1、The Forbidden CityBuilt in 1406 to 1420,the complex consists of 9999 buildings and covers 720,000.The palace buildings exemplify traditional Chinese palatial architecture and have influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere.Since 1925,the Forbidden City has been und
2、er the charge of the Palace Museum The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.nThe common English name,the Forbidden City,is a translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng(Chinese:
3、紫禁城;literally Purple Forbidden City).Another English name of similar origin is Forbidden Palace.nThe name Zijin Cheng is a name with significance on many levels.Zi,or Purple,refers to the North Star,which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star,and in traditional Chinese astrology was the abode o
4、f the Celestial Emperor.The surrounding celestial region,the Ziwei Enclosure(Chinese:紫微垣)was the realm of the Celestial Emperor and his family.The Forbidden City,as the residence of the terrestrial emperor,was its earthly counterpart.Jin,or Forbidden,referred to the fact that no-one could enter or l
5、eave the palace without the emperors permission.Cheng means a walled city.Today,the site is most commonly known in Chinese as Ggng(故宫),which means the Former Palace.The museum which is based in these buildings is known as the Palace Museum(Chinese:故宫博物院)“紫禁城”这个名字和中国古代哲学和天文学有关。中国人认为“天人感应”和“天人合一”。因此故宫
6、的结构是模 仿传说中的“天宫”构造的。古代天文学把恒星分为三垣，周围环绕着28宿，其中紫微垣（北极星）正处中天，是所有星宿的中心。紫禁城之紫，就是“紫微正中”之紫，意为皇宫也是 人间的“正中”。“禁”则指皇室所居，尊严无比，严禁侵扰。Construction lasted 15 years,and required more than a million workers.Material used include whole logs of precious Phoebe zhennan wood(Chinese:楠木)found in the jungles of south-western
7、 China,and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing.The floors of major halls were paved with golden bricks(Chinese:金砖),specially baked paving bricks from Suzhou.After being the home of 24 emperors 14 of the Ming Dynasty and 10 of the Qing Dynasty the Forbidden City ceased being the politic
8、al centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi,the last Emperor of China.The central north-south axis remains the central axis of Beijing.This axis extends to the south through Tiananmen gate to Tiananmen Square,the ceremonial centre of the Peoples Republic of China,and on to Yongdingmen.To
9、the north,it extends through Jingshan Hill to the Bell and Drum Towers.Traditionally,the Forbidden City is divided into two parts.The Outer Court(外朝)or Front Court(前朝)includes the southern sections,and was used for ceremonial purposes.The Inner Court(内廷)or Back Palace(后宫)includes the northern sectio
10、ns,and was the residence of the Emperor and his family,and was used for day-to-day affairs of state.Beyond the square stands the Gate of Supreme Harmony.Behind that is the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square.A three-tiered white marble terrace rises from this square.Three halls stand on top of this terrace,the focus of the palace complex.From the south,these are the Hall of Supreme Harmony(太和殿),the Hall of Central Harmony(中和殿),and the Hall of Preserving Harmony(保和殿).保和殿保和殿太和殿太和殿中和殿中和殿乾乾清清宫宫交交泰泰殿殿坤坤宁宁宫宫Thank you
