THE FORBIDDEN CITY BENCHMARK
This site has been chosen as a benchmark because it is representative of the power, scope, vision, majesty, and riches of Chinese Imperial rule. Additionally, it is an excellent example of city planning that is carried out on a monumental scale yet is balanced, harmonious, graceful, beautiful, and human. Construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406 and until the advent of the Chinese Republic in 1912, was the home of 24 emperors over a period of more than 500 years that encompassed two dynasties: the Ming and the Qing (sometimes written as 'Ching'). From within the confines of the Forbidden City, these emperors ruled over all of the immense empire of China.
The Forbidden City is located in the center of the capital city of Beijing, China. It is a walled and moated compound of courtyards, stairways, halls, gates, temples, lakes, bridges, and residences that describes a vast area of 180 acres, 7,747,200 square feet. The perimeter wall measures 3,149 feet by 2,493 feet. In plan, the Forbidden City is bilaterally symmetrical. The Forbidden City contained the residence of the emperor, his family, and court attendants (who were usually eunuchs) and was accessible only to those people. So stringent were the rules regarding access to the Forbidden City that even the emperor's brothers were not allowed to spend the night within its confines. Yet, at one point during its history, the Forbidden City was home to more than 10,000 individuals who were housed in over 1,000 buildings. (An exact count of the structures has never proven feasible.)
There are four historic cities of Beijing that are contained within three concentric rectangles and one adjacent rectangle. They are all linked by a strong north/south axis and each is surrounded by a perimeter wall. In the southern part of Beijing is the "Outer" or "Chinese" City. The Outer City, which was built in the 16th century, was built to accommodate the increasing population. In the 17th century during the rule of the alien Qing Dynasty (who were ethnically Manchu) all Chinese inhabitants were driven to Beijing. Directly north of that is the "Inner" or "Tatar" City, which housed lower ranking civil servants. Within the Tatar City lies the "Imperial" City, for high-ranking officials. And the Forbidden City is within the (no longer extant) walls of the Imperial City. (See Architectural Review, p. 70.) Thus, if we ignore the Outer City for a moment (since it was the most recently built, and was not planned but just developed organically), one can view historic Beijing as a series of concentric rectangles. The Inner City is the largest and most outlying; within the confines of the Inner City is the Imperial City; and within the Imperial City is the Forbidden City. Therefore, as one moved closer to the center, one got closer to the heart, the center of power, the very essence of Imperial China. This 'essence,' is of course, the Forbidden City-the Great Within. "The enormous, walled palace-city within the vast, walled fortress-capital of Peking was truly the Great Within, the inner core of an enlightened Middle Kingdom to which the world beyond was barbarian and tributary." (Dorn, p. 4.)
Yung-lo (sometimes written as Yong-le), the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, built the Forbidden City after the idea for the project came to his tutor, a visionary monk, in a dream. In the dream, the tutor envisioned an extraterrestrial city where the chief structure was a purple enclosure in which the Lord of Heaven resided. The Forbidden City is sometimes referred to as the Purple Forbidden City. Purple is the symbol of joy and happiness and is also the color of the Pole Star, the center of the universe according to Chinese cosmology. In Imperial China, the emperor is known as the Son of Heaven, as he embodied the literal and metaphorical link between the spiritual world of the gods and the earthly world of his subjects. Just as the Pole Star is the center of the heavenly universe, the Forbidden City is the center of the physical world. And at the center of that center, resided the emperor, the Son of Heaven. Figurative and symbolic links between the heavens and the earth are ubiquitous throughout the plan and design of the Forbidden City. Confucius wrote, "A virtuous ruler is like the pole star that keeps its place while all other stars do homage to it."
Yung-lo moved the capital to Beijing from Nanking in 1406 to begin construction of the Forbidden City. Construction lasted 14 years and required the labor of 200,000 slaves. The architects of the Forbidden City, Hsu Tai, Yuan An and Feng Chiao, were told to "build a large, rich and mysterious palace to serve as the Emperor's metropolis to the world." (Architectural Review, p. 71.)
Virtually everything in the Forbidden City was built according to traditional Chinese beliefs and symbolism. For example, all buildings face south, since the south was believed to be beneficial, holy, and provide protection from evil, warriors, and the cold spirits of the north. The only buildings that faced north in the entire complex were the residences of rejected concubines. Another example of how symbolism informed the architectural plan is that at the four cardinal corners of the outermost limit of historic Beijing, i.e., the perimeter of the Inner City, were a series of Royal Altars. These altars to the sun, moon, earth, and heavens were positioned according to traditional Chinese beliefs. Additionally, placement of the buildings and interior layouts reflect tenets of the philosophy of Taoism. Taoism focuses on an inward look, in order to achieve harmony with nature. Thus, the internal plans of the houses and building reflected the exterior rectangular layout of the city. Courtyards, the center of family life, faced south.
