THE FORBIDDEN CITY IN BEIJING: CHINA'S HIDDEN HEART.

At the beginning of the fifteenth century AD, the third Ming Emperor, Yung-lo created one of the most dazzling architectural masterpieces in the world. The Forbidden City, encrusted in the centre of China's capital Beijing, displays an extraordinarily harmonious balance between buildings and open space within a symmetrical layout. It contains immense courtyards, terraces and stairways, and buildings decorated with golden roofs, vermilion columns and green, red and yellow facings. The Forbidden City conveys a strong image of wealth and earthly power and surpasses Versailles in its majesty, without abandoning a sense of human scale.

Beginnings

A city where Beijing now stands was an important commercial centre since the ninth century BC. Once the seat of the principality of Yan, it later became the capital of the Liao and subsequently of the Jin. The Tartars from the north built a city near this location as early as the tenth century.

When Marco Polo visited the site, he described it as the city of Khan (1267), with uplifted roofs punctuating the green foliage of mulberry trees. Beijing of today is some 500 years old, with many of its famous buildings completely rebuilt. When Yung-lo established Beijing as his permanent Chinese capital, between 1404 and 1420, he employed some 200 000 workers to build the imperial city. His three architects, Hsu Tai, Yuan An and Feng Chiao were given the brief to build a large, rich and mysterious palace to serve as the Emperor.'s metropolis to the world. The Emperor's role was a complex one. Audience halls were needed for receiving delegations, together with temples for ritual purification and processional ways. He also required large domestic quarters with gardens for himself and his family as well as administrative accommodation.

The city of Beijing consisted of three concentric and rectangular walled areas (with a fourth area developed to the south, known as the Outer City, or the Chinese City, eventually enclosed for strategic reasons and to protect the ceremonial complexes in that area). The outermost of Beijing's concentric rectangles housed the lower ranking civil servants and was known as the Inner City, or Tartar City (all Chinese inhabitants were driven out into the Outer City in the seventeenth century). Within these walls (alas, no longer existing) was the Imperial City, restricted for the use of high-ranking officials. The Forbidden City was embedded at the centre, reserved for the Emperor, his family and court attendants (most of whom by tradition were eunuchs). This compound, about 950m long from north to south and some 750m wide (the size of Bloomsbury in London), lay behind high, heavily guarded walls, surrounded by a moat. Here, the Emperor resided from November to February every year, the busiest period for official c eremonies.

Symbolic significance

The City was enmeshed in ritualistic and religious concepts. Legend has it that the very structure of the Forbidden City was conceived in a dream by Yung-lo's tutor, a visionary monk. He imagined an extraterrestrial city, where the Lord of Heaven resided in a purple enclosure (believed to be a constellation formed by 15 heavenly bodies turning round the polestar). According to Chinese cosmology, the colour purple was a symbol of joy and happiness and also that of the polestar. So the Emperor established himself as the Son of Heaven, with the mandate to maintain harmony between the human and natural world, balancing the vastness of nature with a uniform modular system of rectangular courtyards and buildings. He and his city became linked to the divine forces of the universe. Therefore, the domicile of the Emperor was a purple city at the centre of the temporal world.

Yung-lo's residence became known as Tzu Chin Ch'eng, meaning 'The Purple City (Ch'eng), of the polestar (Tzu), where one cannot enter (Chin)'. The literal meaning of China (Chunghua) is 'the country at the centre', leading to the idea of the Forbidden City being at the very centre of the world.

Planning principles

Chinese architecture developed early its own special characteristics with a high level of systematic forms, and continued in a more or less unbroken tradition. The ancient imperial culture was based on monumentality and on simple city planning principles.

The Forbidden City was constructed in accordance with ancient rules of spatial design, first used during the Han dynasty in building the city of Chang-an, between 206 BC and AD 220 (modern Xian). Among other things, these rules specified that the principal buildings had to be aligned along a straight axis, from north to south, flanked by a symmetrical arrangement of minor structures on parallel axes. This architectural convention was favourable with Yung-lo's claim that his city had symbolic importance. He believed that a centralized configuration of buildings would also serve as an emblem of the ordered heavens. Beijing emerged as a series of cities on a north-south axis, comprising of a sequence of monumental climaxes. Boulevards, between 20m and 45m wide, linked opposite gates, symmetrically placed in the length of the walls.

The chilling north was regarded as a harmful direction. Because all invasions of China originated from the north, it came to represent evil spirits, cold winds and the wicked warriors from the steppes. Hence, the buildings in the Forbidden City face south, the direction of holiness, giving protection from cold winds and also permitting subtle decoration based on catching infinite variations of light. In fact, the only pavilions facing north were for the Emperor's rejected concubines.

