Beijing – Luna Crescent

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #January 2024 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. 24th December 2023- 4th January 2024….

January 4, 2024 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

On July 19^th 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, anonymous, baby play picture album page. The “Baby Play Pictures” album was created by a court painter. This page is one of the pages, depicting a scene of five children picking lotus flowers and playing in the water by a lotus pond, with the sun burning like fire in June. The author uses meticulous and rigorous brushwork and rich and gorgeous colors to humorously portray the naive, cute, lively and interesting image of the child. In particular, the staggering and unsteady steps of the child wearing crotchless pants when walking ashore are vividly depicted, showing the author’s keen observation. The expressive power of describing God through form.

The “embroidery patch” in the picture is also called “embroidery patch”, which refers to sewing a single piece of embroidered fabric onto the surface of the garment. The official costumes of the Qing Dynasty followed the embroidery ceremony system of official uniforms of the Ming Dynasty, and were standardized and expanded. According to the “Qing Dynasty Huidian”, civil servants should wear bird patterns, military officers should use animal patterns, and what kind of animal patterns should be used for each of the first to ninth ranks is also clearly stipulated.

Clothing habits in real life also affect the world of opera. Among the costumes and official clothes collected in the Forbidden City (Figures 7-9), there are many kinds of ornaments with exquisite patterns….

During the reign of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, Shen Quan, Shen Shijie and Shen Shiru posted pictures of infant play. This painting contains auspicious meanings and was jointly painted by court painter Shen Quan and others. It depicts a scene of children paddling and playing in a pond with blooming lotus flowers. The lotus in the painting is not only a real scene, but also contains symbolic meaning. Through the plot of a boy playing with lotus, the homophonic pronunciation of “lotus” and “lian” is used to express the good wishes of having children in succession and having many children and grandchildren. This picture was originally a hanging painting on the wall of a palace. It not only decorated the interior space, but also conveyed the wish for many children and good fortune.

The moon flower of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar is the camellia blooming in the winter scenery of southern China. Camellia is a traditional famous flower in my country. It was first recorded in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Because of its large and plump flowers, rich and bright colors, and its frost and snow resistance, it has been praised by literati in the past dynasties. Su Che even compared camellia with plum and chrysanthemum, two famous flowers, “the fragrance is gentle and fragrant, and the chrysanthemum is light on the cliff, and the plum blossoms are as beautiful as the mountains.

25^th December 2023 At this moment,

During the reign of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, Shen Zhenlin, a hundred sons presented an auspicious picture. According to the records of the Construction Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Qing Palace, on September 12, the 11th year of Tongzhi (1872), Emperor Tongzhi held a grand wedding ceremony in the Forbidden City. Previously, Emperor Tongzhi ordered the court painters Shen Zhenlin, Liang Derun, Zhang Kai and others of the Ruyi Pavilion to paint the “Picture of a Hundred Sons Presenting Auspiciousness” respectively on April 10th of that year, and hung it on the “﹁” on the entrance and exit of the Dongnuan Pavilion in the Kunning Palace Cave. “The curved ruler not only enhances the festive atmosphere of the wedding room, but also expresses the hope for the prosperity of the children through the pictures of a hundred children playing. This picture was carefully drawn by Shen Zhenlin, the leader of the Ruyi Pavilion. The main pattern of the painting is the Chinese character “囍” written in double hook lines. The two sides of the character “囍” are also painted with graceful floating silk ribbons, making the composition of the picture fuller and more varied. ; The outer surface of the character “囍” is painted with red cinnabar, which symbolizes joy and auspiciousness; the hollow space of the character “囍” is filled with the image of a hundred sons, and the ink calligraphy “a hundred sons are auspicious” is used to highlight the meaning of the painting.

Qing Tongzhi, red Baizi pattern damask quilt fabric. Not only did the emperors of the Qing Dynasty post the “Hundred Sons Picture” in the wedding room of the Forbidden City or in important palaces when they got married, they also often ordered the “Hundred Sons Picture” to be used as a decorative pattern on many handicrafts or daily necessities. , expressing the beautiful hope for the continuation of life. This is the damask fabric used by the royal family in the Qing Dynasty to keep warm and keep out the cold. In terms of pattern design, weavers cleverly express the auspicious and festive creative theme through the child’s lively and active posture, joyful demeanor and healthy and cute appearance: for example, the image of a child wearing a crown on his head holding a high crown in his hand means ” “Add official (crown) on top of official (crown)”; it looks like a boy playing with a lotus in his hand, which means “the lotus will give birth to a noble son”, etc. In addition, the fabric is also interspersed with auspicious patterns such as cranes, deer, chrysanthemums, pine and cypress, and Ganoderma lucidum that symbolize longevity, further expressing the pursuit and expectation of a happy life.

There are not only square embroidery patches used by civil and military officials, but also round and oval shapes, such as the dragon and python patches used by emperors, clan members, and others, as well as the “flower patches” on the clothes of concubines and official family members. . In addition to making a single piece of patchwork and sewing it separately, the special patterns of patchwork can also be directly embroidered on the clothes, called “back chest” or “chest back”.

Auspicious creatures, auspicious words, and flowers of the four seasons are wrapped in circular patterns, adding beauty to clothes and joy to life.

Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, yellow satin embroidered gourd and hundred son picture pillow. The emperor used exquisite materials, and the patterns on this royal pillow all have auspicious meanings: for example, the gourd pattern is embroidered on the edge, which is homophonic to “Fu Lu”; the front of the pillow is embroidered with a boy pushing a wooden three-legged golden toad, which represents the Taoist “bang play” The allusion of “Golden Toad” means prosperity of wealth; the embroidered boy carries a long halberd with a chime on his shoulder, which uses the homophonic pronunciation of “halberd” and “chime” to express abundant auspiciousness and good things. Although “a hundred sons” is only an imaginary number, the emperor’s wish to sleep on it and realize many children, happiness and peace is sincere…

Guangxu, Qing Dynasty, red Nasha Baizi chart account. Nasha, also known as Naxiu, commonly known as stamped yarn, has a history of more than 2,000 years. It was very popular among the Qing royal family due to its strong decorative effect. Many royal garments, such as court robes, cloaks, dragon gowns, etc., are made of this kind of craftsmanship. The gauze tent shown in the picture is mainly in festive red color, with “囍” characters and traditional baby play patterns embroidered on it. The purpose of hoping for happy events and pursuing many children and blessings is obvious. It should be to celebrate the wedding. Made to order. The gauze tent was originally hung in the east room of Chuxiu Palace, one of the six west palaces in the Forbidden City. Empress Dowager Cixi once lived here after entering the palace in the second year of Xianfeng (1852). Four years later, Emperor Tongzhi Zaichun was born in the back hall of Chuxiu Palace.

