Live Your Best Lives
The most important affairs of a country are sacrifices and wars.
On the Spring Equinox, sacrifices are made to the earth; on the Summer Solstice, sacrifices are made to the moon; on the Autumnal Equinox, sacrifices are made to the moon; and on the Winter Solstice, sacrifices are made to heaven.
Thus, the Altars of Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon were built in Beijing.
Three halls in front, six palaces in the back,
Glazed tiles, cinnabar walls, white marble,
Dragon totems, golden brick floors, carved beams and painted buildings…
Royal majesty, crape myrtle in the center,
The forbidden purple palace of the Emperor of Heaven - the Forbidden City
1. Preface - Old Beijing
I have been to many ancient capitals,
Xi'an, Luoyang, Nanjing,
but I still have different feelings for Beijing,
perhaps because it was built in a more recent dynasty, or perhaps because it is the imperial capital today.
From architecture to food,
everyone can clearly name many of them:
Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Old Summer Palace, douzhi roast duck and zhajiangmian...
Let's start with a bowl of douzhi in this alley.
An old man who just made douzhi
2. A taste of Beijing - douzhi
Yin San Douzhi, established in 1997. The owner, originally a tobacco merchant, failed. After failing, he was advised by a neighbor who was a master of douzhi (soy milk) making. He then opened a stall in his own building. Located near a wet market and highly praised for its flavor, the stall quickly gained recognition among the locals. Having relocated five times, the stall has remained true to its original purpose, preserving the rich, hearty flavor of traditional Beijing douzhi. Earning a spot on the Michelin Guide Beijing "Must-Recommend" list, it maintains the ethos of a wet market breakfast spot—thankfully, nothing has changed. Douzhi, fried dough sticks, and small pickles are the standard fare. The small room is filled with the familiar flavors of Beijing cuisine. One minute, haggard as a winter morning waker, now captivated by the vibrant warmth of life. Truly, the warmth of everyday life is truly heartwarming.
Address: No. 176 Dongxiaoshi Street,
Opens at 5:30 AM and closes at noon.
Douzhi, Jiaoquan, Sugar-coated Fire-baked Buns, Braised Meatballs
3. Temple of Heaven – Sacrifice
Yin San Douzhi is located near the north gate of the Temple of Heaven.
After breakfast, join the elderly couple who just sat across from you and you'll stumble upon the Temple of Heaven.
The most important affairs of state lie in sacrifice and warfare.
Emperors throughout history have held solemn and rigorous seasonal sacrifices.
On the Spring Equinox, sacrifices are offered to the Earth; on the Summer Solstice, sacrifices are offered to the Moon; and on the Winter Solstice, sacrifices are offered to Heaven.
The Temple of Heaven was first built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty.
Modeled after the Nanjing style, it offered sacrifices to both Heaven and Earth, and was called the Temple of Heaven and Earth.
During the Jiajing reign, a separate Fangze (Ditan) was built in the northern suburbs, and sacrifices to Heaven and Earth were subsequently offered separately.
It was renovated and rebuilt during the Qianlong and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a landmark building, is surrounded by two walls, forming the inner and outer altars, forming a Chinese character "回". The north corner is round, while the south corner is square, symbolizing the roundness of the heaven and the squareness of the earth. Within the altar are two altars, north and south, separated by a wall. The northern altar is the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, upon which the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was built. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the tallest building in Beijing. To the south is the Circular Mound, and the two altars are connected by the Danbi Bridge. South of the bridge is the Echo Wall. Speaking against the wall, the sound waves are reflected along the wall and transmitted to the other side, clearly audible. Together with the Puji Temple Pagoda in Puzhou, Shanxi, the Toad Pagoda in Sanmenxia, Henan, and the Stone Qin of Dafo Temple in Tongnan County, Chongqing, these are considered one of China's Four Great Echoing Buildings. The North Gate of the Temple of Heaven referred to today is the north gate of the outer altar wall. How can we identify the inner altar wall? By the time you needed to purchase a second ticket to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, you'd already reached the inner altar. The Circular Mound, built of white marble, is a magnificent sight. 4. The Forbidden City, the Forbidden City, situated at the center of the Purple Palace, is the abode of the Emperor of Heaven. Construction took fourteen years after Zhu Di relocated the capital to Beijing. The three main halls in the front and six palaces in the back, with their glazed tiles, cinnabar walls, white marble, dragon totems, golden brick paving, carved beams and painted buildings, all embody the grandeur of imperial power.
