The Forbidden City is located in Beijing China. It was used as the emperor's dwelling place. No one was aloud in the City exept the Imperial family, the emperor's servants, and people who were summoned, hence the name Forbidden City.
The City is surrounded by a moat. That is a major defence. Another major defense is the huge wall that goes all around the City. Watchtowers are at every corner of the City. Various gates defend various courts.
The emperor was thought to be the son of heaven. Hence, he should be in the middle of everything. The Chinese, in those times, thought their country was in the middle of the world. Where the Forbidden City is located they thought the central meridian of the world. So the emperor was in the middle. The emperor's sleeping quaters is in the middle of the City.
The most important building of the whole city is the Hall of Supreme Harmony. This is the building
where the emperor would celebrate New Year's, his birthday, and to receive important guests.
The building in the back of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Central Harmony. In the Hall of Central Harmony is where there would be sacrifices.
In the Hall of Preserved Harmony is where the emperor would prepare and get dressed for important events in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Hall of Heavenly Purity was used as the bedroom of the
emperor. It is a twin of the Hall of Supreme Harmony except it is smaller. The emperors would do everyday things in this hall. They read documents, signed things,
interviewed minister and envoys. When the emperor died, the coffin would be left in that hall for a few days,
the ceremonies were done, and the body was moved to a mausoleum. In the middle of this hall, there is a throne.
Above the throne it says Brightness and Justice. On the columns around the throne, there were couplets (two lines that makes a poem)
written by the emperor.
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