Introduction:
The Forbidden City in Beijing, a World Heritage Site with a history of more than 600 years, is one of China's iconic buildings and attracts millions of visitors every year. However, the Forbidden City closes at 5 p.m. every day, sparking various rumors, the most widespread of which is that it is haunted. Despite multiple rumors of haunted events, there is no conclusive evidence to support these claims. The article will explain the reasons why the Forbidden City closes at 5 o'clock, as well as the thefts that have occurred in history.
1. The 5 o'clock closing rule of the Forbidden City is for cleaning and safety reasons
The Forbidden City welcomes visitors from all over the world every day, making it a crowded tourist destination. However, this is also accompanied by the generation of a lot of garbage and debris. Visitors inevitably throw away paper cups, food packaging, and other garbage when they visit. If cleaning is not done before dark, the staff will face great difficulties. As a cultural heritage, it is essential to keep the Forbidden City clean to ensure the preservation of historic buildings and precious cultural relics.
In addition, in order to ensure that all visitors leave and prevent the loss of artifacts, the staff needs to inspect each attraction, which also takes time. There have been cases of theft, one of which was caused by a malfunction of the surveillance system and the inaction of security personnel. Safety has always been a top priority for the management of the Forbidden City. Therefore, in order to protect the safety of cultural relics and tourists, the Forbidden City has taken the measure of closing its doors in advance.
In this sub-point, we can see that the 5-point closing rule of the Forbidden City is not only for cleaning, but also for the safety of tourists and cultural relics. This regulation is implemented not only to preserve historical and cultural heritage, but also to ensure a comfortable experience for visitors.
2. The theft is one of the reasons for the early closure of the Forbidden City
The interior of the Forbidden City covers a vast area and includes 9,000 houses, which attracts a large number of visitors every day. However, over the past few decades, there have been several thefts, the most famous of which was the "Hoshou Case" in 1959. The case exposed the flaws in the surveillance system and the inadequacy of security in the Forbidden City.
The 1959 "Baoshou Case" was one of the largest thefts of cultural relics in Chinese history. Some criminals took advantage of the rainy weather and the monitoring system failed, successfully broke into the Forbidden City and stole a large number of precious cultural relics. The patrol rules for security personnel have also been abolished because they are too old, providing opportunities for thieves. The incident shocked the whole country and made people aware of the security holes in the Forbidden City.
Eventually, however, the case was solved, the thieves were apprehended, and the treasures were recovered, but the incident prompted the Forbidden City to adopt stricter security measures. Surveillance systems have been upgraded and security personnel have been trained more rigorously to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again. Therefore, the theft case is one of the reasons that led to the early closure of the Forbidden City to protect the precious cultural relics from loss.
This point highlights the impact of the theft on the security of the Forbidden City and the measures taken by the management to ensure the safety of the artefacts. This also shows the value and protection of historical and cultural heritage.
3. Although rumors of haunting in the Forbidden City are widely circulated, there is a lack of conclusive evidence
Although there are many haunted stories about Zhenfei Well and other attractions, these rumors are mostly based on folklore and personal experiences. With the development of technology and social progress, the younger generation is becoming less and less convinced of these rumors. The Forbidden City has also publicly clarified these rumors, saying that the haunting is pure nonsense.
The Zhenfei Well is a controversial attraction in the Forbidden City and is considered a haunted "high-incidence area". Legend has it that the well was the place where a palace maid was killed, so tourists often claim to hear the woman crying at night. However, these sounds can be caused by winds blowing through buildings or other natural factors, and lack scientific evidence. The management of the Forbidden City emphasized scientific and rational explanations and encouraged visitors not to believe rumors.
In this sub-point, we can see that although rumors of the haunting of the Forbidden City are widely spread, there is a lack of conclusive evidence. This is also an issue that the management of the Palace Museum has publicly clarified in order to maintain its reputation and image.
Conclusion:
As a treasure of Chinese culture, the Forbidden City attracts tourists from all over the world. The 5pm p.m. close rule is not because it is haunted, but because of cleanliness and safety concerns. The management of the Palace Museum has always been committed to protecting the safety of cultural relics and visitors, and this also includes lessons from historical thefts. Despite the rumors of haunting, these rumors lack scientific basis and should be viewed with reason and science. Most importantly, the Forbidden City reminds people to obey the law and not go astray due to greed, so as not to sacrifice their lives. The closing time of the Forbidden City is to maintain the integrity of the cultural relics and the safety of visitors, as well as to respect and cherish history. May each of us cherish this cultural treasure and contribute to its protection and inheritance.