Meridian Gate

　　The Meridian Gate is the main entrance to the Forbidden City, located along its north-south central axis. Positioned centrally and facing the sun, it stands where the meridian line passes, hence the name "Meridian Gate." In front of the Meridian Gate are the Gate of Uprightness, Tiananmen, and the Gate of Great Qing, while behind it lies the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Inside each gate, there are rows of side halls arranged neatly on both sides. This layout, where gates and corridors form a square and create a progressively layered structure, was influenced by the ancient Chinese "Five Gates and Three Courts" system, which helped emphasize the majestic and solemn nature of imperial architecture.

　　The Meridian Gate has five archways, but from the front, it appears to have only three. Actually, there are also two side gates on the left and right, located on the inner sides of the east and west platforms—one facing west and the other facing east. These two archways extend inward into the raised platform, then turn northward and exit from the back side of the platform. Therefore, when viewed from the rear of the Meridian Gate, all five archways are visible, leading to the saying "three seen from the front, five in reality." The central gate was normally reserved for the emperor’s use alone; the empress was allowed to pass through it once—on her wedding day. The top three scholars in the palace examination (the zhuangyuan, bangyan, and tanhua) could also exit through this gate once after their success. During the Qing Dynasty, civil and military officials used the left gate, while nobles and royal family members used the right gate. The side gates were generally closed, but during grand ceremonies at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, all officials would enter and exit through these two side gates.

　　On either side of the central gate tower of the Meridian Gate are two pavilions housing a bell and a drum. There were specific rules dictating when the bell or drum was to be sounded. The bell was rung when the emperor left the Meridian Gate for sacrificial rites at altars and temples; the drum was beaten when he visited the Imperial Ancestral Temple; and both bell and drum were sounded together when the emperor ascended the throne to hold grand ceremonies.

　　Certainly, on the first day of the tenth lunar month each year during the Qing Dynasty, the emperor would issue the next year’s calendar at the Meridian Gate in a ceremony known as the “Calendar-Issuing Ceremony” or “Ban Shuo Zhi Li.” In the Ming Dynasty, errant ministers were punished by caning in the square in front of the Meridian Gate. Many Ming officials received the punishment of court caning, though the claim that some were beaten to death on the spot is unfounded.

　　The Meridian Gate was built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1420), renovated in the 4th year of the Shunzhi reign in the Qing Dynasty (1647), and repaired again in the 6th year of the Jiaqing reign (1801). The gate has a concave-shaped layout and follows the design of the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace from the Tang Dynasty (with a total width of nearly 58 meters) as well as the Danfeng Gate of Song Dynasty palaces, evolving from the gate towers of the Han Dynasty.

　　At the center of the raised platform is the main gate tower, which is nine bays wide and features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. Extending from both sides of the platform are 13-bay corridors on each wing, commonly referred to as "Wild Goose Wing Buildings." At the ends of the corridors are square pavilions with double-eaved pyramidal roofs. On either side of the main tower are three-bay bell and drum towers. Whenever the emperor personally visited the Temple of Heaven or the Temple of Earth for sacrifices, the bells and drums would sound together; for sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, only the drums were played, and for large-scale events, both bells and drums sounded. The entire Meridian Gate complex features varied heights, balanced composition, and a design resembling a red bird spreading its wings—hence it is also called the "Five Phoenix Tower."

　　The emperor would present spring pancakes at the beginning of spring; cool cakes on the Dragon Boat Festival; and flower cakes on the Double Ninth Festival. On the first day of the tenth lunar month, the next year’s calendar was issued. Every year on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the “Calendar-Issuing Ceremony” (Ban Shuo) was held at the Meridian Gate to announce the upcoming year’s calendar. In times of major warfare, when the army returned in triumph, a “Presentation of Captives Ceremony” would be held at the Meridian Gate to offer war captives to the emperor.

　　For example, in the 14th year of the Zhengde reign (1519), Emperor Zhu Houcong wished to travel to the south to select beauties, but his ministers remonstrated, angering him. As a result, 130 officials including Shu Fen and Huang Gong were subjected to court caning, and 11 of them died on the spot. Additionally, after the Ming Emperor Shizong Zhu Houcong ascended the throne, he sought to posthumously honor his biological father, Prince Xianxian, as emperor, which was opposed by the ministers. Over 100 officials knelt and wept in protest at the Left Shun Gate, prompting the emperor to order court caning; 17 people died on the spot. This gave rise to the popular saying "being taken out of the Meridian Gate to be beheaded." However, in reality, executions never took place in front of the imperial palaces during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Convicts were instead escorted to execution grounds such as Cai Shi or Caishikou. During major ceremonies and important festivals, grand displays of imperial authority were set up here.

The Palace Museum

Palace of Purity and Harmony

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Gate of Divine Prowess

Hall of Preserving Harmony

Palace of Heavenly Favor

Hall of Martial Valor

Palace of Earthly Tranquility

Palace of Heavenly Purity

Palace of Compassion and Tranquility

Studio of the Three Rarities

Hall of Mental Cultivation

Palace of Longevity and Health

Imperial Garden

Palace of Eternal Spring