The Palace Museum

China Tourist Attraction

Beijing and surrounding areas

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The Forbidden City is 961 meters long from north to south and 753 meters wide from east to west. It is surrounded by 10-meter-high walls on all sides and a 52-meter-wide moat outside the city. It is truly as solid as a fortress. The Forbidden City has four gates: Wumen in the south, Shenwumen in the north, Donghuamen in the east, and Xihuamen in the west. There is a graceful corner tower at each of the four corners of the city wall. There is a saying among the people that it has nine beams, eighteen columns, and seventy-two ridges, which describes its complex structure. The buildings in the Forbidden City are divided into two parts: the outer court and the inner court. The center of the outer court is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, collectively known as the three major halls, which are where the country holds grand ceremonies. The left and right wings of the three major halls are supplemented by two groups of buildings, the Hall of Wenhua and the Hall of Wuying. The center of the inner court is the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Jiaotai, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, collectively known as the three palaces behind, which are the main palaces where the emperor and the empress live. Behind them is the Imperial Garden. On both sides of the three palaces at the back are the East and West Six Palaces, which are where the concubines live and rest. On the east side of the East Six Palaces are Buddhist buildings such as the Tianqiong Palace, and on the west side of the West Six Palaces are Buddhist buildings such as the Zhongzheng Hall. In addition to the Outer Court and the Inner Court, there are two parts of buildings, the Outer East Road and the Outer West Road. In the southern part of the Outer East Road is the Xiefang Hall where the princes live, commonly known as the South Three Houses, and in the northern part is the Ningshou Palace, the palace of the retired emperor built by Emperor Qianlong. In the southern part of the Outer West Road are the Cining Palace and Shoukang Palace where the empress dowager lives. In the northern part, in addition to the Shou'an Palace where the empress dowager lives, there are also Buddhist buildings such as the Yinghua Hall.

Cultural theme related to the site

# Intangible Cultural Heritage - Ancient Clock and Watch Restoration Techniques

The Palace Museum has a collection of over 1,500 ancient clocks and watches, which attest to the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures in the Qing court. The restoration technique originated in the Qing court and has been passed down to this day without interruption. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, craftsmen gathered in the imperial workshop and the skills were passed down from generation to generation. Today, there are seven people in the fifth generation who specialize in the restoration of ancient clocks and protect the memory of time.

# Intangible Cultural Heritage - Traditional Palace Bag Making Technique

The production of pouches and boxes originated during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty. After generations of craftsmen, the craftsmanship spread to the people during the civil unrest in the late Qing Dynasty. When the People's Republic of China was founded, the pouches and boxes returned to the Forbidden City and were passed down from generation to generation. Pouches and boxes are divided into soft and hard types, and there are many categories, such as books, paintings, porcelain, and jade, with different styles, hidden grids, open grids, and covers, which are ingenious. The craftsmanship is exquisite, from setting to cutting, gluing imitation Song brocade, and custom-made for cultural relics, just like clothes, with perfect fit, cultural treasures, and endless inheritance.

# Intangible Cultural Heritage - Ancient Painting and Calligraphy Mounting and Restoration Techniques

The reason why ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy have survived through time and space and remain as glorious as ever is all due to the art of mounting and restoration, which is like seeking medical treatment for a seriously ill ancient monument. Painting and calligraphy restorers, known as "painting doctors", use rice paper and silk to "treat" ancient paintings, and use brown brushes and row brushes to perform their techniques, giving old works a new lease of life. The "apprenticeship system" of the Forbidden City has trained four generations of restoration masters, allowing this art to be passed down from generation to generation.

# Intangible Cultural Heritage - Copying and Reproduction Techniques of Ancient Paintings and Calligraphy

Copying ancient calligraphy and paintings has been a process of sketching, inking, and coloring since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, passing on the essence of art. From Gu Kaizhi's "On Painting" to the Tang and Song painting theories, the masters of all ages have recorded their thoughts, and copies such as "Lanting Preface" and "The Goddess of Luo River" carry historical and artistic value. After the founding of New China, the Palace Museum set up a restoration team, led by masters such as Jin Zhongyu, passing on skills, cultivating successors, and protecting cultural treasures.

# Intangible Cultural Heritage - Official Ancient Building Construction Techniques

The ancient construction techniques of the Forbidden City are called "Eight Great Works", which integrate the unique skills of earth, stone, wood, and tile to create a treasure of official architecture. Since the founding of New China, four generations of craftsmen have taken over, and the first generation of "Ten Old Men" passed on the torch. The successors have been trained in the repairs and now have nurtured new talents to continue the legend of Chinese construction.

# Intangible Cultural Heritage - Bronze Restoration and Reproduction Techniques

The art of bronze restoration in the Forbidden City is rooted in the Guangxu period. It was created by the legendary craftsman "Waizui Yu". His skills are exquisite, especially famous for restoring ancient bronzes in the Qing Palace. His apprentices laid the foundation for the "Beijing School". After the founding of New China, the "Beijing School" heirs Li Huisheng and Zhao Zhenmao entered the palace to continue writing the brilliant chapter. Today, the Forbidden City has three national treasure-level masters: Wang Youliang, Yun Xiaogang, and Lu Tuanjie, who lead the seventh generation of heirs, cross-disciplinary integration, and ensure that the skills are passed on from generation to generation. The restoration process is ingenious, shaping, splicing, filling, and coloring. Each step is an affectionate dialogue with history, giving the antiques a new life.

Poem of the heritage generated by AI

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Image of the heritage generated by AI

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Philosophy related to the heritage

Interpretation of the Palace Museum from the perspective of Eastern philosophy As a model of ancient Chinese royal palaces, the architectural layout and design concept of the Palace Museum are deeply rooted in Eastern philosophical thought. From the perspective of Feng Shui, the site selection and layout of the Palace Museum follow the concept of "harmony between man and nature", emphasizing the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. The central axis design of the Palace Museum embodies the Confucian "doctrine of the mean" and symbolizes order and balance. The colors of its buildings, such as yellow glazed tiles and red palace walls, not only represent the dignity of imperial power, but also contain the "earth" and "fire" in the Five Elements theory, symbolizing stability and prosperity. Every detail of the Palace Museum contains a profound understanding of the universe, nature, society and people in Eastern philosophy. Interpretation of the Palace Museum from the perspective of Western philosophy From the perspective of Western philosophy, the Palace Museum is not only a witness to history, but also a treasure house of culture and art. It embodies mankind's pursuit of beauty and respect for history. From Plato's theory of ideas, every cultural relic and every painting in the Forbidden City is a concrete manifestation of the concept of beauty and the materialization of human spiritual pursuit. From Kant's aesthetic point of view, the beauty of the Forbidden City lies not only in its form, but also in the aesthetic emotions and thinking it inspires. The existence of the Forbidden City makes people think about the progress of human civilization and the role of art and history in the development of human society. At the same time, as a cultural heritage protection and inheritance, the Forbidden City also reflects the pursuit of rationality and freedom in Western philosophy, that is, to better shape the future by understanding the past and the present. In summary, whether from the perspective of "harmony between man and nature" and "the doctrine of the mean" in Eastern philosophy, or from the aesthetic pursuit and rational thinking of Western philosophy, the Palace Museum is a great palace that connects the past and the future, integrates nature and humanity, and embodies human wisdom and aesthetics.

Cultural theme related to the site

Poem of the heritage generated by AI

Image of the heritage generated by AI

Philosophy related to the heritage

AI Composes poetry based on the scenic spot's philosophy

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage

World heritage related to the heritage