The yellow-bellied tit is a unique bird species in China and a first-level protected bird in Beijing. Although it is small in size, the bright yellow color on its belly is very eye-catching, and its swollen little body looks soft and cute. They like to jump between branches or fly between the canopy. Except for the breeding period when they move in pairs or alone, in other periods they mostly move in groups on tall broad-leaved trees or coniferous trees, sometimes in mixed groups with other birds such as great tits. In the Forbidden City, it is easier to see groups of yellow-bellied tits in areas with trees in autumn and winter. When the weather gets warmer in the following spring, most of them leave and fly to the mountains to breed. Before winter comes, they fly to the hospital again to overwinter.

On December 28, 2023, the “Long March of National Treasures – Commemorative Exhibition of the Southward Relocation of the Forbidden City Cultural Relics” jointly launched by the Palace Museum and People’s Daily’s “National Humanities and History” magazine opened at the Shanghai History Museum. The exhibition mainly focuses on the historical materials and research results of the relocation of the Forbidden City cultural relics to the south. It returns to Shanghai, the first stop city for the relocation of the Forbidden City cultural relics to the south. Through “the national treasure’s journey southward in the beacon smoke”, “the reappearance of ancient relics in Shanghai for four years” and “the cultural context continues to flourish”. The three units “Endless” reproduce the historical memory of the relocation of cultural relics from the Forbidden City to the south, leading the audience into a time and space dialogue spanning 90 years. This exhibition will last until March 29, 2024.

29^th December 2023 It’s the last Friday of 2023! The blank space in the future is waiting for you to fill it with your wishes for 2024….

Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, red satin embroidered door curtain with a picture of a hundred sons. The Qing royal family’s most fervent wish was to “integrate the family and the country” and have many children and grandchildren to protect the country forever. Therefore, the royal family often uses auspicious paintings to express their pursuit of prosperity, health and longevity for their children. This phenomenon can be seen everywhere in the decoration of royal objects. This door curtain was originally hung in the Chuxiu Palace, and represents various game activities of children in rockeries, lakes, pavilions, pavilions, and waterside gardens, playing chess, and traveling in cars. The embroidery workers used exquisite craftsmanship to freeze the children’s joy and the royal family’s hope for descendants on this door curtain, which is both a practical product and a work of art.

Purple Forbidden Yaji- January wallpapers are now online. As the New Year is approaching, appreciate the tranquility of the snow-capped mountains, the lifelike bamboo sparrows in the painting, and the vigorous dragon pattern on the bottle. Go to the official website to download high-definition wallpapers in various formats and sizes,

“Little cat head” and “pointy cat ears”, this is not a cute kitten, but a “ding” that means everything!

“Ding” is a typical pictographic character, with the bottom being the tripod’s feet, the middle being the tripod’s belly, and the top “cat ears” being the two ears of the tripod. Originally, the tripod was used as a food vessel, and people used it to cook or hold food. Later, the tripod gradually became one of the most important ritual vessels for noble banquets, sacrifices and other ritual activities. Together with the bronze bell, it formed the “bell ringing tripod food”. It is said that Yu cast the Jiuding, which symbolizes the Kyushu, so the Jiuding has become an important weapon of the country, symbolizing the supreme power.

31^st December 2023 Bid farewell to the last sunset of the year and head towards the grandeur of the new year. Goodbye, 2023…

1^st January 2024 Hello January! Hello, the first ray of sunshine in 2024!

2024 has arrived as promised, and the Palace Museum welcomed the first batch of visitors in the new year. The leaders of the hospital arrived in front of the Meridian Gate early, presented the brand new 2024 “Forbidden City Calendar” to the first visitors to the hospital, and sent New Year blessings to everyone. In the new year, the Palace Museum will continue to accompany you. I wish you happiness and good health in the new year and all seasons!

2^nd January 2024 good morning! Welcome the first working day of 2024 with full energy..

Spring and Autumn Period, bronze dragon-eared gui. Bronze Gui is not only a container for holding food, but also a ritual vessel for feasts and sacrifices. It appeared in the Shang Dynasty, became popular from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period, and gradually disappeared during the Warring States Period. Gui can be either round or square. In the early stage, it had no ears. In the later stage, it appeared with two, three or even four ears. They often appear in even numbers and are used in conjunction with odd-numbered tripods. Usually the emperor has nine tripods and eight guis, the princes have seven tripods and six guis, and the ministers have five tripods…

Warring States Period, jade carved dragon-shaped pendant. The jade pendant is in the shape of a sheet, in the shape of a dragon, with the same pattern on both sides. The dragon bends down and looks back. There is a large bird on its tail, and a small bird is carved on the inside and outside of its neck and tail. The dragon’s body is fully decorated with grain patterns and has a round hole in the middle. This vessel was unearthed from a Chu tomb during the Warring States Period in Yanggong Township, Changfeng County, Anhui Province. A total of two jade pendants were unearthed at the same time. They were similar in shape and were placed on the left and right sides of the human pelvis. They should be part of a group of jade pendants. Its size reaches more than 20 centimeters, and its body is large and finely crafted, showing the noble status of the owner of the tomb. This conjoined dragon and phoenix pendant is a unique shape among the jade wares of the Warring States Period. It has exquisite curves and exaggerated techniques, reflecting the rich imagination of the maker…

Han Dynasty, jade carvings with three dragon patterns. The shape of the jade is slightly circular, flat body, with the same decoration on both sides. The carving is three intertwined dragons, and is partially decorated with low relief and incised fine lines. The seemingly complicated interspersed changes without losing the neat geometric rhythm reflect the beauty of smart curves. This type of jade ornament is more common in jade wares of the Han Dynasty and is a kind of ornament. This jade is of bright white quality and meticulously carved. It is a piece of high craftsmanship…

Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, scholars who passed the tribute examination in their hometowns were sent to Beijing by their prefectures and counties to participate in the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites, which was called “Fa Jie” or “Jie” for short. Therefore, experts believe that this is an institution that handles examination procedures for candidates. People dressed as Confucian scholars gathered around an old man. With his focused expression, he might have just handed over the materials and were inquiring about the exam information! In addition, some scholars believe that this place was a pawn shop, bookstore, fortune-telling stall, etc.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #December2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. – 13th- 21st December 2023 winters snow …..

December 21, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, anonymous, portrait of Empress Xiaoqinxian in auspicious clothes. Empress Xiao Qinxian (1835-1908), the Empress Dowager Cixi, commonly known as the Queen Mother of the West, entered the palace in the second year of Xianfeng (1852) and was given the title Lan Guiren. In the eleventh year of Xianfeng (1861), his son Zaichun became the successor emperor, namely Emperor Mu Zong Tongzhi. Mother is more precious than child, and she is revered as the Holy Mother Queen Mother. In the nearly fifty years of Tongzhi and Guangxu dynasties, she listened to politics behind the curtain several times. This picture depicts Empress Xiao Qinxian relaxing outdoors alone

13^th December 2023 The flying snow is silent, and the sky and earth are vast.

