The principles of feng shui reflects the Chinese beliefs in the wholeness of the universe and the necessity of living in harmony with nature.

Yin and Yang

• Two opposite forces that emerged from the primordial Dao, and whose interaction defines and regulates the mechanisms of the universe

• It is the constant process of changes; countless patterns of existence; the transformations of energy can be systematically charted (The Book of Changes)

• In ancient time, Yin and Yang were symbolized by the tiger and the dragon, and in later period by the yin and Yang diagram (taiji diagram)

Yin and Yang

• Yin and Yang are two complementary modes of being which characterize and animate all phenomena

• Yang is seen as a mode of being which included male, the bright, dryness, and heat, the creative, the sun, characterize the east and the south

• Yin includes the complimentary, phenomena not opposite: the female, the dark, moisture, and cold, the recessive, the moon, characterize the west and the north

• As for the elements, they associated with the 5 elements (Wood, fire, earth, metal, water), the seasons, and the colors

Yin and Yang

• A color is associated with each element-direction-season: E=Green; S=Red; W=white; N=Black; center=yellow

• The associate with colors have a great important with rituals and liturgy, for clothes, ornaments, and offering have to conform with colors

View of the Forbidden City

Hall of Three Treasure, Forbidden City

Palace complex

• Hall of Supreme Harmony-in the center of the complex; laid in N-S axis; built in 1697

• Housed the Emperor’s thorne• Used for celebration of the Emperor’s birthday,

the new year, and other important proclamations or ceremonies.

• 11-bay structure; double eave hipped roof decorated in the yellow tiles symbolic of imperial status

Wumen (Meridian Gate, the Forbidden City

Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City, 17th

Temple of Heaven Complex

Hall for Player for Prosperous Year