The enclosing wall (being synonymous with the word for city in China) was a major component in city planning, with huge forts over the gates and at the corners. Such gates were more than just entrances. Their massive towers were designed to house garrisons, customs and city officials and command a view of the boulevards. Once built for defence, such gates became administrative centres for law and order. Gateways were massive constructions, some 25m high, with an equal depth through the city walls.

Unlike the rigid construction of the triangulated truss developed in the West, which inhibits expansion, the Chinese developed the beam frame system, capable of considerable extension, virtually in all directions. Timber columns of some length and girth were elaborately carved and rested on a stone base. Columns were held in both directions by beams, separated by short vertical members. Roof purlins were placed on these members, so avoiding straight lines. A cantilever bracket called tou-kung was used to carry the eaves overhang as far as possible, beyond the outermost columns.

Major buildings had their long sides facing south, with subsidiary ones, often lower, on the east and west sides. The proportion and dimension of buildings increased With additional bays, without the need to introduce exaggerated forms of architectural mass as in traditional Western palaces. Large groups of buildings were composed of separate walled enclosures. Order to the plethora of graceful buildings was provided by the regularity of their arrangement and conformity of style.

Progression in depth along the main axis introduced elements of ascent and descent by multiple platforms and the pure forms of concave and convex, through roofs and columns. Temples and palaces punctuated the skyline seemingly at random. The rigid discipline of the Chinese system along an axis also allowed asymmetrical elements to be introduced, such as the natural release of trees, lakes and canals. The mysterious art of feng-shui (wind-water) was used as an attempt to harmonize buildings, with natural forces.

In harmony with nature

The Chinese philosophy of Taoism looked inward, seeking harmony with nature. Sustainability with nature was introduced into the city. Internal planning of houses mirrored the external rectangular layout of a city. Important rooms were lined on the north side, facing a central courtyard to the south. The courtyard was the focus of family life where each house had a well.

Pollution of waterways by human waste was forbidden. The night soil was transported to the countryside for fertilizer. Bathrooms were rare. Baths were taken in tubs and emptied after use on shrubs in the courtyard. Heating in houses was by means of bowls of glowing charcoal prepared in the courtyard and brought into rooms. In the harsh winter, people kept warm with padded quilt gowns and thick felt shoes. So Chinese cities remained healthy and enjoyed clean air without piped water and sewerage disposal.

Sequence of approach

The principal approach to the Forbidden City was the central movement system, through an elaborate series of courtyards and gardens, neatly laid out. This sequence made use of multiple platforms and curving roof shapes. From the south, across the interlinked cities, the main axis led to the central gateways in the massive wall, which opened upon the paved way, between the Temple of Agriculture on the west side and the Temple of Heaven on the east, the most sacred place in China, representing the transitional stage between heaven and earth.

Within the vast enclosure of the Altar to the God of Agriculture, the Emperor ploughed the first annual furrow to bless the earth and preserve its fertility. He also determined the cycle of the seasons to ensure good harvests.

The sacredness of the Altar of Heaven was extenuated by a freestanding gateway along the line of movement. The Altar of Heaven itself was shrouded in symbolism and consisted of three cylindrical tiers, defined by a series of ascending balustrades open to the sky. This was where the Emperor knelt and read from the scrolls of his prayers. The paper was subsequently burnt and the prayers were carried up to heaven by smoke.

The monumental progression continued through the various cities, each with its own character; first across the south rectangle of the Outer City, with its enclosed walls. Then, after penetrating the wall at the Chien Men, the main gate, the Inner City was entered, with its brilliant red and bluish-purple red tile roofs and ornaments in gold. A vast space separates the Gate of Heavenly Peace, or Tianan Men, from the entrance to the Forbidden City (during Imperial times, ministerial buildings overlooked a much smaller square, thronging with people).

The entrance to the Imperial City continued to Wu Men, or the Meridian Gate, a massive horseshoe shape, revealing the Forbidden City. Bells were struck softly as the Emperor passed through the central portal. From here, ramparts, 10m high, combined with drainage ditches 50m wide, isolated the palace from the rest of the city. The distance from the south entrance of the Chinese City to the Meridian Gate, leading to the Forbidden City, was about 5km (equivalent to the length from Marble Arch to Holborn Station in London).