From a structural point of view, the buildings in the Forbidden City are based on the Chinese system of beam framing. Unlike a Western-style truss, which is rigid and limiting in terms of its size, the Chinese beam frame is a modular unit that can be expanded endlessly in any direction. (See the Architectural Review article listed in the readings for a good explanation of the beam frame system.) In 1103, Li Jie wrote The Methods and Design of Architecture, a treatise on Chinese architecture that laid out the structural and proportional principles of the beam frame system. This method of construction became the standard throughout China, especially for ceremonial and imperial architecture. This beam-frame system resulted in a module that could be expanded outward. The Chinese believed that it was unwise and imprudent to dig deep into the ground for foundations or to construct soaring towers. Therefore, Chinese architecture was more horizontal, and more rooted to the earth, as compared to contemporaneous Western architecture such as the soaring Gothic cathedrals of Europe.
With the publication of The Methods of Design and Architecture, Chinese architecture was codified, even though the basis of Chinese architectural principles appear to have been laid out two thousand years earlier, during the Shang dynasty, which ended in 1122 BC For most of the second millennium, after The Methods of Design and Architecture, there is little variety or innovation in Chinese architecture. Although residential architecture did display some regional differences, court architecture remained more or less static, based upon the principles of Li Jie. Buildings in the Forbidden City are constructed of wood, marble, brick, plaster, and tile. Most of the buildings feature a porch with a colonnade; high, hipped roof with extending eaves and concave profile; polychromatic decoration; and tiled roofs. A cantilever bracket called tou-kong supports the extended eaves. Roof tiles were golden- yellow or green or blue or gray. The color of the roof tiles corresponded to the building's purpose.
The overall layout of the Forbidden City was organized in two halves. One half, the southern sector, was called the "Outer Audience." The northern half was the "Inner Audience." Each area of the Forbidden City, indeed every single structure was ascribed a particular purpose and use. The Outer Audience was the more public area of the Forbidden City while the Inner Audience was where the emperor resided, surrounded by the buildings that contained the concubines, wives, and eunuchs. Just as the Inner City and the Imperial City surround the Forbidden City, those who serve the emperor were located so that they would surround him.
Throughout its long history, many of the buildings within the Forbidden City were rebuilt several times, due to earthquakes or warfare. Most of the time, emperors tried to be true to the original plan of Yung Lo. So although few original buildings survive, the plan of the Forbidden City is original, and intact. Today, the whole of the Forbidden City is the state- run Palace Museum.
The Forbidden City is fascinating to westerners, who have a long history of ignorance regarding eastern culture and civilization. Dorn writes, "Imprisoned in white marble and colorful walls, the lore of nearly forty centuries of Chinese history and culture has often been lost in the secrecy that veils a remote past. Legends struggle to reveal the chilly bones of fact; and like most legends, they are tossed off with a smile, a shrug of indifferent shoulders, and are relegated to the shadows of Oriental mystery. Like the aura that envelops a long slumbering battlefield, the palace has a composite soul of its own-the sum total of all those who lived and perished within its walls." (Dorn, p. 8.)
This site can be used to address the following themes of World History as recommended by the New York State Regents.
1. The Origins of Chinese Civilization - Chinese civilization dates back to 2100 BC and has a long political history that has included various political systems governed by the many dynasties of China's history. Students can explore the dynasty system of China exploring the different types of governance that characterized each of the dynasties. Ancient Chinese society was also the stage for the development of Chinese religious practices, literature, art, architecture, and decorative arts. China is also responsible for scientific, technological, and medicinal developments. Students can compare ancient Chinese society and its contributions to other societies of the ancient western world.
2. Anthropology - China has been the site of important anthropological finds. Discoveries have included information about the origin of man, through early hominid fossils. Studies of China have also provided clues to the migration of human groups as they populated the globe. It has been demonstrated that Asian groups, from areas known as present day China, traveled across the Bering land-strait, and land bridge no longer present, to populate the Americas. Native American groups have physiological characteristics common to Asian people. For example Chinese populations and Native American groups share a dental trait known as shovel-shaped incisors, a specific shape to the front teeth.