14^th December 2023 – A group of red walls and white snow send everyone a limited-time winter good morning. The snowfall in Beijing is still continuing today. Everyone must slide carefully when traveling and pay attention to safety!

The image axis of Xuanwei Riyong, the queen of Xiaozhenxian, who was anonymous in Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty. Empress Xiaozhenxian (1837-1881), the Empress Dowager Ci’an, commonly known as the Empress Dowager of the East, was deeply loved by Emperor Xianfeng for her gentle personality. She entered the palace in February of the second year of Xianfeng (1852) and was granted the title of concubine. In May, she was promoted to Concubine Zhen, and in October she was enshrined as Queen. In the picture, she looks dignified, sitting calmly and calmly in a courtyard with blooming peonies. The four characters “Xuanwei Riyong” were inscribed by Emperor Tongzhi. The brushwork throughout the painting is neat and precise, the portraits are vivid and expressive, and the clothes are realistically depicted, leaving important image data for understanding the appearance of Empress Xiao Zhenxian when she was young.

I don’t know if the raindrops in the courtyard have fallen this morning, but I suspect that the forest flowers bloomed last night.

On the 14th December 2023 It snowed for two full days, meeting all our expectations for a snowy day. What winter wishes do you have yet to come true? willing____________.

There are flowers dancing outside the eaves, and the feeling of winter is deep in front of the window.

15th December 2023 Good morning on a Snowy Forbidden City Morning ..

Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, unknown, scroll of Emperor Qianlong enjoying himself during his reign. The Qing Dynasty continued the tradition of the Han nation’s isomorphism of the country and the country. As the ruler, the Qing royal family often ordered painters or craftsmen to express lively scenes of baby play or to show them and their children together through painting, weaving, embroidery, sculpture and other artistic means in order to express their good wishes of having children and grandchildren around their knees. warm time. This picture depicts the scene of Qianlong Emperor Hongli holding his young son in his arms and watching the royal children lighting firecrackers in the palace garden to celebrate New Year’s Day. Emperor Qianlong’s gentle demeanor showed his paternal side besides being an emperor, making the picture full of infinite love and tenderness.

Qing Qianlong, Jia Quan, etc., the character pictures are posted. This hanging painting was painted by Jia Quan, a court painter of the Qianlong Dynasty, and others. It was used as an interior decoration painting and was posted in the Yucuixuan in the Ningshou Palace Garden (commonly known as the Qianlong Garden) in the Forbidden City. Yucuixuan was built in the thirty-seventh year of Qianlong’s reign (1772). The pavilion is divided into three rooms with 槅 fans. This picture is posted on the back eaves wall of the main room. This picture shows the indoor leisure life of concubines and royal family members enjoying themselves in early spring. The cheerful atmosphere dispels the chill and expresses the royal family’s good wishes for the happiness and peace of the people in the world. As the couplet on the picture says: “Hundreds of millions of people live longer, and a peaceful year brings a peaceful spring.

Qianlong, Fugui, and Sui Dynasty axis of the Qing Dynasty. New Year’s Day is New Year’s Day. At the beginning of the new year, people celebrate in various ways. From the inscription “Chen Fu Gui Gong Painting” on this picture, we can know that this picture was a work dedicated to Emperor Qianlong by the court painter Fu Gui. He cleverly used the theme of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new year as the theme. By depicting children wearing colorful beaded shoes, colorful crane cloaks, playing musical instruments, skating, setting off firecrackers and other lively scenes, he expressed his hope for the prosperity of the royal descendants and the prosperity of the hundred sons. Sincere blessings…

Have you ever wondered why the electric ironing tools we use in our daily lives are called “irons”? Because its initial form is “fighting”! Our country has been using irons for more than 2,000 years. A copper bucket-shaped container has a built-in charcoal fire, and the iron can be pressed from above to smooth the fabric. As time goes by, the style of irons continues to change. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, an iron with its own “storage” base appeared. When not in use, the handle can be inserted back into the base, which is another exquisite decoration in the house; in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there were also A “portable” iron with a long handle that can be folded appeared; in addition, heating the soldering iron tip directly in the fire is also a way to use the iron. Although the shape is constantly changing, the name “iron” is still used today, fulfilling the mission of “mediating the yang and harmony in the sky, flattening the beauty and fragrance of the world”, and “ironing” our beautiful life.

During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, there was a case of a colorful treasure. The top of the carved treasure case is in the shape of a rectangular plate, with a girdle underneath and double Kui patterns decorated with flowers between the tooth bars and horizontal beams. It has four curved legs and a square foot with mud support. The paint colors are red, yellow and green, and the surface is carved with a garden corridor. In the middle is a giant gourd with the word “大吉” and eight treasure patterns on it. There are many children around the gourd, holding flags, carrying lanterns, holding halberds and chimes, beating gongs and drums, watching calligraphy, or riding elephants. Most of them are scenes with auspicious meanings such as dramatic plots or treasure maps. interpretation. The bottom of the case is painted with black lacquer and is engraved with the name “Da Ji Bao Case” and the inscription “Made in the Qianlong Year” in gold.

In the mid-Qing Dynasty, ivory carvings flourished. The work is carved from ivory into a simulated pomegranate shape. The outer wall is divided into five petals. There is a mechanism on the top and a living axis on the bottom, which can be opened and closed freely. When closed, it looks like a complete pomegranate, with the skin dyed and lightly engraved with flowers and butterflies. When opened, it looks like a blooming flower. The inner wall is embossed with bat-flowing cloud patterns, and the bats are dyed red, which is homophonic to “Hongfu”. In the center is a round platform with carved railings on the edge. There is a two-story pavilion inside, which is exquisite and clear. Many characters are divided into several groups: some hold umbrellas and flags, as if they are traveling as ceremonial guards; some climb poles, perform horse tricks, and play lions, performing a variety of acrobatics; some pay homage, offer incense, and chat with each other… it is lively. street market scene. The craftsmanship is extremely exquisite and has a considerable degree of micro-carving. The pomegranate has many seeds, which means the pomegranate will bloom with hundreds of seeds. It is a common theme in the crafts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the Work Documents of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Qing Dynasty, there are related records of the “ivory ashes-colored durian box with a hundred seeds” in the Yongzheng period; in the forty-fifth year of Qianlong’s reign (1780), the toothsmith Huang Zhao painted a paper pattern of “a hundred pomegranates opened in ivory” by another The toothsmith Yang Youqing made it; in the 15th year of Jiaqing (1810), the toothsmith Mo Chengji also drew and carved “Liu Kai Bai Zi”. This is the only known example of a similar work that has been handed down from generation to generation, or it may be one of the above records.

