Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
taller. Taihedian was used for the most important state occasions: the emperor's coronation,
birthday or marriage; ceremonies marking the new lunar year and winter solstice; proclama-
tions of the results of the imperial examinations; and the nomination of generals at the outset
of a military campaign. During the Republic, it was proposed that parliament should sit here,
though the idea wasn't put into practice.
Decorated entirely in red and gold, Taihedian is the most sumptuous building in the entire
complex. In the central coffer, a sunken panel in the ceiling, two gold-plated dragons play
with a huge pearl. The gilded rosewood chair beneath, the dragon throne, was the exact
centre of the Chinese universe. A marble pavement ramp, intricately carved with dragons and
flanked by bronze incense burners, marks the path along which the emperor's sedan chair
was carried whenever he wanted to be taken somewhere, while the grain measure and sundial
just outside are symbols of imperial justice.
Zhonghedian
Beyond the Taihedian, you enter the
Zhonghedian
, Hall of Central Harmony, another throne
room, where the emperor performed ceremonies of greeting to foreign dignitaries and ad-
dressed the imperial offspring (the progeny of his several wives and numerous concubines).
It owes its name to a quote from the
I-Ching
, a Chinese tome dating back to 200 BC: “avoid-
ing extremes and self control brings harmony”, the idea being that the middle course would
be a harmonious one. The emperor also examined the seed for each year's crop in the hall,
and it was used, too, as a dressing room for major events held in the Taihedian.
