Art and the State: China
The Forbidden City : Part II
by Dr. Deborah Vess
Professor of History and Interdisciplinary Studies
Georgia College & State University
Let us continue our tour of the Forbidden City by looking at the rooftops on the buildings of the outer court.
Divine animals and immortals on roofs in the Forbidden City. Photograph
by Dr. Vess.
The photograph above shows figures of divine animals and divine immortals on the roofs of a building in the Forbidden City. The number of these figures on the roof of a building depends on the importance of the building. There are ten such figures on the roof corners of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is the largest number of such figures allowed. These figures include the dragon, phoenix, and lion. Click here for a close-up of divine figures in the outer court.
One also sees many images of tortoises,
duch as this one in the outer courtyard. Tortoises are Chinese symbols
for a long life.
In the Hall of Preserving Harmony, the final sessions of the imperial civil service examinations were held here. Only a very small percentage of candidates passed.
Throne in the Hall of Preserving Harmony. Photograph by Dr. Vess.
The entire complex is constructed according to the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. The emperor as male represents yang, and so ruled China from the outer courtyard, while the empress as female and yin was confined to the inner courtyard. Also, odd numbers represent yang, and so most buildings have an odd number of figures on the roofs. Doors also have an odd number of knobs, usually in multiples of nine to symbolize the heavenly connection of the emperor.
Continue to the next page in the Forbidden City.
*Photographs copyright Dr. Deborah Vess, 1998.
copyright © Dr. Deborah Vess 1998-2001, Georgia College & State University and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. All rights reserved. Rights to chapters authored by contributing faculty members reserved to Georgia College & State University, to the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at GC&SU, and to the individual faculty authors.