On December 20, “Cultural Confidence of Contemporary Museum People—Exhibition of Works by Staff of the Palace Museum and Anhui Museum” will be officially opened to the audience in the Zhai Palace Exhibition Hall of the Palace Museum. Through many types of art works such as calligraphy and painting, seal cutting, sculpture, lacquerware, etc., this exhibition fully demonstrates the vigorous and enterprising attitude of contemporary cultural experts, their broad and profound business skills, their sincere heart of dedication and dedication, and their determination to make new achievements. The ambition of boxing. This exhibition will be on display until January 21, 2024…

During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, a red sandalwood inlaid with jade picture of a hundred children was inserted into the screen. The screen is carved from rosewood, and inside the glass cover are double-sided openwork carvings of palaces, pavilions, mountains, rocks, trees, boats, lotuses, courtyards and other scenes. Among them are hundreds of white jade carved boys, some climbing high, some riding boats, some riding geese, and some holding lotuses. They are lively and lively, implying auspiciousness and the prosperity of a hundred children. The frame is inlaid with a silver piece and the words “engraved jade Baizi screen” indicate its product name. The base of the screen is engraved with many poems from the “Inscribed Jade Baizi Screen” made by Emperor Qianlong, including Wang Jihua, Liang Shizheng, Liu Tongxun and other ministers.

During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, there was a strong pot with a pink color baby play picture on a rouge red ground and a white ground. The jar has a straight mouth, short neck, cylindrical belly and ring feet. Attached is an umbrella-shaped cover with a raised folded edge and a bead-shaped button on the top. The inner wall of the jar is glazed with turquoise green. The cover, the shoulders of the outer wall of the jar, and near the bottom are made of purple rolling tracks, on which are painted in pastel colors a pattern of upturned clouds, and the interior is decorated with folded branches. The belly is painted with the fire scene of the Infant Play Club. In the picture, some babies are holding lanterns, some are playing drums, cymbals, and trumpets, some are holding lions and playing with balls, some are riding horses, and some are setting off firecrackers. They are surrounded by rocks, houses, plantains, and travertine. Wait, it’s a joyous and lively scene. The neck and shins are painted with blue material for a week. The outer sole is glazed with turquoise green, and the six-character and three-line inscription “Made in the Qianlong Year of the Qing Dynasty” written in alum red color is left blank.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #December2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. 4th to 12th December 2023….. First Snow of 2023..

December 13, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

Qing Qianlong, Yao Wenhan, etc., Chongqing Empress Dowager’s eighty-year longevity picture is posted (partial). This picture depicts the grand occasion of Emperor Qianlong’s 80th birthday celebration held for his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing, in the Cining Palace in the Forbidden City where she lived in November of the 36th year of Qianlong’s reign (1771). In the palace, the Queen Mother was sitting on the throne enjoying the banquet, and Emperor Qianlong was sitting sideways to accompany her. In the east and west rooms were Emperor Qianlong’s concubines and Prince Fujin, etc., and on the platform outside the palace were the princes and grandchildren. At this time, the person in charge of the Sixth Palace was the imperial concubine Wei Jia, the biological mother of Emperor Jiaqing Yong Yan, who was posthumously named Queen Xiaoyi. This picture is the only existing painting that truly shows the emperor and his family congratulating the Queen Mother on her birthday. It has precious historical value.

Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, anonymous, all nations come to court. In order to promote the majesty of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong ordered the court painters to create several works that reflected the envoys from various countries coming to the Forbidden City to congratulate them on the New Year. This picture is one of them. The coming of all nations to court was both a family and a state matter for Emperor Qianlong. Therefore, he not only ordered the court painters to depict the lively scenes of envoys from the surrounding vassal states of the Qing Dynasty and Western countries paying homage to him, but also ordered the painters to depict the lively scenes in the paintings…

On the 7^th December 2023 The warm sun is shining, gently touching the painted pillars and caressing the railings. Today 大雪 , together with the spine beasts, we are looking forward to a heavy snowfall that will decorate the Forbidden City!

Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, unknown, scroll of all nations coming to court (detail). This picture is part of the axis of “The Map of All Nations Coming to Court”. It shows the elderly Emperor Qianlong embracing the descendants of the royal family, sitting in the Ningshou Palace area that was rebuilt for him to take care of himself after returning to power, and receiving New Year’s congratulations from envoys from various countries. For Emperor Qianlong, the dynasty was important, but the prosperity of his descendants was also a top priority. Emperor Qianlong had a total of twenty-seven children in his life. In the forty-ninth year of Qianlong’s reign (1784), his great-great-grandson was born, and he was very excited about the five generations living under the same roof. Afterwards, he added the inscription “Five Blessings and Five Dynasties Hall” to the Gyeongbokgung Palace in the Forbidden City to commemorate his wishes, and then engraved “Five Blessings and Five Dynasties Hall Ancient and Rare Emperor Treasure” to express his contented imperial life. There is no date of creation for this painting, but according to the records of the Qing Palace Construction Office, it was painted in December of the 44th year of Qianlong’s reign (1779), so the infant in his arms at this time must be his great-grandson.

Qing Jiaqing, anonymous, Emperor Jiaqing’s ancient costumes and entertainment scroll. This picture depicts Emperor Jiaqing and his concubines dressed in traditional Han costumes, relaxing and entertaining in the courtyard. Although it is a picture of a couple having fun, Emperor Jiaqing not only occupies the main position in the painting, but is also taller than his concubines who are also seated and even the standing waiters, highlighting his supreme status as the king of a country and the head of a family. The waiter came towards them with a scroll of calligraphy and painting in his hand. The gathering of couples was about to begin in the imperial garden where peonies and magnolias were in full bloom, forming an enviable scene of love.

The 40th Anniversary Exhibition of the Palace Museum Publishing House” will be officially opened to the public on December 9 in the Wenhua Hall of the Palace Museum! This exhibition unfolds the 40-year development history of the Palace Museum Press in five units, and for the first time adopts the innovative exhibition format of “books + cultural relics”. In the exhibition hall, there are not only the “Forbidden City Book Mountain” and the “Forbidden Book City” built with thousands of fine books, but also 22 precious cultural relics, including fine porcelain from the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty, and the Qianlong Jasper Dragon Button from the Qing Dynasty. “An ancient rare treasure of the emperor” and other exquisite cultural relics. The exhibition will last until February 25, 2024. The general audience can make an appointment to visit through the “Forbidden City Museum” applet

Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty, anonymous, empress Xiaoshencheng’s lotus scroll. Daoguang Emperor Minning had four queens in his life, the second of whom was Queen Xiaoshencheng. She is the daughter of Shu Ming’a, the third-class Chengen Gong. She entered the palace during the Jiaqing Dynasty and married Minning, who was the prince at the time. In the 13th year of Jiaqing (1808), Emperor Renzong granted her the title of successor to the Jin Dynasty. In the second year of Daoguang (1822), she was canonized as queen. She was the eldest daughter of Emperor Daoguang, Princess Duan Ming Lun, but unfortunately she died in infancy. This picture shows Empress Xiaoshencheng holding a folding fan and wearing seasonal flowers as headdress while admiring the flowers and scenery in the picturesque imperial garden. A pair of mandarin ducks in the lotus pond made her stop and watch. Obviously, the flowers in the garden could not touch her heart as much as the loving mandarin ducks.

Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty, anonymous, Xiao Quancheng, Queen Xuan Palace’s spring mist scroll. This picture is a portrait of Empress Xiao Quancheng holding the prince’s hand. Empress Xiao Quancheng (1808-1840) entered the palace in the early years of Daoguang and was given the title of Quanbi. She gave birth to the third and fourth daughters of Emperor Daoguang. In the eleventh year of Daoguang (1831), when she was twenty-four years old, she gave birth to The fourth son of the emperor was Emperor Xianfeng. In the thirteenth year of Daoguang’s reign (1833), she was granted the title of Imperial Concubine by the Jin Dynasty. In October of the fourteenth year of Daoguang (1834), she was officially appointed by Emperor Daoguang as the third queen after Queen Xiao Shencheng. When she passed away, Yi𬣞 was just over nine years old. The prince she is holding in the picture may be the still young Yi𬣞. The mother and son are holding lotus leaves and lotus flowers respectively, implying the inseparable affection between flowers and leaves.

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.

Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty, anonymous, the scroll of Emperor Daoguang’s joyful autumn garden. This painting depicts the scene of Emperor Daoguang having fun in the courtyard with his concubine, elder brother and princess. With Emperor Daoguang in the open pavilion was the 26-year-old imperial concubine, Queen Xiao Quancheng, the mother of Emperor Xianfeng. At this time, she was dignified in appearance and had just been promoted to imperial concubine due to the death of Empress Xiao Shencheng. She was in charge of the affairs of the Sixth Palace and assumed the power of the empress. Therefore, she was qualified to sit with Emperor Daoguang, but according to regulations, she could not sit side by side with the emperor, so she could only sit respectfully to the side. In front of the pavilion are the lively princes, princesses and elegant concubines. In the happiness of his family, Emperor Daoguang couldn’t help but write the title of the picture “Happiness Overflowing the Autumn Garden” in his own handwriting…..

On the 11^th December 2023 Overnight, the inside and outside of the palace were wrapped in white. The glazed golden roof is covered with jade dust, and the red walls and corridors are covered with silver stars. Looking far into the distance, Danchen and green tiles meet the snow, which is the same color as the sky.

There is flying snow on the red steps, and the green branches are cold and crisp. Under the city full of silver, dots of red and golden stars are scattered among them, forming a moving picture of the Forbidden City in winter.

The white snow is the base, the yellow eaves are the lines, and the dots of vermilion dance like musical notes, like falling jade beads on a plate, composing a majestic movement of snow falling on the Danchen!

The cold stamens are rustling, and the flying feathers are fluttering. The winter elves break the tranquility among the ice and snow, adding infinite vitality…

Qing Xianfeng, Anonymous, Mei Guifei, Chun Guiren and other carnival scrolls. This picture depicts Emperor Xianfeng’s concubine Mei, the noble concubine of the spring, and Qi Chang enjoying their summer fishing activities. There is a yellow paper tag with their name stuck next to each person. Among them, the highest-ranking concubine Mei Guifei is among them, with a look of joy on her face. Their eyebrows are slender and their lower lips are a little bright red, which is the typical makeup of court women in the late Qing Dynasty. As a concrete realistic painting, this picture provides relatively precious image data for studying the costumes of concubines and palace entertainment life in the Qing Dynasty….

The river body is smooth, the eaves and ridges are smooth, and the viewing pillars are in order. The captivating sky and earth trace the changes, and the charm of six hundred years becomes more apparent.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #December2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. – 30th November – 4th December 2023…..

December 5, 2023December 5, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Shouhuang Palace held a wedding ceremony in the wedding tent was temporarily . The wedding tent was temporarily built in the Shouhuang Hall. When the emperor and queen saluted in front of the ancestors’ holy faces, they had to change the dragon robes they wore when leaving the palace into sacrificial robes. This is the place for changing clothes. In order to build the wedding tent, the palace specially made hot samples, that is, three-dimensional models. The sample shown in this picture is still well preserved. It can be seen from the roof pattern that the diamond-shaped opening is decorated with dragon, phoenix and “囍” patterns.

清宁强英 – Exhibition of Glass Collection from the Palace Museum” jointly organized by the Palace Museum and the Guardian Art Center will open on December 23, 2023 at the Beijing Guardian Art Center. This exhibition is the fifth major special exhibition jointly launched by the Guardian Art Center and the Palace Museum. It is also the first large-scale display of Chinese and Western glass cultural relics and related research results from the 17th to the 20th centuries outside the museum. The exhibition selects more than 120 pieces (sets) of glass cultural relics collected by the Forbidden City, and uses three units: “Yao Yan Reflects Color”, “Into Fire and Flowing Gold” and “Flowing Scenery and Ningxia” to display the color, shape, shape, and color of fine glass products in all aspects. Decoration, craftsmanship and their use in courtly life. Presenting to the audience a visual feast that brings together Eastern and Western craft cultures and blends traditional and modern aesthetic styles.

Exhibition location: Guardian Art Center
Exhibition time: December 23, 2023 to March 10, 2024

Encounter Ancient Characters in the Forbidden City -Today, Xiaoji will take you to learn about the food in the oracle bone inscriptions – “millet”.
The lower part of the character ” millet ” represents the roots of the plant, the middle represents the branches, and the forks at the top represent the ears, which vividly depicts the appearance of millet.
The origin of millet is in China. It is one of the oldest crops in our country and is listed as the leader of five grains. Its seeds are light yellow and are called yellow rice after peeling. They are slightly larger than millet and can be used to make food and are often used to make wine. It is an important grain in northern my country.

1^st December 2023 – In the winter of the world, the feathers are flying. The end of the year is approaching, looking back and looking forward to it. What gains and changes have you made this year? Hello December. fall in love with the forbidden city….

Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, anonymous, Yinzhen Xingle scroll. The concubines took care of their husbands and raised their children, were virtuous and filial, and became a model for women all over the world to follow. This month’s content not only presents the leisure activities of the concubines in the palace, but also shows the Qing royal family’s eager desire to have descendants around their knees. This picture shows Yinzhen wearing blue casual clothes and sitting indoors with a majestic expression. The concubines stood outside neatly dressed and elegantly behaved. Even in casual occasions like the courtyard, they who have received strict palace training and regulations do not dare to talk and laugh casually in front of their husband, who is the emperor.