Climb up the steps to the Golden Throne Hall,
China's largest and most advanced wooden structure,
which witnessed 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
In less than 300 years,
it was destroyed by lightning and fire four times,
and was repeatedly reduced in size during the four reconstructions.
Finally, it was able to survive the smoke and chaos of war.
It must be the favor of heaven and the protection of our ancestors
that allows us to see its splendor again today.
The Forbidden City's walls are 12 meters high and have a circumference of approximately 3.4 kilometers, forming a rectangular city wall. A moat stretches approximately 50 meters wide outside the walls. It consists of two major sections: the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court is centered around the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony. Flanked by the Hall of Wenhua to the east and the Hall of Martial Prowess to the west, the Outer Court served as the venue for grand court ceremonies. Behind the Outer Court lies the Inner Court, which includes the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union and Peace, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Imperial Garden, and the Six Palaces of East and West. These palaces served as the emperor's administrative headquarters and residence for his concubines. To the east, the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity was the retirement home for Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, serving as the retired emperor. The Forbidden City's Red Walls (Palace Walls) are a reference to the Forbidden City. The Meridian Gate (Wu Men) is the main gate of the Forbidden City and serves as the southern gate.
The east, west, and north sides are connected by 12-meter-high towers, forming a square plaza.
The tower houses the main hall and que towers, making it the highest point in the Forbidden City complex.
The Meridian Gate was where the emperor issued edicts and issued military orders.
The central main gate was reserved for the emperor, with the empress allowed to enter once during the emperor's wedding.
Those who passed the palace examination, the top three, were allowed to exit through this gate once.
Civil and military officials entered and exited through the east gate, while royal family members and nobles used the west gate.
Wumen Square
Shenwu Gate was originally named Xuanwu Gate. Xuanwu represents the north, and the northern gates of imperial palaces were often named Xuanwu.
It was later renamed Shenwu Gate to avoid mentioning Emperor Kangxi's name.
Shenwu Gate is the highest-ranking city gate with a double-eaved, hipped-roofed structure, a level below Wumen.
In ancient times, it served as the gate for daily entry and exit within the palace.
It now serves as the main entrance to the Palace Museum. Donghua Gate and Xihua Gate face each other, sharing the same design. Outside, a dismounting stone tablet stands. Inside, the Jinshui River meanders, traversed by five stone bridges. Jinshui River. 6. Imperial Court: Taihe Gate. Entering the Meridian Gate leads to the Outer Court, where the emperor conducted government affairs. The Outer Court consisted of three main halls: the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony. The main hall's base, constructed of three overlapping tiers of white marble, stands eight meters tall in the shape of an I. The platform's edges are adorned with white marble balustrades, watchtowers, and dragon heads. A coiled dragon is carved in the center of the base, set against a backdrop of waves and flowing clouds. Holes are carved beneath the stone foundations of the balustrades and at the dragon heads of the watchtowers. During periods of heavy rainfall, rainwater from the three tiers of the base drains through these small holes, one at a time, and then out through the dragon heads. Besides being a luxurious decorative feature, it also serves as a drainage system.
A majestic white marble base
Taihemen, the main entrance to the outer court, is the largest gate in the Forbidden City.
Completed during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, it was known as Fengtianmen.
It was renamed Huangjimen during the Jiajing reign, and Taihemen during the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty.
The square in front of the gate is approximately 26,000 square meters.
From the Ming to the early Qing Dynasty, it served as the imperial court's hearing place, later relocated to Qianqingmen.
Taihemen
7. Hall of Supreme Harmony – Jinluan Hall
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as Jinluan Hall, was built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty and was known as Fengtian Hall. During the Jiajing reign, it was renamed Huangji Hall, and during the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Taihe Hall.
It was where the emperor held grand ceremonies.
