#The Forbidden City: Architecture, Power, and Ritual

# The Forbidden City: Architecture, Power, and Ritual

This lecture explores the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, as a case study in architecture and its relationship to place, power, and ritual. The lecture aims to connect abstract definitions of place with tangible examples, focusing on the bodily experiences elicited by the city's design.

## The Forbidden City as a Center of Power

The Forbidden City was the residence of the emperor and the symbolic, political, and spiritual center of China. It was a walled city within a walled city, with a series of increasingly exclusive precincts leading to the emperor's inner sanctum. This segmentation and segregation of spaces, achieved through walls, reinforced the separation of the ordinary from the extraordinary.

The walls themselves were a fundamental component of traditional Chinese architecture and urban planning, providing security and order. The Forbidden City's walls, with their guard towers and surrounding moat, created a sense of both physical and symbolic separation.

David Summers' quote about centers and boundaries highlights the interconnectedness of these concepts: "A boundary must be approached, which entails a path, approach, and injury. A boundary must also acknowledge the center for alignment." The Forbidden City's walls served as boundaries, defining the center and requiring a specific approach.

## Alignment and Orientation

The Forbidden City was also carefully aligned with the cardinal directions, with its major buildings facing south. This orientation was not only practical, providing clarity and order, but also held spiritual and political significance.

The north-south axis of the city was aligned with the balance of Yin and Yang, with the emperor residing on the central axis, representing the male principle of Yang. This alignment symbolized the emperor's connection to heaven and earth, and his position as the center of the universe.

## The Forbidden City as Performative Architecture

The Forbidden City's architecture served as a stage for the performance of political power. The ceremonial processions, with their rigid order and elaborate costumes, were a spectacle designed to impress and awe.

The journey inward, through a series of gates and thresholds, created a sense of anticipation and tension for visitors. The architecture itself, with its contrasting spaces of enclosure and openness, light and darkness, heightened the experience.

The hall of supreme harmony, the emperor's throne room, was a masterpiece of visual splendor and acoustic design. The throne, elevated on tiered platforms and surrounded by rich decor, symbolized the emperor's power and authority.

## The Forbidden City and the Natural World

The Forbidden City's design also reflected a deep connection to the natural world, particularly the principles of Feng Shui. The creation of the artificial lake and prospect hill to the west of the city was intended to correct the imbalance caused by human presence and restore harmony to the spiritual world.

The Forbidden City, with its carefully planned architecture and alignment, embodied a desire for balance and order, both cosmic and political. It served as a powerful symbol of imperial authority and a testament to the enduring influence of Chinese architectural traditions.