2. Historical Evolution: Six Centuries from Yongle's Founding to the Museum
1. The Yongle Founding: Moving the Capital to Beijing and the Birth of the Forbidden City
The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, established his capital in Nanjing. His fourth son, Zhu Di, ascended the throne after the 'Jingnan Campaign' as Emperor Yongle. To consolidate northern border defenses and escape the influence of old Nanjing forces, Yongle decided to move the capital to Beijing. In the fourth year of Yongle (1406), he ordered the construction of a new palace on the site of the Yuan Dynasty palace in Beijing, modeled after the Nanjing palace. The project was supervised by Marquis Chen Gui and Vice Minister of Works Wu Zhong, employing 230,000 craftsmen and one million laborers. Timber was sourced from deep mountains in Sichuan, Huguang, and Jiangxi, while stone was quarried from Fangshan in Beijing. After fourteen years of arduous construction, the Forbidden City was officially completed in the eighteenth year of Yongle (1420). The following year, Emperor Yongle formally moved the capital to Beijing, and the Forbidden City became the political heart of the Ming Dynasty.
2. Ming Dynasty Fires and Rebuilding: Disaster and Rebirth of Wooden Architecture
During the Ming Dynasty, the Forbidden City suffered repeated fires caused by lightning and human error. In the nineteenth year of Yongle (1421), just one year after completion, the first three halls (Fengtian, Huagai, Jinshen) were destroyed by lightning. They were rebuilt in the fifth year of Zhengtong (1440), but burned again in the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing (1557) due to lightning. Rebuilt in the forty-first year of Jiajing (1562), they were renamed Huangji, Zhongji, and Jianji halls. In the twenty-fifth year of Wanli (1597), the three main halls were again destroyed by fire and were not repaired until the seventh year of Tianqi (1627). Each rebuilding adjusted some regulations based on the original site, but the overall layout always followed the Yongle-era plan.
3. Qing Dynasty Repairs and Renovations: Imperial Splendor Blending Manchu and Han Styles
In the first year of Shunzhi (1644), the Qing army entered the pass, and the Forbidden City became the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty. The Qing rulers carried out large-scale repairs and partial renovations of the Ming buildings. In the second year of Shunzhi (1645), the three main halls were renamed Taihe, Zhonghe, and Baohe. From the twenty-second to the thirty-fourth year of Kangxi (1683–1695), after the Taihe Hall was damaged by an earthquake, the Qing court carried out a thorough reconstruction, using more durable 'golden bricks' for flooring and a stronger dougong structure. During the Qianlong period (1736–1795), the Qing court conducted the last large-scale renovation of the Forbidden City, including the construction of the Ningshou Palace (prepared for Qianlong's retirement as the Emperor Emeritus, now the area of the Treasure Gallery), the Wenyuan Pavilion (to house the 'Complete Library of the Four Treasuries'), and the conversion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin Dian) into the emperor's daily residence and political center. The Qing renovations added more Manchu cultural elements and practical functions while maintaining the overall Ming layout.
4. The Republic of China and the Transformation into a Museum: From Imperial Palace to Public Cultural Institution
In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and the Qing emperor abdicated. According to the 'Articles of Favorable Treatment of the Qing Imperial Family', Puyi was allowed to remain in the Inner Court. In 1924, Feng Yuxiang launched the 'Beijing Coup' and expelled Puyi from the Forbidden City. On October 10, 1925, the Palace Museum was formally established, and the Forbidden City was transformed from an imperial forbidden area into a museum open to the public. This transformation marked the end of China's last feudal dynasty and opened a new era for the Forbidden City as a cultural heritage site for protection and display.
5. Protection under the People's Republic: Guardianship and Inheritance of a World Cultural Heritage
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Palace Museum entered a period of comprehensive protection. In 1961, the Forbidden City was listed as one of the first batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. In 1987, it was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List. From 2002 to 2020, the Forbidden City underwent an 18-year 'Century Repair' project, systematically restoring the central axis and the Eastern and Western Six Palaces. In 2019, the Palace Museum received over 19 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited museums in the world.