It was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt after its completion, and the current structure is the one rebuilt during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. With 11 bays wide and 5 bays deep, it stands 35 meters tall, encompassing over 2,000 square meters. It is the largest hall in the Forbidden City. Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held major ceremonies here, including their enthronements, weddings, empress appointments, and orders to march to war. Thousands of people cheered "Long live the emperor!" and hundreds of ritual instruments, including bells and drums, punctuated the occasion with the utmost imperial grandeur. Additionally, on the three major festivals of the Emperor's birthday, New Year's Day (the first day of the first lunar month), and the Winter Solstice, the Emperor would receive congratulations from civil and military officials and host banquets for nobles and ministers. Behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Central Harmony. Before ceremonies in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, cabinet ministers and officials from the Ministry of Rites paid their respects to the emperor in the Hall of Central Harmony. The emperor could rest here or practice rituals. Before offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he reviewed sacrificial texts here. Before plowing in Zhongnanhai (the imperial gardens), he inspected farming tools here. Behind the Hall of Central Harmony is the Hall of Preserving Harmony. Every New Year's Eve, the emperor hosted a banquet for princes and nobles from other vassal states. This was also the venue for the palace examinations for the imperial civil service examinations.
External Gate of the Main Hall
8. Inner Court – The Harem
The rear half of the Forbidden City is called the Inner Court.
Through the Qianqing Gate, flanked by glazed screen walls,
the three harem palaces lie within.
The Inner Court is centered around the Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Hall, and Kunning Palace.
The East and West Six Palaces flank the east and west, with the Imperial Garden at the rear.
This was where the emperor handled daily government affairs and served as the residential area for his concubines.
There are warm rooms at both ends of Kunning Palace.
From the Ming Dynasty to the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, it was the empress's bedroom.
The east warm room was the bridal chamber for the emperor's wedding.
Emperors Kangxi, Tongzhi and Guangxu all held their weddings here.
Later it was changed into a place for worshiping gods.
After Emperor Yongzheng, the west warm room became a place for shamans to worship.
Qionghua Screen Wall
9. Jingshan – Imperial Garden
Jingshan is an artificial mountain built to enhance the imperial city's feng shui.
Formed from silt excavated from the moat and South Lake, it adheres to the principle of negative yin for the imperial city and also serves to suppress the feng shui of the previous dynasty, hence the name "Zhenshan."
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the garden was planted with fruit trees and housed deer, cranes, and other animals.
The foot of the mountain was once known as Baiguoyuan, and the mountain itself was called Wansuishan.
During the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, the name was changed to Jingshan, embodying the concept of grandeur and respect. Jingshan Park, situated on Beijing's central axis, faces the Shenwu Gate of the Forbidden City across the street and is the city's highest point. From its summit, one can overlook the entire city. Snow falls on the Forbidden City. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng's rebel army invaded Beijing. Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, fled to Jingshan. Feeling unworthy of his ancestors' legacy, he committed suicide by hanging himself with his belt from a crooked locust tree beneath Guanmiao Pavilion. During the ten years of turmoil, the old locust tree was cut down as "Four Olds". In 1981, a new one was transplanted at the original site. In 1996, a second ancient locust tree, now over 150 years old, was transplanted here. Towering Wansui Mountain, densely covered with misty trees; in the center lies the soul of the Emperor, weeping in sorrow, where no one knows where.
Jingshan Park Ticket Price: 2 Yuan, Opening Hours: 6:30 AM - 9:00 PM
View the Panoramic View of the Forbidden City from Jingshan
10. Other Related Tips
1. Forbidden City Ticket Price: 60 Yuan in Peak Season, 40 Yuan in Off-Season; Clock and Watch House and Treasure House 10 Yuan each.
2. It was already noon after we finished our visit to the Temple of Heaven. For lunch, consider Siji Minfu, a roast duck restaurant next to the Forbidden City that is considered by locals to be superior to Quanjude. It is a chain restaurant and doesn't have much of an advantage in price, but the overall environment and taste are commendable.
3. After visiting Yinsan Douzhi, I realized that not all restaurants in Beijing are expensive. Breakfast prices here are comparable to those in other cities.
4. The Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City are both easily accessible. On a clear day, any corner is a delight to capture.
5. Ten years ago, you could enter the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, but now you can only admire it from a distance through railings. What hasn't changed is the constant flow of people, groups, guides, and docents. If you're interested, you can basically hear different explanations from different people in front of different buildings, so half a day will pass quickly.
6. For dinner, consider traditional Beijing barbecue and lamb ribs. There are plenty of places to go in the evening, such as the bars and nightlife of Houhai and Sanlitun.
Si Ji Min Fu Roast Duck
There is no stranger in the world, it's just that we haven't met yet
Thank you to every lovely person for taking the time to read.
One wine, one world, one person, one world.
If I happen to meet you, unfortunately, it means I am waiting for you.
Photo/Xiuli, Yu Shu Text/Yu Shu
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