This month’s dailyforbidden City will launch the theme of amboozhenxin , inviting you to appreciate the different forms of bamboo among the treasures of the Forbidden City. Good night tonight comes from the Song Dynasty Baitou Cong Bamboo Illustration Page.

Qing Qianlong, Chen Mei, Yue Man Qingyou picture album page. According to Emperor Qianlong’s decree, the court painter Chen Mei drew the album “Yueman Qingyou Tu”, which shows the life of court women. This picture is one of them, depicting beauties begging for tricks under the plane trees in July. “Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes” written by Shen Bang in the Ming Dynasty said: “On July 7, a bowl of water was poured into the sun. Each of them dropped a small needle on the water surface, and slowly looked at the shadow of the sun on the bottom of the water. It could be scattered like flowers, moving like clouds, as thin as a thread, or as thick as a thread. Like vertebrae, because of the skill of divination by women.” The picture shows the women gently putting the small needle into the bowl and observing it carefully. Ingenuity was the common wish of women from all walks of life at that time, even noble ladies who had no worries about food and clothing were no exception….

Swamp tits are small in size, lively and agile in movement. Although the word “swamp” is in the name, they do not actually live in swamps. They mainly live in forest areas and often move in the canopy of coniferous forests and mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests. , or cling to branches to feed on insects, and often go to bushes to peck at them. It is generally more common near water sources or humid forest areas. It is also found in parks, orchards and other environments in winter. The male and female swamp tits are of the same color. The top of the adult bird’s head to the back of its neck is metallic black. The cheeks, ear feathers and sides of the neck from the side of the head below the eyes are all slightly grayish white. There is a black feather at the base of the lower beak. From a distance, it looks like He has a black goatee-like beard. Except for the breeding season, swamp tits mostly gather in small groups and also mix with other tits

Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, unknown, Hongli Weihu obtained the deer picture scroll. This scroll is the only existing painting showing the imperial concubine following the emperor on a hunt on horseback. The picture depicts the Mulan Paddock in autumn. The imperial concubine follows Qianlong Emperor Hongli, who is drawing his bow and aiming, and offers him an arrow at a critical moment. In the end, the running deer is hit by an arrow and dies with the close cooperation of “the husband sings and the wife follows”. The princess’s hairstyle and clothing in the picture all have exotic characteristics. It is speculated that she may be Rong Fei from the Uyghur ethnic group, the legendary Xiang Fei. She entered the palace at the age of 27 and was favored by Emperor Qianlong. Her living habits and religious beliefs also received the emperor’s respect and special care.

“Qiu Hong” is a famous guqin piece handed down from generation to generation. According to legend, it was composed by Guo Chuwang, a master of the Zhejiang guqin school in the Southern Song Dynasty. The whole song is divided into thirty-six sections, making it one of the longest Qin pieces after “Guangling San”. This song uses the image of Qiu Hong flying high and marching southward, embodying ideal connotations such as “huacai” and “faithfulness”. The melody is bold and simple, the rhythm is ups and downs, and the fingering tone is high and ancient, which makes people listen. Later, I had the feeling of reaching Pingsha and thousands of miles in one fell swoop.

Horizontal axis (part) of four events of the Qing Dynasty Qianlong, Anonymous, Emperor Qianlong’s Banquet. This picture shows the concubines accompanying Emperor Qianlong to attend the banquet held by Mulan Qiuyi, and watched the lively and exciting performances of the “Four Events”, namely “Horse Fraud”, “Shibang”, “Sumo” and “Jiaojun”. As the female relatives of the harem, although they cannot attend the main venue, they can still escape to the yurt camp behind the mountain and experience the same banquet atmosphere as the main venue. Whether he was hunting in the east or north, or going to the south of the Yangtze River, Emperor Qianlong would always take his concubines with him. Mountains and water, everywhere you go, there are scenery, which undoubtedly adds endless fun to the concubine’s closed inner court life…..

On the 3^rd of December 2023, in China, People’s Republic of China National Constitution Day When the court meets the Forbidden City, when the rule of law and culture meet, what kind of brilliant sparks will be produced?

On December 3, the Palace Museum and the Beijing Second Intermediate People’s Court jointly held an event themed “Carrying forward the spirit of the Constitution and building a China governed by law” to welcome the 10 National Constitution Day . Hundreds of children from Jingshan School and Banchang Primary School were invited to attend the event. Take an interesting “Constitutional Education Class”. Under the leadership of the teacher, the students searched for the legal beast Haechi in the Forbidden City, learned the history of the Forbidden City along the way, and passed on the memory of the nation under the influence of culture. They listened to the lectures on the Constitution, recited its articles, made handwritten newspapers on the spot, and had discussions with the Constitution. Intimate contact and immersive experience of a journey to find the roots of traditional legal culture and a journey of exploration of the spirit of modern rule of law.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #December2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies – #明中都#MingZhongdu #滁州 #安徽 #Chuzhou #AnhuiProvince – The first central capital of the #MingDynasty….. #ChineseIntangibleCulturalHeritage

December 4, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

明中都Mingzhongdu The Ming Zhongdu is located in Fengyang County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, China, People’s Republic of China. It was the first capital built by the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang in his hometown of Fengyang. The construction project was presided over by Li Shanchang, the first civil servant of the Ming Dynasty.

The central capital of the Ming Dynasty was first built in the second year of Hongwu (1369) and was stopped in the eighth year of Hongwu (1375). It took a total of six years to build. The Ming Dynasty capital covers an area of more than 50 square kilometers and has three inner, middle and outer cities. Its inner palace city (imperial city) is 120,000 square meters larger than the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The Ming and Zhongdu were designed in strict accordance with the “Book of Rites of the Zhou Dynasty: Kao Gong Ji”, with layout features such as the front dynasty and the back sleeping quarters, the left ancestor and the right commune, and a north-south central axis running through the entire city. When Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict to build the Central Capital in Fengyang, he mobilized skilled craftsmen, soldiers and civilians from all over the country, no less than a million people, to build cities, palaces and palaces like the capital city system, which occupied an important position in the history of the development of ancient Chinese capitals.

Beijing Forbidden City in comparison with the 1062 meters long Odyssey Class – Beijing, China, People’s Republic of China.

明中都Mingzhongdu Forbidden city first Ming Dynasty Forbidden CityFengyang County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province in comparison with the 1062 meters long Odyssey Class – Beijing, China, People’s Republic of China.

The rise and fall of Zhongdu

The Ming Dynasty was established in 1368. In the same year, the Ming army launched its Northern Expedition and occupied most of the Yuan Dynasty , ending the Yuan Dynasty’s rule across the country. The political situation has undergone tremendous changes. After analyzing the pros and cons of establishing capitals in Guanzhong, Luoyang, Bianliang (Kaifeng), and Peking, Ming Taizu believed that Nanjing was too far away from the Central Plains to control the country; Bianliang also suffered from poor people’s livelihood and was a A place surrounded by enemies. Therefore, in September of the second year of Hongwu, an imperial edict was issued to choose Linhao (today’s Fengyang) to build the central capital, “ordering officials to build cities, palaces and palaces as in the capital.”