3. Multi-ethnicism - China is a multi-ethnic society combined of Chinese, Mongol, Manchu and others. There are specific cultural, physiological, and linguistic differences among all of these groups. Students can explore the ethnic differences in China and what it has meant in Chinese society historically and in the present day. Consider how these varying ethnic have groups co-existed throughout China's history and if the political system has played any role in quashing or suppressing ethnic rivalries. This topic an also be expanded to make comparisons to the modern world in the United States and elsewhere by having student consider what it means to live in a multi-ethnic society.
4. Communism - With the end of the Republican period Mao Zedong and the communist party came to power in China. Communism greatly changed life if China but various historical factors paved the way for a communist takeover of society. Among these was a growing resentment of the elite classes by the significantly larger peasant population. The Forbidden City can be viewed as a symbol of what the peasant classes or those supporting communism disliked about the political system. Despite the fall of communism in the west, it remains the political system of China as the world enters the 21st century.
5. Political Dissent - The Chinese crackdown in Tiananmen Square occurred just outside of the Forbidden City. What was the root of this crackdown? What were the goals of the protesters? Why did this event capture the world's attention? What are the ramifications of a state-controlled press?
6. Imperialism - For centuries China was an Imperialistic society dominating the Asian region with significant influence over the development of Japanese and Korean society. Students can explore the idea of an imperialistic society making comparisons to other Imperialist nations (e.g. ancient Rome or European Imperialism). Consider what was it like to live in an imperialistic society. Consider the many negative and any positive aspects of Imperialism.
7. Exploration - Although Marco Polo's expeditions to the east occurred before the Forbidden City was constructed, learning about the Forbidden City is still an opportunity to learn about European exploration. Consider the motivations of the explorers and what they hoped to discover. Consider the cultural exchanges that occurred due to these expeditions and what European society learned and gained by contact with China.
8. Human Rights and Torture. During Imperial China, punishment for crimes or political treachery was severely cruel. These crimes did not have to be serious. For example, an unauthorized person who was found within the confines of the Forbidden City after the gates closed at night could be tortured or put to death. This perpetrator might receive the "Death by a Thousand Cuts," or even be decapitated. What relationship is there between Imperialism and other dictatorial political systems and torture? During what other periods of history were civilians or prisoners tortured? (Students may think of the court of Louis XIV, Stalin's Russia, the "Disappeared" from Argentina, to name a few.) Why does the American constitution specifically prohibit "cruel and unusual punishment?" Is the death penalty as it is currently administered in the U.S. an example of "cruel and unusual punishment?" How do our contemporary notions of torture compare with our ideas about methods of torture from the past?
9. Slavery. The Forbidden City was built with slave labor. Many societies throughout history have used slave labor to enhance the lives of the monarchs or regimes that are in control. Students can make comparisons between China and other societies exploring slavery both globally and historically. Consider how did the Chinese system of slavery differed from the American system of slavery.
In English this site can be used to learn about historical fiction, allegory and metaphor and journalism.
The Forbidden Palace is mentioned in a work by Jules Verne and Paul d'Ivoi. How do the accounts of the Forbidden Palace in works of fiction compare to the real place? The Verne work is called The Tribulations of a Chinaman. The d'Ivoi work is called Cigale en Chine. Why did these authors choose the Forbidden City as a setting in their work? Another work that is set in China and features the Forbidden City is Victor Segalen's Rene Leys. As a related theme, students can talk about artistic license. Did the authors exaggerate the lushness of the settings? Why might an author do that? In what ways do students think the descriptions are exaggerated? Or do students think the descriptions are accurate? (Beguin and Morel, p. 111 - 113; 115 -116)
Some of the written works about the Forbidden City are metaphorical or allegorical. Why do students think the name 'Forbidden City' would lend itself to allegory and metaphor? What metaphors and allegories do students think the Forbidden City might symbolize? How does the theme of inward introspection inform "Violet Forbidden City," the poem by Victor Segalen? Franz Kafka's An Imperial Message is a parable about the loneliness of power. This is another text that can be studied for examples of metaphor and allegory. Are other cities metaphors? What metaphors can students think of to symbolize New York City? (Beguin and Morel, p. 114 -115)
Much of the west's knowledge of China has come through journalistic dispatches. How has China been portrayed in the press? How has America been portrayed in China? In addition to studying newspaper accounts about Tiananmen Square and other recent chapters in China's history, students can read historic news articles. For example, Pierre Loti wrote several articles for the French newspaper Le Figaro in 1902 about the Boxer Rebellion. What do these articles reveal about China? What do they reveal about the west? Do students think these dispatches are accurate? Students can write a news article about a news story involving China today. (Beguin and Morel, p. 118 - 119)
Connections between this site and science are evolution, astronomy, technology and chemistry .
