If you saw the Academy Award-winning movie, The Last Emperor, you would immediately recognize the "Forbidden City" as the location of the boy emperor's coronation ceremony. Having seen and loved the movie did not prepare for the immense size and beauty of what is now called "The Palace Museum."
It was named Forbidden City because it was off limits to commoners for over 500 years. During the Cultural Revolution, many wanted to destroy it. Luckily, the Premier of China at the time stepped in and stopped the Red Guards from trashing this historical landmark.
According to Lonely Planet, the Ming emperor Yongle established the layout of the Forbidden City between 1406 and 1420. Some estimate up to a million crafts workers and laborers were involved in the construction of the palace. From the palace, the emperors governed China and did not leave its grounds unless absolutely necessary. Why would you leave when you had more than 9,000 concubines to choose from for nightly sex. It was an ancient Chinese belief that sex with young girls (girls were selected between the ages of 14 and 16) could sustain one's youth and prolong life.
The Forbidden City housed over 70,000
eunuchs who served the court. The eunuchs were the only males outside of the emperor who spend the night in the inner court, because there was no chance they would have sex with the empress, royal wives, or other consorts. The "royal chop" was administered at the Eunuch Clinic, using a swift knife and a special chair with a hole in the seat. However, mutilation of any kind was considered grounds for exclusion in the next life, so many eunuchs carried around their appendages (or what they called "three precious") in pouches, believing that in time of death the spirits might be deceived into thinking them whole.
The largely wooden structures of the Forbidden City often went up in flames from lanterns, fireworks, or craftsman who wanted more work. Hundreds of large cauldrons like the one pictured above were spread throughout the city and filled with water to put out the fires. During the winter, a wooden lid was placed on top, and a fire would be lit through the entrance on the cement base to prevent the water from freezing.
One of the major buildings, the Hall Preserving Harmony (all the buildings have silly names like that) has a 250-ton marble imperial carriageway carved with dragons and clouds. The marble tablet was moved into Beijing from outside of town in the winter by sprinkling water on the ground so that it would freeze, then the pushed the tablets on the ice path. The emperor was carried over the carriageway in his sedan chair as he ascended or descended the terrace.
I have seen a lot of historic sites in my travels around the world, but to date I have not seen anything as opulent and impressive as the Forbidden City. I can see why emperors fought so hard to stay in power. I would have done the same thing just I didn't have to leave this place.
If you saw the Academy Award-winning movie, The Last Emperor, you would immediately recognize the "Forbidden City" as the location of the boy emperor's coronation ceremony. Having seen and loved the movie did not prepare for the immense size and beauty of what is now called "The Palace Museum." 
It was named Forbidden City because it was off limits to commoners for over 500 years. During the Cultural Revolution, many wanted to destroy it. Luckily, the Premier of China at the time stepped in and stopped the Red Guards from trashing this historical landmark. 
According to Lonely Planet, the Ming emperor Yongle established the layout of the Forbidden City between 1406 and 1420. Some estimate up to a million crafts workers and laborers were involved in the construction of the palace. From the palace, the emperors governed China and did not leave its grounds unless absolutely necessary. Why would you leave when you had more than 9,000 concubines to choose from for nightly sex. It was an ancient Chinese belief that sex with young girls (girls were selected between the ages of 14 and 16) could sustain one's youth and prolong life. 
The Forbidden City housed over 70,000 eunuchs who served the court. The eunuchs were the only males outside of the emperor who spend the night in the inner court, because there was no chance they would have sex with the empress, royal wives, or other consorts. The "royal chop" was administered at the Eunuch Clinic, using a swift knife and a special chair with a hole in the seat. However, mutilation of any kind was considered grounds for exclusion in the next life, so many eunuchs carried around their appendages (or what they called "three precious") in pouches, believing that in time of death the spirits might be deceived into thinking them whole.
The largely wooden structures of the Forbidden City often went up in flames from lanterns, fireworks, or craftsman who wanted more work. Hundreds of large cauldrons like the one pictured above were spread throughout the city and filled with water to put out the fires. During the winter, a wooden lid was placed on top, and a fire would be lit through the entrance on the cement base to prevent the water from freezing. 
One of the major buildings, the Hall Preserving Harmony (all the buildings have silly names like that) has a 250-ton marble imperial carriageway carved with dragons and clouds. The marble tablet was moved into Beijing from outside of town in the winter by sprinkling water on the ground so that it would freeze, then the pushed the tablets on the ice path. The emperor was carried over the carriageway in his sedan chair as he ascended or descended the terrace.
I have seen a lot of historic sites in my travels around the world, but to date I have not seen anything as opulent and impressive as the Forbidden City. I can see why emperors fought so hard to stay in power. I would have done the same thing just I didn't have to leave this place.
