Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Forbidden City
Běijīng grew from a forward defence military headquarters into an administrative centre
staffed by an elite corps of mandarins. They had to pass gruelling examinations that tested
candidates' understanding of classical and Confucian literature. Then they were either as-
signed to the provinces or selected to work in the central government ministries, situated
in what is now Tiān'ānmén Square, south of the Meridian Gate and the entrance to the
Forbidden City. Each day the mandarins and the generals entered the 'Great Within' and
kowtowed before the emperor, who lived inside, like a male version of a queen bee,
served by thousands of women and eunuchs. Ming emperors were the only males permit-
ted to live in the palace. Yongle established rigid rules and dreary rituals, and many of his
successors rebelled against the constrictions.
Power of the Eunuchs
Under later Ming emperors, the eunuchs came to be more trusted and more powerful than
the mandarins. There were 100,000 by the end of the Ming dynasty, more than in any oth-
er civilisation in history. A few became so powerful they virtually ruled the empire, but
many died poor and destitute. Some used their wealth to build grandiose residences and
tombs, or to patronise temples and monasteries located in the hills outside the walls.
A Centre for Arts & Science
Over time Běijīng became the most important religious centre in Asia, graced by more
than 2000 temples and shrines. Daoists and Buddhists vied for the favour of the emperor
who, as a divine being, was automatically the patron of every approved religious institu-
tion in the empire. As the residence of the emperor, Běijīng was regarded by the Chinese
as the centre of the universe. The best poets and painters also flocked to Běijīng to seek
court patronage. The Forbidden City required the finest porcelain, furniture and silver-
ware, and its workshops grew in skill and design. Literature, drama, music, medicine,
map-making, astrology and astronomy flourished, too, so the imperial city became a
centre for arts and sciences.
Although early visitors complained about the dust and the beggars, most were awed and
inspired by the city's size, magnificence and wealth. Ming culture was influential in
Japan, Korea, Vietnam and with other neighbouring countries. By the close of the 15th
century the Ming capital, which had started out as a remote and isolated military outpost,
had become a wealthy and sophisticated Chinese city.
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