The discovery in China of Peking man has had interesting implications for our understanding of human evolution. What is Peking man? When was Peking man found? Where does Peking man fall on the evolutionary tree? Which bones of Peking man were found? What does this find tell scientists about migrations of people? What conjectures can scientists make about pre-historic settlements in Asia? Why do scientists believe humans migrated to Asia?
The Chinese calendar (see the math section) is based on lunar cycles. What links exist between celestial bodies and the plan of the Forbidden City? How did the cosmos influence the practices of the Forbidden City? The Ceremonies of the Forbidden City? Which celestial bodies were most meaningful to the Chinese? Why? How do the astrological practices of the Chinese relate to those of other early cultures of the world?
The Chinese are legendary for their inventions and technological advances. In antiquity, the Chinese were responsible for developing gunpowder, paper; movable type; and the mariner's compass. The modern Chinese are responsible for the umbrella; the wheelbarrow; multi- stage rockets; the game of chess; and whiskey and brandy.
According to legend, some roof tiles in the Forbidden City were impregnated with a chemical that prevented birds from landing on the roof. What might this chemical be? What experiments can students do with chemicals to keep pests off of a variety of building materials? How would this chemical be useful to preservationists today?
Connections between this site and mathematics are duality, calculation and calendars.
The Chinese symbol yin represents even and the Chinese symbol yang represents odd. According to Chinese legend, this dualistic relationship developed from the study of a magic square. The magic square was one of a series of diagrams that was given to the Emperor Yu by a tortoise from the Lo River.
The Chinese art of calculation, "suan chu" was developed in ancient times. Suan chu was a practical and spiritual art and had applications that included religion, astronomy, and water control. What calculations might have been made in conjunction with the construction of the Forbidden City? The Chinese are well known for their various counting boards that enabled them to make complex mathematical calculations. These include the abacus and the chousuan, which is a system of counting rods. How might these counting boards have been employed in the construction of the Forbidden City?
The Chinese calendar, which began in 2953 BC, represents one of the longest unbroken sequences of time measurement in history. What was the Chinese calendar based on? How did it differ from western calendars? From other Asian calendars?
Some recommended activities to use with the site are to analyze maps. Students can analyze the map of the Forbidden City. Color code the map according to use. Which zones were residential? Which zones were ceremonial? Which zones were administrative? What does the organization of the structures tell you about how the Imperial government functioned? Compare this map with a map of Beijing today. What is different? What is the same?
Analyze other city maps. Compare the analyzed map of the Forbidden City with a map of Washington D.C. In Washington, what are the strong axes? Which areas are governmental? Residential? Commercial? What is the difference between a planned city and an unplanned one?
Study the history of the Chinese in America. Trace the history of Chinese immigration. Why were so many Chinese immigrants drawn to the West Coast? What role did Chinese immigrants play in the construction of the trans-continental railroad in the nineteenth century? What was the Yellow Peril?
Some local buildings which relate to themes addressed in this unit and could be used for additional study are:
L 'Enfant's street plan of Washington D.C. - This is a planned political capital, just like the Forbidden City. But the principles that were meant to be displayed in Washington were principles of democracy.
Columbia University - Built as a symmetrical, rationally planned, virtually contained community.
The Chinese Scholar's Garden at Sailor's Snug Harbor in Staten Island which is built in the traditional Chinese form.
Chinatown - Many examples of traditional Chinese architectural forms, though in a modern context.
Astor Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - Contains many examples of traditional Chinese Art and architecture.
Some recommended activities to use on a visit to this site are not applicable. It is unlikely that the students will visit the Forbidden City. However, on a visit to the Scholar's Garden at Sailor's Snug Harbor students might observe the plantings and vegetation which are imported from China and appear very different from plants in this county. Students could measure the various geometrical patterns throughout the building and explore the construction methods employed. Students should also notice the way in which the architecture and site of the garden encourages contemplation and is in keeping with the teachings of Chinese philosophy. The Scholar's Garden also contains spaces, which serve as rooms, but are actually open to the elements in some way. Students might explore the boundary between indoor and outdoor, between what feels protected or private and what is truly protected or private. How might our western idea of these things differ from the Chinese and why?