The construction project of Zhongdu was presided over by Li Shanchang. In the third year of Hongwu, the ground was started and the construction of the palace city began. By the sixth year of Hongwu, the palace city and forbidden city walls and palaces were basically completed, and the construction of the outer city of Zhongdu also started. On Dingsi in April of the eighth year of Hongwu (1375), Zhu Yuanzhang “went to Zhongdu in person to inspect his merits and reward his hard work.” On the same day, he ordered the construction of Ming Zhongdu to be stopped on the grounds of “labor expenses”. Down, no other buildings in Zhongdu will be built, and unfinished projects will continue. After that, from October of the eighth year of Hongwu, the auxiliary buildings of Zhongdu City were renovated and the imperial tombs were built. In the 26th year of Hongwu, the outer city gates of Zhongdu were built. By the 30th year of Hongwu, the construction of Zhongdu City was completed.

After Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty stopped building Zhongdu, Zhongdu was not used as the capital. However, because it was the imperial hometown, the emperor’s relatives often trained troops in Fengyang and lived in the palace of Fengyang Zhongdu. Later, because Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, Beijing was far away from Fengyang. Princes no longer often lived in Zhongdu as in the Hongwu period. The palaces in the imperial city gradually became deserted, but there were still a large number of residents living in Zhongdu, and there were also many people stationed there. The army and government offices guarded and managed the central capital.

Location map of Zhongdu ruins in Ming Dynasty

“ Anhui Fengyang Mingzhongdu Site was selected as one of the “Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in the Country in 2021”

Current status of the Ming and Zhongdu palace city ruins

A schematic restoration of the Tushan Gate city platform in the Ming Dynasty (painted by He Lejun of Nanjing University)

On March 31, 2022, the high-profile “Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in the Country in 2021” was announced. The Ming Zhongdu Site stood out from the 20 archaeological excavation projects that were shortlisted for the final evaluation and was successfully selected.

Ming Zhongdu was the capital city built by Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang in his hometown of Fengyang. In the second year of Hongwu (1369), construction was ordered. Six years later, when construction was stopped on the grounds of “labor expenses”, the capital had begun to take shape. The city site consists of three layers of city walls, covering an area of 50 square kilometers. City walls, palaces, temples, central government offices, military facilities, together with road networks, water systems, kiln sites, stone quarries and other relics from the time of city construction, together constitute a huge group of Ming Zhongdu ruins. In 1982, its core part, the Ming Dynasty Imperial City, was announced as the second batch of national key cultural relics protection units, and in 2017, it was announced as the third batch of national archaeological site parks.

A schematic restoration of the palace in the former court area of the Ming and Zhongdu capitals (illustrated by Li Wei of the Forbidden City)

The distribution of palaces and ancillary buildings in the former dynasty area of the Ming and Zhongdu

The huge stone foundation unearthed from the front hall of the palace foundation site

Large scale stone structure at the palace foundation site

In 2013, taking the construction of the ruins park as an opportunity, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology formulated the “Archaeological Work Plan for the Ming Zhongdu Site”. In 2014, the archaeological exploration work of the Ming Zhongdu Site was launched, and the excavation officially began in 2015. In 2017, with the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology cooperated with the Palace Museum and other units to conduct excavations in accordance with the excavation principles of “minimum area”, “minimum destruction” and “exhibition first” and in accordance with “layout, regulation, technology and process”. “Four academic goals, combining “field archaeology”, “digital archeology” and “technological archeology”, carried out continuous archaeological work on the Ming Zhongdu site and achieved a series of important gains. Through exploration and excavation, the layout of the city site has become increasingly clear, and the shapes and structures of individual building remains such as Chengtianmen, Donghuamen, and Waijinshuiqiao have been gradually revealed. On this basis, in 2021, we focused on excavation work on the Tushan Gate site and the core palace foundation site in the Qianchao District, with a total excavation area of approximately 2,100 square meters.

1. It is revealed that the Tushan Gate is a single-door arch-type city gate. The bottom of the city platform is about 39.5 meters wide from north to south and about 23 meters deep from east to west. It has a rammed earth inner and outer brick structure. The rammed earth core is made of one layer of bricks and one layer of soil. “Jiawaza” ramming method. On the north side of the city platform, an east-west horse path is set up against the north wall of the city platform. It is also a structure filled with rammed earth on the inside and bricks on the outside. The south side of the city platform and the outer city wall are connected by a brick wall. The city platform, horse paths and brick city walls are all located on a rammed earth platform with foundation trenches dug underground, and there is a clear construction sequence. The foundation trough and platform rammed earth also adopt the ramming method of one layer of bricks and one layer of soil. There are also ground nails at the bottom of the foundation trough of the city platform.

2. After accumulated excavations from 2015 to 2021, the layout of the palace foundation and some ancillary buildings in the former area of Guancheng was clarified by exposing the rammed earth platform foundation and its internal slats, in order to further explore the bay scale and construction sequence of the building. , construction technology, etc. laid the foundation. From the information revealed in the western half, it can be seen that the palace has a “work”-shaped layout of the front and rear halls plus a cross hall. Both the front and back halls have “Ninety-Four” bays, and the front hall leads to Baoxia. The hall is three rooms wide and seven rooms deep. On the west side of the apse are auxiliary buildings that may be corridors, gatehouses and Chonglou. The structure of the main hall, front and back halls plus a passage hall is relatively close to the palace architectural shape in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The combination of ancillary buildings on the west side of the apse is very similar to the building combination at the same location in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

3. Excavations show that the palace is located on a rammed earth platform with a high front and a low back, similar to the practice of the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Beijing. The outer edge of the southern part of the platform is covered with a stone Xumizuo. A varying number of steps are found on the front and sides. The ground from the apse to the north is level with the top surface of the platform. The platform base is constructed one by one from various types of rammed earth, and a dense and neat platform is built using the “stone-clipping” method of one layer of stones and one layer of earth. There are many types of stone slabs, such as single type, two-piece type and four-piece type, which are constructed at the same time as the surrounding rammed earth. There are still foundation stones close to their original positions beside some of the stone walls. Among them, the giant stone foundation unearthed from the front hall has a side length of nearly 2.8 meters, a foundation surface length of 2.5 to 2.6 meters, and a basin diameter of 1.8 meters. Its volume is the largest at present. The foundation stone of a palace building is the largest I have ever seen. A rectangular loess platform with a length of 5.7 meters and a width of 4.9 meters was found in the middle and rear of the front hall. It was built earlier than the palace site and the palace wall. It is the location of the dragon throne in the palace and is exactly at the geometric center point of the entire palace.

