To say that there are the most dragon elements in the capital, it is undoubtedly the Forbidden City. When there was an emperor in the Forbidden City, dragons of different forms could be seen everywhere, and after the palace became the Forbidden City, those dragons remained in the old palace, just like the imperial power remained in the past years.
The dragon is in the air. In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon is a mysterious, sacred and auspicious symbol, and is highly revered and worshipped. The three major halls of the Forbidden City - Taihe Palace, Zhonghe Palace, and Baohe Hall stand on the triple white marble dragon pier, and the royal road before and after the three major halls is paved with a beautifully carved dragon majesty. The Nine Dragon Wall is a single-sided glazed shadow wall built against the palace wall, which was built in 1772 when the Ningshou Palace was rebuilt, and the Nine Dragon Wall and the Nine Dragon Wall of Datong in Shanxi Province and the Nine Dragon Wall of Beihai Park in Beijing are called "China's Three Nine Dragon Walls". The strange stone that runs through the center of the wall separates the 9 dragons in 5 areas, the yellow dragon is in the center, and there are blue dragons, white dragons, and purple dragons around them, and the postures are all vivid.
The dragons of the Forbidden City not only soar in the temple, but also in clothing, furniture, cups, plates and utensils and other daily objects. In the royal collection of historical artifacts, there are also a large number of dragon motifs. So, how many dragons are there in the Forbidden City? Perhaps there will never be an answer to this question. The emperor is known as the "true dragon son of heaven", the five-clawed golden dragon has become the symbol of the dominance of the Forbidden City, the emperor's court clothes, the front chest and back, the left and right shoulder armor have dragon patterns. The dragon is the embodiment of the emperor and a symbol of imperial power.
As a legendary animal, why is the dragon favored by the royal family? Because the supernatural powers are vast. The eleven animals in the zodiac are all real, except for the dragon. Only in this way can there be a broad enough space for imagination. Earthly animals have limitations, but dragons do not, dragons live in mythology and can do anything.
Of course, in the world of dragons in the Forbidden City, the different shapes of dragons have more meanings. The sacred beast that "sits" on the roof of the palace is called "Dragon Kiss", and according to legend, it is one of the nine sons of the dragon. In the huge Forbidden City, the consequences of a fire are unimaginable. Therefore, "Dragon Kiss" has a great responsibility. Of course, this is only a symbol, and in case of a fire, it is up to the fire brigade.
The dragon caisson on the ceiling of the palace is decorated with algae aquatic plants such as lotus and water chestnut, which also means to press fire with water. The roof is the commanding height, guarded by the "dragon's kiss", and the interior of the palace is close to the dragon caisson. The shape of the caisson is the upper circle and the lower circle, the circle represents the sky, and the square represents the earth, which is the embodiment of the ancient Chinese cosmology of "the sky is round and the place is round". In the hierarchical ancient society, only noble buildings could use the beaulieu caisson decoration.
Nine dragons are entwined on the dragon chair of the Jinluan Palace, implying the respect of the Ninety-Five. The ancients divided numbers into yang and yin, odd numbers are yang, and even numbers are yin. Nine is the highest number of yang, and five is in the middle, which means supreme and at the core. There are five golden dragons under the plaque of Qianqing Palace, every year at 12 o'clock at noon on the winter solstice, the sunlight is reflected from the ground to the plaque, and the five golden dragons under the plaque are lit up in turn from west to east, emitting a brilliant golden light, symbolizing the radiance of power.
The Taihe Palace, commonly known as the Jinluan Palace, stands in the Forbidden City**. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, important celebrations such as the emperor's accession to the throne, weddings, and sending generals to expeditions were held here. The painted decoration of the outer eaves and forehead, the gilded decoration on the skirt of the door leaf, the gilt ornament on the partition and the window all have dragon patterns, it is the highest standard of the main hall, and it is also the place with the most dragons in the Forbidden City.
In the rainy season, "a thousand dragons spit water" is a peculiar landscape of the Taihe Palace. Qianlong spit water refers to the rainwater gathered outside the Taihe Hall through the drainage system "spitting out". The cockroach is a kind of dragon without horns in myths and legends. Outside the pedestal of the Taihe Palace, under the railing, a number of drainage outlets are carved into a number of claws sticking out.
As the place where the "True Dragon Son of Heaven" lived, there are countless dragons in the Forbidden City, including palace roofs, doors and windows, beams and columns, steps, railings, etc., dragons are everywhere. From the material point of view, stone dragon, wood dragon, copper dragon, iron dragon, gold dragon, jade dragon, pottery dragon, glass dragon, painted dragon, etc., imagination has everything, the shape is varied, it is simply a dragon world. (Photo: Mi Guanghong).