Hall of Union

　　The Hall of Union is one of the three rear palaces in the inner court of the Forbidden City in Beijing, situated between the Hall of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Its name comes from the Book of Changes, symbolizing “the union of heaven and earth, harmony and happiness.” It was built around the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, renovated in the 12th year of the Shunzhi reign (1655) and the 8th year of the Kangxi reign (1669). In the 2nd year of the Jiaqing reign (1797), a fire in the Hall of Heavenly Purity spread to this hall, which was then rebuilt the following year.

　　The Hall of Union was where the empress received birthday congratulations. During the Qing Dynasty, it housed the Twenty-Five Imperial Seals, each with specific ceremonial uses. Every Lunar New Year, the Board of Astronomy selected an auspicious date and time to open the cases and display the seals, after which the emperor would come to offer incense and perform rituals. In light of the lessons learned from eunuch domination during the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Shunzhi decreed that eunuchs should not interfere in state affairs, and the iron plaque inscribed with “Eunuchs Shall Not Meddle in Politics” was placed in this hall. During imperial weddings, the empress’s enthronement edicts and seals were placed on the tables on the left and right sides of the hall. Each spring, the empress would inspect the mulberry-picking tools here in preparation for the Silkworm Worship Ceremony.

　　The Hall of Union has a square floor plan, with a width and depth of three bays each. It features a yellow-glazed tile roof with a four-cornered pyramidal spire and a gilded finial, slightly smaller than the Hall of Central Harmony. Inside, there is an imperial throne, behind which stand four screen panels inscribed with the “Inscription of the Hall of Union” written by Emperor Qianlong. At the center of the ceiling is an octagonal caisson. The single-eave, four-cornered pyramidal roof is topped with a copper-gilded finial, covered in yellow-glazed tiles, and supported by double-ang five-step bracket sets. The painted beams and carved rafters are elaborately decorated. The windows are exquisitely crafted, with the southern side having lattice windows in the secondary bays, while the other three sides have solid walls in the secondary bays. The interior ceiling features a dragon-and-pearl caisson, and the floor is paved with golden bricks. A bronze clepsydra (water clock) is installed in the eastern secondary bay but was no longer used after the Qianlong era. On the western side of the hall, there is a large striking clock, manufactured in the 3rd year of the Jiaqing reign. The time throughout the imperial palace was based on this clock. The striking clock stands about 6 meters tall and is the largest ancient standing clock preserved in China.

　　In the 13th year of the Qianlong reign (1748), the emperor stored the Twenty-Five Imperial Seals, representing imperial authority, in the Hall of Union. These seals were managed by the Grand Secretariat and supervised by the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Their use required imperial approval. The “Seal of the Emperor” was used for issuing edicts and announcing the list of successful imperial examination candidates; the “Seal of Establishing Laws” and the “Seal of Bestowing Virtue” were used for imperial directives to officials and for rewarding civil servants; the “Seal for Commanding the Six Armies” was used for military purposes. The seals were kept in boxes covered with yellow silk.

　　The bronze clepsydra, also known as a water clock, is an ancient Chinese timekeeping device. As early as 3,000 years ago, the Chinese invented the method of measuring time using dripping water. The bronze clepsydra displayed in the Hall of Union was made in the 10th year of the Qianlong reign (1745), and it is the best-preserved water clock still in existence in China.

　　The large striking clock displayed in the Hall of Union was made in the 3rd year of the Jiaqing reign (1798) by the Imperial Workshop of the Qing palace. Its casing is modeled after a traditional Chinese multi-story pavilion-style wooden cabinet, standing 5.8 meters tall and divided into upper, middle, and lower sections. There is a small staircase at the back of the clock tower, which can be used to wind the clock. Once the clock is running, it automatically chimes on the hour and quarter-hour. Now, over 200 years later, this clock still functions accurately and strikes clearly and loudly, demonstrating its exceptional craftsmanship.

The Palace Museum

Palace of Purity and Harmony

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Gate of Divine Might

Hall of Preserving Harmony

Hall of Imperial Supremacy

Hall of Military Eminence

Hall of Heavenly Purity

Palace of Earthly Tranquility

Studio of the Three Rarities

Palace of Longevity and Health

Hall of Mental Cultivation

Palace of Longevity and Peace

Imperial Garden

Palace of Eternal Spring