Contents of this issue: The Ming Zhongdu ruins are located in Fengyang County, Anhui Province. More than 600 years ago, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, decided to make Fengyang the capital of the world, named Zhongdu. Historians and architectural historians believe that during the construction, blueprints and model models were drawn for the reconstruction of the Nanjing Palace and the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Contents of this issue: The mystery of Ming Zhongdu has been deciphered beneath the surface of Jingdezhen, five hundred kilometers away. In 1990, the Jingdezhen Ceramic Archeology Institute unearthed an exquisite white porcelain water pipe, 26 centimeters high. Combining literature and stratigraphic analysis and comparison with physical objects, archaeologists in Jingdezhen confirmed that this unusual glazed building component was a sewer pipe produced for the construction of Fengyang Ming Zhongdu.

Contents of this issue: In the six years from 1369 to 1375 AD, a new capital city began to take shape in Fengyang, Zhu Yuanzhang’s hometown. Zhu Yuanzhang completed the national project of Zhongdu with extremely high standards, striving for excellence in every link. Seeing that his wish to “move the capital to Zhongdu” and “fix the tripod” is about to be realized.

Contents of this issue: In 1375 AD, shortly after Zhu Yuanzhang returned to Nanjing, he suddenly stopped the construction of the Central Capital on the grounds of “labor expense”, which shocked both the government and the public. The super project, which had devoted all the efforts of the whole country, came to an abrupt end just when it was “about to be completed.” As for the real reason, historical records are very vague.

The importance of new archaeological discoveries in Zhongdu during the Ming Dynasty:

1. New archaeological discoveries promote in-depth understanding of the Ming Zhongdu ruins

Because historical records are unclear. Archaeological exploration and excavation of key locations have continuously improved our understanding of the overall planning and layout of the capital in the middle Ming Dynasty. The excavation gradually clarified the scale and shape of each individual building, and explored information such as its construction process, order, and materials. It also gained an in-depth understanding of the construction, abandonment, and evolution processes of each group of buildings.

2. The excavation has filled a number of academic gaps.

1. The “3+2” layout of the Chengtianmen site discovered by archaeological excavations in recent years filled in the transitional link for the evolution of the second gate of the capital from three gates to five gates. It is the prototype of Beijing’s iconic “Tiananmen”.

2. For the first time, the architectural layout of the main hall of the former dynasty area during the Ming and Qing Dynasties is completely revealed. It fills the gap in the archeology of the capital palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties when other city sites such as Nanjing and Beijing do not have the conditions for excavation.

3. The discovery of the loess center point in the palace is extremely rare in excavations in the capital. It is located at the geometric center point of the entire palace city and is the location of the emperor’s dragon throne. It has strong symbolic significance and provides precious materials for studying the planning, site selection, and construction sequence of ancient capitals.

4. The huge stone foundation discovered at the palace foundation reflects the grand scale of the building. Its size is the largest stone foundation found in ancient Chinese palace buildings so far.

3. The excavation has supplemented key materials for the transformation of China’s ancient capital system from the Song and Yuan Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Documents record that Zhu Yuanzhang visited Kaifeng in person before the construction of Zhongdu in the Ming Dynasty. When he conquered the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, he also measured the palaces in the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, including the Zhongdu of the Jin Dynasty. In November of the second year of Hongwu, he read the Yuan palace map. Therefore, the planning of the Ming Zhongdu reflected elements of the Song and Yuan capital systems. For example, the palace city is generally located southward in the capital, the T-shaped square is set up, and the outer Jinshui River route is similar to the planning of Dadu in the Yuan Dynasty. The triple city wall ring, the five-gate system on the central axis, and the I-shaped palace are all directly or indirectly inherited from Kaifeng in the Northern Song Dynasty. city planning concept.

Mingzhongdu was the first capital city in the Ming and Qing dynasties that truly embodied the capital system. Its planning was influenced to a certain extent by King Wu’s New Palace, but in turn it had a more profound impact on the subsequent transformation of Nanjing’s palace city and the capital construction of Beijing. The shape of the city gates in the northern and southern capitals, the setting of palaces and courtyards, the symmetrical layout of left ancestors and right shrines, and the internal and external Jinshui River system were all deeply influenced by the Ming and Zhongdu, and were deeply influenced by the planning of Ming Dynasty palaces and mausoleums in various cities.

The excavation of relevant sites along the central axis of the Ming and Zhongdus has revealed that they connect Song Kaifeng, Jin Zhongdu, Yuan Dadu, Ming Nanjing and Ming Beijing, filling key gaps. This connection also reflects the transmission of Chinese cultural genes from generation to generation. and the continuous characteristics of Chinese civilization. At the same time, it also has practical significance for promoting the study of the central axis of Beijing during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and its application for world cultural heritage.

4. The excavation of various buildings in the Ming and Zhongdu has added important reference materials for the study of architectural history.

The excavation of the palace foundation provides a reference for studying the palace layout of the Forbidden City in Beijing in the early Ming Dynasty, and finds the origin of the practice of the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Beijing.

The discovery of the craftsmanship, practices, construction sequence, and building materials of various types of buildings provides key basis for the restoration research on architectural construction in Zhongdu during the Ming Dynasty, and also provides reference materials for the research on other similar buildings.

The excavation of engineering relics such as kiln sites and scientific and technological research on building materials are also of great value in exploring the organization and implementation of engineering construction, and the production and circulation of building materials.

Since 2017, commissioned by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Palace Museum Archeology Institute has cooperated with the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology to carry out archaeological work on the Ming Zhongdu ruins, and has participated in the completion of the Waijin Water Bridge, the moat, Xihua Gate, Tushan Gate, the core palace area, etc. Excavation work was carried out and a comprehensive survey was conducted on the Ming Zhongdu City Site and the Ming Emperor’s Mausoleum. At the beginning of 2019, the Mingzhongdu Archaeological Work Station jointly built by both parties was officially put into use.

The archeology of Zhongdu in the Ming Dynasty is one of the focuses of the archeology outside the Forbidden City, and it is also one of the important academic topics that the Forbidden City Archeology is dedicated to the archaeological research of palace-related remains. The archaeological discovery and research of the palace city of the Ming Dynasty is of great significance for deeply revealing the spatial form, structural layout, and regulatory ideas of the Forbidden City in Beijing. In the future, we will fully rely on the platform resource advantages of the Palace Museum, actively give play to the palace archaeological characteristics of the Palace Museum, continue to participate in and undertake various archaeological work on the site of the Ming Zhongdu, and base on the perspective of comparative research on the three capitals of the early Ming Dynasty, based on the archeology of the Ming Zhongdu Guided by the academic goals of the Ming Dynasty, the protection of cultural relics and archaeological work in Zhongdu of the Ming Dynasty will continue to be deepened.