Some other ideas, which could be explored or expanded on having to do with this site, are to visit Chinatown. New York City has several Chinatowns. There is the traditional Chinatown in Manhattan, as well as Sunset Park in Brooklyn; the Avenue U area in Brooklyn; and Flushing in Queens. How do these various Chinatowns differ? How are they the same? Do the Chinese residents of these various Chinatowns come from the same areas of China? Different areas of China? Visit the Museum of the Chinese in America; Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum of Art to see their collections of Chinese art; and do a painting in the style of Chinese brush painting.
MODULES
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Global History I
Buddhism & Philosophy and Religion in China
Early Civilization in China
Strong Rulers Unite China
World Literature
Indian Literature
Algebra - Math A
Adding and Subtracting Polynomials
Biology
Cellular Respiration
Classification of Living Things
Nutritionarticle
RECOMMENDED READINGS
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Antoniou, Jim. "The Forbidden City in Beijing: China's Hidden Heart," in The Architectural Review (April, 2001), p. 70 - 75.
Excellent, short, and comprehensive introduction to background and history of the Forbidden City.
Arlington, L.C. and William Lewisohn. In Search of Old Peking. Oxford University Press; Oxford. 1987.
Reprint of 1933 scholarly book about Beijing history and the Forbidden City. Includes historic maps; chronologies of the principal Chinese dynasties; a genealogical table; details of the astronomical instruments constructed by Father Ferdinand Verbiest in 1674; a biographical sketch of Yung Lo; and a list of the temple worship days in Peking.
Beguin, Gilles and Dominique Morel. The Forbidden City Center of Imperial China. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; New York. n.d.
Good overall guide to the Forbidden City with information about the Ming and Qing dynasties. Also includes great section of readings (fiction and non-fiction) that pertain to the Forbidden City.
Dorn, Frank. The Forbidden City: The Biography of a Palace. Charles Scribner's Sons; New York. 1970.
Comprehensive, eminently readable, and wonderful book about the Forbidden City; its history; dynastic history; specific information about various buildings within the Forbidden City and their uses.
Elder, Chris. Old Peking: City of the Ruler of the World. Oxford University Press; Oxford. 1997.
An anthology that includes passages from Marco Polo; Geoffrey Chaucer; Osbert Sitwell; Pearl Buck; Bertrand Russell; and others.
Weng, H.C. The Palace Museum Peking: Treasures of the Forbidden City. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; New York. 1982.
Beautiful coffee-table book with incredible photographs. Great historic background too.
Yu, Zhuoyun. Palaces of the Forbidden City. Penguin Books Ltd.; London. 1984.
Includes fabulous architectural elevation drawings; maps; plans; a chronology of the Ming Dynasry; and a chronology of all of Chinese history.
Zhu, Jian Fei. "A Celestial Battlefield: The Forbidden City and Beijing in Late Imperial China," in AA Files (Autumn, 1994), p. 48 - 60.
Highly intellectual analysis of the spatial and formal relationships of the buildings, courtyards, and processional spaces in the Forbidden City.
RECOMMENDED WEB SITES
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http://www.chinavista.com/beijing/gugong/!start.html
Good general introduction with a virtual tour and maps.
http://www.museumca.org/exhibit/exhib_forbiddencity.html
Information from the Oakland Museum's exhibit "Secret World of the Forbidden City: Splendors from China's Imperial Palace." Includes sample lesson plans from the museum's curriculum guide, which is available for purchase.
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/forbiddencity/
Lesson plan for grades 9-12. Includes objectives, materials, procedures, adaptations, discussion questions, suggested reading, and more. Printer-friendly version available.
Includes a video clip.
http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~agenhtml/agenmc/china/scenfc.html#sfc00
Good historic background with descriptions of the chief sites in the Forbidden City.
http://www.chineseabroad.com/naomi/community/sites/30/
Includes articles about the Forbidden City's history; architecture; structural formation; and the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Teachers please note: this site also includes an article about concubines so use your discretion before assigning this site to students.
http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/China/Ming.html
China and East Asian chronology features events during the Ming Dynasty, 1368 - 1644.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/picture/beijing/forbidden_city/
Includes 99 pictures of the Forbidden City.
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/china1.htm
General information about Chinese architecture with articles about basic ideas and structure; temples and palaces; roofs; the Forbidden City; and the Great Wall.
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Taihe_Dian.html
Information about Taihe Dian, the Pavilion of Supreme Harmony (the main hall) in the Forbidden City. Commentary about the Taihe Dian and sources on Taihe Dian.
http://www.dpm.org.cn/new.htm
Palace Museum online. Click on English link on home page, then view Guide to Palace Museum and Display of the Original State of the Imperial Palace.
Includes detailed historical information about many palace buildings.
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