Compared with the other four famous palaces in the world, the Forbidden City is more like a reserved China person, seemingly low-key and restrained, but every place contains infinite wisdom. The first impression of the Forbidden City is an independent ecosystem and living space, with palaces, yellow glazed tiles, blue white stone bases, red city walls and blue moats. The ingenious contrast in the whole, layout, space and color of the Forbidden City not only sets off the majesty of imperial power, but also achieves the harmonious unity of the landscape. For example, the hut under Tiananmen Square supports the moon. The low and continuous corridors set off the height of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Golden glazed tiles and turquoise eaves blend with the blue sky and white clouds, which is even more splendid. Trivial carved beams and painted buildings contrast with monochromatic red walls, which is simple but not simple. The square gate and the arc-shaped Jinshui Bridge fully embody the philosophy of China in ancient times.
If you want to know more about the Forbidden City, you must know about Feng Shui. When many people think of Feng Shui and Feng Shui, their first impression is superstition. The author does not deny that a considerable part of Feng Shui is superstitious, but also a large part is scientific. Because there was no science of architecture in ancient times, those skilled craftsmen were summarized into feng shui system; Therefore, the theory of geomantic omen contains a summary of the experience and wisdom of ancient architecture, design and exploration for thousands of years.
The Forbidden City is a huge comprehensive knowledge system, and Feng Shui is also a masterpiece, which cannot be explained clearly in a few articles. The author summarizes the scientific part of Feng Shui in a simple way. If there are any shortcomings, please forgive me.
Let's take a look at Kanyu, who is in the same strain as modern architectural science. These principles can be interpreted in the modern scientific system, including the principle of overall system (dealing with the relationship between man and nature), the principle of adapting to local conditions (returning to nature), the principle of relying on mountains and waters (adapting to nature and using nature), the principle of observing the shape and situation (investigating mountain topography), the principle of water quality analysis (optimizing water environment) and sitting facing south.
As the saying goes, amateurs watch the excitement and experts watch the doorway. So what ideas are embodied in the design, construction and layout of the Forbidden City? The Forbidden City is a royal building, the most prominent of which is of course the idea of "harmony between man and nature" and "divine right of monarch". From the name of the Forbidden City, we can see that the name of the Forbidden City used to be the Forbidden City. According to the arrangement of stars in the Book of Changes, Qinglong represents the East, White Tiger represents the West, Suzaku represents the South, Xuanwu represents the North, and the Polaris in the middle is also called Ziweiyuan. The emperor is the statue of the Ninth Five-Year Plan and the embodiment of the dragon. Of course, he should live in the center of the world and the center of the sky, which is equivalent to the "Purple Palace" in the sky, so the place where the emperor lives is called the Forbidden City. The design of the central axis highlights the principle of the supremacy of imperial power. The central axis running through the whole city of Beijing and the symmetrical layout are the embodiment of the idea of neutralization. The three halls and the last three palaces of the emperor's administration are located on the central axis. The ancients regarded stem as yang, and yang also represented heaven. Yang is also a symbol of monarchs and emperors. The emperor is vigorous and upright, and it is inseparable from the exertion of yin qi. Therefore, the emperor's backyard is set to six palaces, and the six palaces in the east and west also represent the twelve stars in the sky, indicating that the emperor is willing to neutralize.
The Jinshui River surrounded by Taihe Gate looks like an ancient bow and arrow, with the arrow as the central axis, indicating that the emperor was ordained by heaven and ruled the country on behalf of heaven. The buildings in the Forbidden City are symmetrical with the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky, guarding the emperor's Wei Zi Palace, which fully shows the emperor's idea of heaven's destiny and the unity of man and nature. In addition, the architecture of the Forbidden City also embodies the idea of harmony between man and nature everywhere. The monarch is the symbol of the body, and it is very important to coordinate the relationship between God and man with supernatural power to govern the country, that is, people often say that heaven and man are one, Gan Qing Palace represents heaven, and Kunning Palace represents earth, so Jiaotai Hall is the place where heaven and earth communicate and coordinate with God. These three palaces knock on the door to cast heaven and earth into a whole, so as to ensure long-term stability.
Taoist philosophy and the layout concept of the Forbidden City still sound reasonable today. Man, earth, heaven, heaven and Tao are nature, which also contains the simplest philosophical theory in ancient times. Its planning, layout and internal design all follow the ancient Five Elements Theory, which is also the simplest cosmology and worldview in ancient China. The ancients thought that everything in the world can be divided into yin and yang, that is, men are yang and women are yin, the former is yang and the latter is yin, odd numbers are yang and even numbers are yin, Shannan is yang, Shanbei is yin, Shuibei is yang and Shuinan is yin. The overall layout of the Forbidden City pays attention to the harmony and symmetry of Yin and Yang. The name of the Forbidden City is taken from the Book of Changes, and the back door of the Forbidden City is Xuanwu Gate. In order to avoid the word "Xuan" in Kangxi, it was later changed to Shenwumen, and the Jinshui River runs through the east and west in an arc. In the ancient concept of environment, the back mountain and surface water are a standing model. According to the five elements theory, it was named Jinshui River, which means golden holy water, which is also the concrete embodiment of the application of the five elements theory in the Forbidden City.
The application of Confucian philosophical theory, the Forbidden City followed many Confucian philosophies when it was built, such as the former dynasty (palace), the market (market), the left ancestor (ancestral temple) and the right residence (social altar). The most prominent word of Confucianism is "harmony", which is influenced by the doctrine of the mean. From the name of the Forbidden City Palace, it can be seen intuitively that many buildings in the Forbidden City are named after the word "He", such as the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe and the Hall of Baohe. Only by doing things impartially can we be just right. Rulers believe that the loyalty of the monarch can make the country prosperous and the people safe, and their rule can prosper.
Architecture is the crystallization of human culture, civilization, art and thought. Many ancient civilizations in the world are concentrated on architecture, and the Forbidden City in China is no exception. The Forbidden City embodies feudal cultural thoughts such as neutralization, harmony between man and nature, divine right of monarchy and harmony between man and nature. In its architectural layout and architectural design. Through the Forbidden City, we can not only see priceless national treasures and magnificent buildings, but also experience the rich cultural thoughts of China for thousands of years. The Forbidden City is a witness of history, a treasure house of culture and an orderly witness of national inheritance.