On July 19th 2023 , the multilingual website of the Forbidden City Palace Museum- Beijing, China, People’s Republic of Chinawas officially released at the Digital Cultural Tourism Development Forum of the 2023 China Internet Civilization Conference! The website covers five languages: English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish, and will meet the needs of audiences with different languages.
The multilingual website of the Palace Museum is committed to establishing an international website that is concise, clear, easy to use for overseas audiences, and fits the construction of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, including tour guides, information, panoramic tours, online exhibitions, collection appreciation, cultural topics, etc. Rich immersive content describing of the most detail collection that housed within the Forbidden City collection….
Qing Dynasty, filigree enamel candlestick with the word “囍”. Before the advent of electric lights, people used oil lamps or candles for lighting. There were many candles and candlesticks in the Qing palace. Candlesticks are mostly made of metal, which is stable and difficult to ignite. Menorah styles vary depending on where they are used. This cloisonné enamel candlestick has a sky blue glaze base and is decorated with lotus patterns. Yuanbao symbolizes wealth and can prevent wax oil from spilling. The word “囍” indicates that this candlestick is specially made for weddings.
Wang Xizhi’s “Lanting Preface” of the Eastern Jin Dynasty is known as “the best running script in the world”. The “Lanting Preface” that has been handed down from generation to generation is divided into two types: later generations’ copy, copy and stone rubbing. During the Song Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, engraving and calligraphy flourished. “Preface to Orchid Pavilion” was carved in stone and passed down, which became a fashion. Collecting rubbings of “Lanting Preface” has gradually become a hobby among literati, ranging from a few to more than ten, or even hundreds or even hundreds.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Lizong, the Prime Minister of Yousi, collected hundreds of rubbings of Wang Xizhi’s “Lanting Preface”, which were later called “Youxiang Lanting”. According to the heavenly stems, there are ten types of each stem from A and B to Ren and Gui. In the third section of the exhibition 松图charm , “You Xiang Orchid Pavilion”, the Palace Museum and the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong jointly displayed fourteen of them for the audience to compare and appreciate….
Encounter ancient characters in the Forbidden City “Grandfather”, “Grandmother”, “Ancestor”, “ancestor”… Where does the word “ancestor” come from? What does the Yin-Shang period mean? Are grandparents represented by the word “ancestor”?
Qing, the wooden tablet of the God of Joy. The wedding of an emperor and an empress, with dragons and phoenixes appearing auspicious, is the greatest joyous event in the world. The emperor and the empress wanted to seek good fortune, avoid misfortune, and bring joy with them, so they naturally wanted to worship the God of Joy. The emperor and queen only became official husband and wife after performing the wedding ceremony. The next day, they also had to worship the gods of heaven and earth, the god of joy, etc. This picture is the tablet used to worship the God of Joy. The tablet is made of wood and has the words “the tablet of the God of Joy” on it. It is placed on the table of the God of Joy when worshiping. The time, direction, and location of worshiping the God of Joy are determined by the calculations of Qin Tianjian…..
Purple Forbidden City Xunfang In the ninth month of the lunar calendar, chrysanthemums are the official flower of the month. Whether it is cold and chilly or rich and gorgeous, the various features of autumn can be expressed through the posture of chrysanthemums.
As one of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers, the chrysanthemum has a deep connection with literati. From Qu Yuan, who “ate autumn chrysanthemums in the evening” to Tao Yuanming, who “picked chrysanthemums by the east fence”, there are many sages in Chinese history who were fascinated by their unique temperament. “A thousand years of white clothes and wine, a lifetime of youthful fragrance” is a vivid portrayal of the image of chrysanthemum.
Qing Dynasty, red paint with 囍 character pattern and incense bucket. After the wedding, emperors and empresses would worship the God of Joy and ask the God of Joy to bring happiness to their bodies. The specific method is to place the tablet of the God of Joy and the incense stick with the word “囍” in it, the green apple, and the incense stick with the word “囍” in red paint on the table to worship the God of Joy together. The four sides of this incense bowl are painted with the Chinese character “囍” in gold, which is specially used to worship the God of Joy. The incense bucket was originally stored in Kunning Palace, indicating that the ceremony to worship the God of Joy was held in Kunning Palace.
Late autumn has arrived and the weather is getting colder. Children should wear cute hats and warm cotton clothes. The several costumes in the picture were all used by princes and princesses in the palace in the old days. Tiger-head shoes and tiger-head hats are traditional Chinese children’s clothing. They are often worn at the same time and have auspicious meanings to ward off evil and ensure safety. Regardless of the court or the people, people like to wear tiger-head shoes and hats for their children to wish them healthy growth. The cultural relics in the picture are on display in the exhibition 西伊华堂 at the Prince Gong’s Mansion Museum….
During the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, a round cushion made of red silk embroidered with dragons, phoenixes and 囍 characters. The center of the round cushion is embroidered with the golden word “囍”, the two sides of the word “囍” are embroidered with images of dragons and phoenixes, and the edges are embroidered with the character “囍”, bats, and gourd patterns, which means that the wedding of the emperor and the empress will bring many happy events, endless blessings, and the proliferation of descendants. This red silk cushion with embroidered dragon and phoenix “囍” characters may have been specially made for the wedding ceremony of Emperor Guangxu and his wife.
