Why does the emperor sit facing south? The ancients in our country attached great importance to the south. Most emperors sit facing south, and the ministers and doctors of the Qing Dynasty also sit facing south. Even in their graves a hundred years later, their tombstones always face south. So, why is this? According to the understanding of China's relevant history and culture, "sitting north facing south" originated from the ancient people's summary of life experience and five lines of gossip's theory, which was first seen in Zhouyi.
We know that in our country, building a house is very particular about the orientation of the house. Most houses face south from the north main entrance, which is called the main house, while those facing east and west are called the wing rooms. The first room was occupied by the elders at home, which also reflected the traditional "filial piety" in China. From the perspective of geographical knowledge, the rotation of the earth leads to sunrise and sunset, and China is in the northern hemisphere of the earth, so the house facing south always gets more sunshine than other houses facing south, so people who live in this house facing south for a long time are healthier. Northern Yin, Southern Yang, Northern Yin, Southern Yang. Sitting facing south is not only for lighting, but also to avoid the north wind. In short, the principle of facing south is a correct understanding of natural phenomena, conforming to heaven, gaining the aura of mountains and rivers, accepting the brilliance of the sun and the moon, supporting the body, cultivating sentiment and getting ahead. But at that time, our ancestors didn't even know that the earth was round. Naturally, they can't explain why people who live in houses facing south are healthier, so they have the so-called "five lines of gossip".
The word "North" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions means two people are back to back. Therefore, Xu Shen in the Eastern Han Dynasty explained in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "North is good. The two turned back. " In ancient times, when two armies were at war, the one who fled after defeat always turned his back on the enemy, so the word "North" added the meaning of "failure". "Zuo Zhuan mourning for the public for two years": "The eldest son saved it, and Zheng Shibei also." "North" here means "defeat" or "run away after defeat". Therefore, in ancient Chinese, when it comes to defeat, the winner is often described as "chasing the North". For example, Biography of Emperor Gaozu in Historical Records: "Qin Bingqiang often drives the north with victory." After Qin and Han Dynasties, "lose" became a commonly used disyllabic word. For example, "Historical Records of Xiang Yu": "I started my army and was eight years old. In more than 70 battles, the beaten person was defeated, and the beaten person took it and was unbeaten. " Later, "defeat" not only refers to military failure or defeat, but also refers to failure in various competitions.
In ancient times, when the monarch saw his ministers, the elders saw the humble and young, and they all sat in the south, while the courtiers or the humble and young stood in the south, that is, facing north. Therefore, "North" refers to the person as the subject, which is called "North as the subject". Sit facing south and conform to the heaven. In ancient times, the south was regarded as supreme, while the north symbolized failure and submission. The king reigns in the world, the ninth five-year plan. The fifth soil behavior is yellow, and the soil lives in the center, symbolizing the unity of the country.