Entering the Forbidden City

A pavilion nine bays wide, where the Emperor promoted the new calendar every year and presided over military parades, surmounted the central part of the Meridian Gate. The facade of the Gate had three vaulted passages and each of the wings had a wide entrance. The central passage was reserved for the Emperor himself and for the Empress's entry on the day of her marriage. Imperial processions were vast, with drummers, trumpeters, attendants carrying torches and many more. On other occasions, the processional way outside the Gate was lined with elephants.

From the Meridian Gate, officials had to descend from their horses and entered the Forbidden City on foot. Across the curving canal in a marble channel at the outer court still stands the River of Golden Water. The five bridges symbolized the cardinal virtues of Confucianism: humanity, justice, education, trustworthiness and refinement. The Emperor was carried on his opulent palanquin across the centre bridge along the north-south axis on his journey through his city.

From here, the City was divided into two parts: the outer courtyard, where official functions were held and, to the north, the inner courtyard, accommodating the living quarters of the Emperor, his family and his concubines. The symmetrical and spacious arrangements of the front halls were in sharp contrast to the crowded and labyrinthine plan of the inner palaces, reserved for the Emperor's private life. At the end of the eighteenth century, some 9000 people were estimated to reside in the Forbidden City.

Beyond the five bridges lies a broad courtyard, overlooking the Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Men). Here, the Emperor sat and listened to the advice of his ministers and made decisions. This Gate led into the largest courtyard in the whole palace (at least twice the size of Trafalgar Square in London). A triple white marble terrace, 7m high, formed a large rectangle. The space in which the platform was located was divided into three areas by walls which cut across the raised platform. A balustrade emphasized by gargoyles encircled each of the three steps. Two grand staircases frame the 50m long ramp, sumptuously sculpted with coiled dragons, marking the imperial emblem. It was on this magnificent platform that the three front halls, the most splendid buildings in the Forbidden City, were placed. These were the Hall of Supreme Harmony (to the south), the Hall of Protected Harmony (to the north) and in between, the Square Hall (set in an 'H' shaped mound and built in three tiers, each with its own balustrade of white marble). The layout of these pavilions has hardly changed in 500 years, despite continuous renovations.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was made visible only from the vast central courtyard, making a dramatic appearance on the horizon. It housed the Dragon Throne, which was used for special celebrations marking the life of the Empire, such as coronations and the New Year receptions. In front of the Hall, 18 incense burners symbolized the number of provinces of the Empire. Its 24 columns supported a magnificent roof with a double curve and glazed yellow tiles. Decorated in gold, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was the largest and most sumptuous in the Forbidden City. Each of the five colours (as specified by philosophers) was introduced in the design of the building: the white terrace, almost black paving of the courtyard, red columns, with yellow roofs, on a sky blue background.

In the Square Hall that followed the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Emperor prepared himself for the glittering ceremonies. The last of this remarkable succession of buildings was the Hall of Protected Harmony, where lavish receptions were held. A specially constructed roof allowed the middle row of columns to be omitted, leaving a space large enough for banquets.

The central axis continued through a wall to the Gate of Heavenly Purity, giving access to the imperial living quarters, separating the official part of the palace from the private one. The progression continued across the northern moat enclosing the Forbidden City, up into Coal Hill and down again and on to the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, where it ended before the north city wall was reached. The rectangular moat enclosing the Forbidden City was a means of separating the rest of Beijing from the home of the Emperor. It also reflected the rich colours of the surrounding red walls and yellow roofed pavilions in the vicinity.

Beijing today

In October 1925, the Forbidden City was officially transformed into a museum. Since that time, all who stroll freely in fascination through its courtyards can appreciate the splendour of this unique city. But now, the Forbidden City, its opulence immaculately preserved, is surrounded by a hotchpotch of post-modernist buildings. Today, the focus of Beijing is a vast perimeter separating the Gate of Heavenly Peace, known as Tianan Men Square, where the familiar giant portrait of Chairman Mao dominates the south entrance. Tianan Men Square, the very heart of Socialist China, has been enlarged to 4Oha to hold a million people. Today, the north-south axis through the multiple cities has little relevance. Now, the city's ceremonial boulevard is Chang'an Jie, running from east to west, some 5km long and 40m wide, coinciding with Tianan Men Square.

Lessons for urban design

One of the greatest works ever undertaken, the Forbidden City abounds in rich ideas for urban design. Other monuments that strive to express imperial majesty often reduce their occupants to mere miniatures. The Forbidden City, while expressing monumentality, retains its sense of human scale and is able to provide splendid buildings on multiple platforms, skilful perspectives through a succession of opening and closing spaces and colourful reflections in infinite pools, all experienced through a sequence of sensations.

Jim Antoniou recently visited the Forbidden City in Beijing and wrote and illustrated this article on its urban design qualities