In order to implement the spirit of the “Opinions on Promoting the Work of Ancient Books in the New Era” and deepen the protection and revitalization of ancient literature and cultural relics, the Palace Museum, on the basis of sorting, protecting and researching the engraving cultural relics in the museum’s collection, has established a monastery in the southeast of Taihe Gate. The ” 九牌馆 ” was opened in the building and the court room , and the ” 吉光片雨 – Exhibition of Qing Dynasty palace engraving cultural relics collected by the Palace Museum” was held at the same time , with more than 15,000 pieces (groups) of cultural relics displayed in a warehouse-style display. This is the first time the Palace Museum has held a special cultural relics exhibition of this type since its establishment. The exhibition will be officially open to the public from October 31, 2023, in the Southeast Chonglou and Chaofang Engraving Hall inside the Taihe Gate of the Palace Museum.
Qing Dynasty, silver-plated gold-plated stone, jade and coral beads inlaid with three Ruyi. According to the wedding custom in the palace, after marriage, one should worship the God of Joy in the bridal chamber of Kunning Palace. On the table of the God of Joy, the word “囍” for “Ruyi” is placed. A “Ruyi” is also placed on each corner of the emperor’s and empress’s marriage bed to convey the beautiful wishes of the newly married emperor and empress. This silver-plated Ruyi piece is inlaid with various jewels with the characters “auspicious”, “auspicious”, “ru”, “yi” and “囍”, which may be related to the emperor’s wedding ceremony to worship the God of Joy. Three-inlaid Ruyi is one of the Ruyi shapes. It is named after the inlays are applied to the head, handle body and tail of Ruyi. Inlay was initially used on bamboo handles and wooden handles, and then gradually expanded to other materials.
Qing Dynasty, celebrations, etc., wedding celebrations, imperial edicts, banquet etiquette pictures (partial). The emperor and the empress performed the union ceremony in the bridal chamber. After officially becoming husband and wife, they also held celebration ceremonies, edict-issuing ceremonies and banquet ceremonies. The eighth volume of Emperor Guangxu’s “Wedding Pictures”, “Pictures of Celebrations, Edicts, and Banquets,” depicts the entire process of celebrations, edicts, and banquets. The pictures in this volume are very rich in connotation. The “Wedding Pictures” selected this month are all taken from this volume. Emperor Guangxu first congratulated Empress Dowager Cixi in Cining Palace. During the celebration ceremony, the emperor knelt down and kowtowed to the empress dowager, and the emperor and internal and external ministers presented congratulations to the empress dowager. This picture shows Emperor Guangxu leading the princes and ministers in a celebration scene of kneeling three times and bowing nine times to the Empress Dowager Cixi…
1st November 2023 – Frost red is dancing in several places, and thousands of golden spots are dyed, riding on the autumn wind. Hello November fall in love with the forbidden city …..
Qing., pictures of wedding celebrations, issuing edicts, and giving banquets. The emperor led the princes and ministers to congratulate the Empress Dowager at the Cining Palace, and then came to the Taihe Hall to receive the congratulations from the princes, princes and officials, and then issued an edict to announce it to the world. The celebration of the emperor’s wedding, the issuance of edicts, and the banquet are all state rituals, and the scenes are extremely grand. The picture selected this month is a page from the album “Pictures of Etiquette for Celebrations, Edicts, and Banquets”. In the picture, you can see the Fajialu Book in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Square of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Zhonghe Shaoyue Music under the eaves of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the There is Danbi Da Le under the eaves of Taihe Gate. The princes, ministers, civil and military officials, and envoys from foreign vassals were ranked according to their grades and stood respectively in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, His Majesty Dan and His Majesty Dan. As the official of Luan Yiwei issued the whip command, His Majesty Dan, the captain of the whip, cracked the silent whip three times, and then the praise officer of Honglu Temple shouted the command: “Scheduling!” The saluting officials presented congratulations to the emperor according to their rank. , among whom there were also envoys from foreign vassals, who kowtowed and saluted under the guidance of ritual music.
How many steps does it take to transfer the words on the stone tablet to paper?
The process of rubbing a monument may seem simple, but a good rubbing also requires skilled rubbing skills. Take a look at the schematic diagram below. Do your eyes catch it? Do you know how to do it?
Search and enter the “Transfer Heart and Extension” applet to experience the art of transfer with your own hands…
Qing Dynasty, static whip with red wooden handle; Qing Dynasty, celebration of Kuan, etc., pictures of wedding celebrations, edicts, and banquets (partial). The static whip is a tool used to maintain order during grand ceremonies in the palace. The static whip has a wooden handle, one foot long, engraved with a golden dragon head, and painted with red paint. The total length of the whip is about 5.93 meters. When the emperor came to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to accept the congratulations from all the officials, ascended to the throne and descended from the throne to leave the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the guard Luan Yi shouted the command: “Cry the Whip!” At this time, His Majesty Dan’s Whip Cry was set up in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The captain of the school whips his whip to the ground three times to remind the officials that the ceremony is about to begin or to announce the end of the ceremony.
Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..
