[caption id="attachment_3405" align="aligncenter" width="284"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/fie23976_21025.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3405 " alt="fie23976_21025" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/fie23976_21025-284x300.png" width="284" height="300" /></a> Xu Yang, <em>Bird's Eye View of the Capital</em> http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com//figures/0077346181/fie23976_21025.png[/caption]

The Forbidden City "was the most elaborate imperial monument of the Ming and Qing eras" (Fiero). Once the Ming court settled it in 1421, it remained a cornerstone of Chinese government and artistic vision into the early 20th century. The longevity of this work and it's importance as the seat of Chinese government make a strong case for it's worth as an object of preservation. Built in Beijing, China, it represented the separation between the government bureaucracy and aristocracy from the peasants. This elitism is what earned the name Forbidden City, and the 10 foot high walls surrounding the complex added to the mystique and exclusivity of the work. Inside those walls were an elaborate microcosm of imperial life, and it's residents had every necessity and luxury possible without ever having to go into the outside world. The central structure was the Hall of Supreme Harmony where the emperor (In Chinese 皇帝, pronounced huangdi literally meaning "Son of Heaven") conducted his affairs. This marriage of spirituality with governance shows itself in the numerous temples and gardens alongside administrative buildings. Wood was the most common building material, cut from forests in Sichuan province and floated down the river to Beijing. Special consideration was placed in symmetry and practicality, with important government offices placed close together in a line towards the center. Most buildings were adorned with carvings and brightly painted in red, gold and green. The concave roofs were thatched with curved bricks and were supported by columns. The principle of feng shui was utilized to promote spatial harmony with the environment and focus the resident's <em>qi </em>(translated as energy).<!--more-->

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"]<img alt="" src="http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/thumbs/site_0439_0037-500-333-20100126175550.jpg" width="500" height="333" /> Architecture example, http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/thumbs/site_0439_0037-500-333-20100126175550.jpg[/caption]

Prior to the Forbidden City, China already had a history of dynasties and strong central government. Confucianism were the social principles that made for a rigid class-based society, and the only way to achieve upward mobility involved passing a demanding test for entry into the bureaucracy. Towards the end of the Ming dynasty in the 16th century, there was a "new tradition of humanist values that was forming with ever expanding influence... and was rooted in rapid economic development under a new historical condition, [that] had the newly risen stratum of city residents as its basis" (Gao). This movement towards social equality did not gain serious momentum until the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1912. Another important issue was the threat of foreign invaders, and the other great building project of the Ming dynasty was in restoring the Great Wall of China to protect against attacks from the north. Ultimately this project was unsuccessful as the Manchu, "descendants of Mongols, Turks, and other tribes" (Fiero) took power and claimed The Forbidden City as their seat of power. In keeping with authoritarian rule, all male Chinese had to cut their hair in the Manchu style.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="314"]<img class=" " alt="" src="http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/j/gjs4/textbooks/PM-China/graphics/Ch10/01.gif" width="314" height="360" /> Manchu style haircut, http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/j/gjs4/textbooks/PM-China/graphics/Ch10/01.gif[/caption]

Both dynasties subsisted on taxes placed on the lower classes and used their wealth to adorn their palaces with expensive art commissions and decorations. Some of these pieces were exported to Europe which inspired the <em>chinoiserie </em>style, and goods such as tea, jade, and silk provided a new source of income. As wealth flowed into China more citizens became literate and there was a new demand for books. This rising middle class still saw ostracism from the ruling elite similar to the social situation in France.

At roughly the same time as the Forbidden City imperial courts in France and India constructed Versailles and Shahjahanabad. All of these palaces symbolized authoritarian rule and separated peasants from aristocrats. Unlike Versailles, Shahjahanabad and the Forbidden City were walled off completely, displaying a candid pessimism about personal safety. All of these palaces were lavishly decorated but Versailles exemplifies Christianity, Shahjahanabad Islamism, and the Forbidden City Confucianism. Versailles also showed radical evolution over time in it's architectural and artistic decoration, while the Forbidden City remained stoically resistant to foreign influences. The Han dynasty devised the "hallmark of Chinese <strong>architecture</strong>—a graceful, overhanging roof, sometimes in several tiers, with upturned eaves" (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Ming buildings such as Zhenhai Tower, Zhenjue Temple, and Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda all display this characteristic. What set the Forbidden City apart from them was the massive size of the work, none covered the same amount of area and served such an important role to the culture.

The temporal scope of the work makes it hard to quantify what time period it truly belongs to. "The Chinese tradition of collecting cultural artefacts long predated the introduction of museums" (Changhong), and the Forbidden City amassed a large collection of these artefacts. During the span of it's relevance in current affairs it was seen as a testament to Chinese identity. "The public had long understood the cultural value of the Palace" (Changhong). As a work the Forbidden City has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. It was concluded that "The Imperial Palaces bear exceptional testimony to Chinese civilisation at the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties" (UNESCO). In modern China the Forbidden City is highly regarded, and a backlash was triggered when the coffee chain Starbucks was planning on expanding onto the site. As one news anchor blogged "...having one inside the <strong>City</strong> is inappropriate. This is not globalization, but an erosion of Chinese culture" (Chenggang qtd. in Roberts). I was able to visit the Forbidden City in a trip to China and was impressed with the history at the site. I remember a giant lake that was very soothing to look at, and walking the cobbled stone streets it felt like the modern city outside the walls no longer existed. I can understand how an upper class citizen could live their whole life at the site, cloistered from the outside world. I was especially impressed with the artwork on display, it has an abstract quality that separates it from the Greco-Roman European style.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="390"]<img class=" " alt="" src="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_37.191.1.jpg" width="390" height="345" /> Ming jar, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_37.191.1.jpg[/caption]

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Fiero, Gloria. "The Humanistic Tradition Book 3, The European Renaissance, The Reformation, And Global Encounter." <em>6<sup>th</sup>. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages</em>, 2010.  September 29, 2013.

This source provided basic information on the work and helped when making comparisons to other palaces.

Changhong, Guo. 2008. "The Qing Palace: from a Forbidden City to a Public Heritage." <i>Museum International</i> 60, no. 1/2: 78-88. <i>Academic Search Complete</i>, EBSCO<i>host</i> (accessed September 29, 2013).

This source helped with information on the Qing Dynasty.

Gao, Xiang, Yilin, tr Deng, and Shiwu, tr Deng. 2010. "The rise of a new tradition: Changes in values and life styles in late Ming China /." <i>Frontiers Of History In China</i> 5, no. 1: 1-29. <i>Humanities Full Text (H.W. Wilson)</i>, EBSCO<i>host.</i> (accessed September 29, 2013).

This source gave some historical context for the Ming Dynasty.

UNESCO. "Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang" <em>UNESCO. </em>Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

This source provided information on the Forbidden City and it's history.

Roberts, Dexter. "Forbidden Starbucks." <i>Businessweek Online</i> (2007): 14. <i>Business Source Complete</i>. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

This source was helpful in providing an example of how The Forbidden City is still relevant today.

"Chinese Architecture." <i>Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition</i> (2013): 1-2. <i>Literary Reference Center</i>. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

This source helped with background information on architecture and examples of similar works.