故宮的英文介紹Whatstrikesonefirstinabird's-eyeviewofBeijingproperisavasttractofgoldenroofsflashingbrilliantlyinthesunwithpurplewallsoccasionallyemergingamidthemandastretchofluxurianttreeleavesflankingoneachside.ThatistheformerImperialPalace,popularlyknownastheForbiddenCity,fromwhichtwenty-fouremperorsoftheMingandQingDynastiesruledChinaforsome500years——from1420to1911.TheMingEmperorYongLe,whousurpedthethronefromhisnephewandmadeBeijingthecapital,ordereditsconstruction,onwhichapproximately10,000artistsandamillionworkmentoiledfor14yearsfrom1406to1420.Atpresent,thePalaceisanelaboratemuseumthatpresentsthelargestandmostcompleteensembleoftraditionalarchitecturecomplexandmorethan900,000piecesofcourttreasuresinalldynastiesinChina.LocatedinthecenterofBeijing,theentirepalacearea,rectangularinshapeand72hectaresinsize,issurroundedbywallstenmetershighandamoat52meterswide.Ateachcornerofthewallstandsawatchtowerwithadouble-eaveroofcoveredwithyellowglazedtiles.Themainbuildings,thesixgreathalls,onefollowingtheother,aresetfacingsouthalongthecentralnorth-southaxisfromtheMeridianGate,thesouthentrance,toShenwumen,thegreatgatepiercinginthenorthwall.Oneithersideofthepalacearemanycomparativelysmallbuildings.SymmetricallyinthenortheasternsectionliethesixEasternPalacesandinthenorthwesternsectionthesixWesternPalaces.ThePalaceareaisdividedintotwoparts:theOuterCourtandtheInnerPalace.Theformerconsistsofthefirstthreemainhalls,wheretheemperorreceivedhiscourtiersandconductedgrandceremonies,whilethelatterwasthelivingquartersfortheimperialresidence.AttherearoftheInnerPalaceistheImperialGardenwheretheemperorandhisfamilysoughtrecreation.ThemainentrancetothePalaceistheMeridianGate(1),whichwassonamedbecausetheemperorconsideredhimselfthe"SonoftheHeaven"andthePalacethecenteroftheuniverse,hencethenorth-southaxisastheMeridianlinegoingrightthroughthePalace.Thegateiscrownedwithfivetowers,commonlyknownastheFive-PhoenixTowers(2),whichwereinstalledwithdrumsandbells.WhentheemperorwenttotheTempleofHeaven,bellswerestrucktomarkthisimportantoccasion.WhenhewenttotheAncestralTemple,itwasthedrumsthatwerebeatentopublicizetheevent.BeyondtheMeridianGateunfoldsavastcourtyardacrosswhichtheInnerGoldenWaterRiverrunsfromeasttowest.Theriverisspannedbyfivebridges,whichweresupposedtobesymbolsofthefivevirtuespreachedbyConfucius——benevolence,righteousness,rites,intelligence,andfidelity(3).Atthenorthendofthecourtyardisathree-tieredwhitemarbleterrace,sevenmetersabovetheground,onwhich,oneafteranother,standthreemajestichalls;theHallofSupremeHarmony(4),theHallofCompleteHarmony(5),andtheHallofPreservingHarmony(6).TheHallofSupremeHarmony,rectangularinshape,27metersinheight,2,300squaremetersinarea,isthegrandestandmostimportanthallinthePalacecomplex.ItisalsoChina'slargestexistingpalaceofwoodstructureandanoutstandingexampleofbrilliantcolorcombinations.Thishallusedtobethethronehallforceremonieswhichmarkedgreatoccasions:theWinterSolstice,theSpringFestival,theemperor'sbirthdayandenthronement,andthedispatchofgeneralstobattles,etc.OnsuchoccasionstherewouldbeanimperialguardofhonorstandinginfrontoftheHallthatextendedallthewaytotheMeridiangate.Onthenorthfaceofthehallinthecenteroffourcoiled-goldendragoncolumnsisthe"GoldenThrone",whichwascarvedoutofsandalwood.Thethronerestsonatwo-meter-highplatformwithascreenbehindit.Infrontofit,totheleftandright,standornamentalcranes,incenseburnersandotherornaments.Thedragoncolumnsentwinedwithgoldendragonsmeasureonemeterindiameter.Thethroneitself,theplatformandthescreenareallcarvedwithdragondesigns.Highabovethethroneisacolor-paintedcofferedceilingwhichchangesinshapefromsquaretooctagonaltocircularasitascendslayeruponlayer.Theutmostcentralvaultiscarvedwiththegildeddesignofadragontoyingwithpearls.whentheEmperormountedthethrone,goldbellsandjadechimessoundedfromthegallery,andcloudsofincenserosefromthebronzecranesandtortoisesandtripodsoutsidethehallontheterrace.Theauraofmajestycreatedbytheimposingarchitectureandsolemnritualweredesignedtokeepthesubjectsofthe"SonoftheHeaven"inaweandreverence.TheHallofCompleteHarmonyissmallerandsquarewithwindowsonallsides.Heretheemperorrehearsedforceremonies.ItisfollowedbytheHallofPreservingHarmonyinwhichbanquetsandimperialexaminationswereheld.BehindtheHallofPreservingHarmonyliesahugemarblerampwithintertwiningcloudsanddragonscarvedinrelief.Theslab,about6.5meterslong,3meterswideand250tonsinweight,isplacedbetweentwoflightsofmarblestepsalongwhichtheemperor'ssedanwascarriedupordowntheterrace.ItisthelargestpieceofstonecarvingintheImperialPalace.QuarriedinthemountainsscoresofkilometerssouthwestofBeijing,thisgiganticstonewasmovedtothecitybyslidingitoveraspeciallypavediceroadinwinter.Toprovideenoughwatertobuildtheiceroad,wellsweresunkatvery500metersalongtheway.ThethreehallsoftheInnerPalacearereplicasofthethreehallsinthefront,butsmallerinsize.TheyarethePalaceofHeavenlyPurity(7),theHallofUnion(8),andthePalaceofEarthlyTranquility(9).ThePalaceofHeavenlyPuritywasoncetheresidenceoftheMingemperorsandthefirsttwooftheQingemperors.ThentheQingEmperorYongZhengmovedhisresidencetothePalaceofMentalCultivationandturneditintoanaudiencehalltoreceiveforeignenvoysandhandledthestateaffairs.Thepromotionanddemotionofofficialswerealsodecidedinthishall.Aftertheemperor'sdeathhiscoffinwasplacedherefora49-dayperiodofmourning.ThePalaceofUnionwastheempress'sthroneroomandtheHallofEarthlyTranquility,onceaprivatelivingroomfortheempress,waspartitioned.Thewestchamberservedreligiouspurposesandtheeastonewasthebridalchamberwherethenewlymarriedemperorandempressspenttheirfirsttwonightsaftertheirwedding.TheImperialGardenwaslaidoutduringtheearlyMingdynasty.Hundredsofpinesandcypressesoffershadewhilevariousflowersgivecolorstothegardenallyearroundandfilltheairwiththeirfragrance.InhecenterofthegardenistheHallofImperialPeace,aDaoisttemple,withaflatroofslightlyslopingdowntothefoureaves.ThistypeofroofwasrareinancientChinesearchitecture.Inhenortheasterncornerofthegardenisarockhill,knownastheHillofthePiled-upWonders,whichistoppedwithapavilion.Atthefootofthehillaretwofountainswhichjettwocolumnsofwaterhighintotheair.Itissaidthatontheninthnightoftheninthmonthofthelunarcalendar,theempresswouldmoundthehilltoenjoytheautumnscene.Itisalsobelievedthatclimbingtoahighplaceonthatdaywouldkeeppeoplesafefromcontagiousdiseases.ThesixWesternPalaceswereresidencesforempressesandconcubines.Theyarekeptintheiroriginalwayforshow.ThesixEasternPalacesweretheresidencesforthemtoo.Butnowtheyserveasspecia