Beijing's Top Sights - Beijing - page 128

of the eastern ones were closed for extensive renovation. It was in these smaller courtyard
buildings that most of the emperors actually lived and many of the buildings, particularly
those to the west, are decked out in imperial furniture. The Hall of Mental Cultivation
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( Yǎng Xīn Diàn is a highlight, while the Palace of Gathered Elegance
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( Chǔ Xiù Gōng contains some interesting photos of the last emperor,
Puyi, who lived here as a child ruler at the turn of the 20th century.
Palace Quirks
Attached to buildings, or standing incongruously in the corners of courtyards, are quirky
objects that can easily go unnoticed.
The huge copper and brass vats that dot the Forbidden City were once full of water
for dousing fires. There are 308 in total, all in various states of disrepair. They used to be
draped in quilts or warmed with fires in winter to keep them from freezing over.
Pairs of stone or bronze guardian lions protect important buildings, with two particu-
larly fine specimens in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony. The male always has a
paw placed on a globe (representing the emperor's power over the world), while the fe-
male has a paw placed on a baby lion (representing the fertility of the emperor's court).
More than a thousand dragon-head spouts encircle the raised marble platforms at the
centre of the Forbidden City. They were, and still are, part of the drainage system. If you
are unlucky enough to visit on a day of torrential rain, you will at least get to see water
spouting out of their mouths.
Roof guardians adorn many important historic buildings in Běijīng. Here too, on the
upturned eaves of significant halls, you'll find processions of mythical creatures leading
and protecting the imperial dragon, which lies at the tail end of the line. The more mythic-
al beasts in the procession, the more important the building, with nine guardians being the
maximum.
From the back of the Hall of Preserving Harmony slopes the largest of the city's
marble imperial carriageways . This beautifully carved, 250-ton block of marble, trans-
ported to the palace in winter on sheets of ice, acted as a VIP access ramp for the raised
hallways. Sedan-chair bearers walked up the steps on each side, while the emperor was
carried over a scene of marble-carved clouds and dragons.
Bronze turtles like the large one in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony symbolise
longevity and stability. On special occasions incense was lit inside it so that smoke bil-
lowed from its mouth.