{"id":1047,"date":"2026-06-08T02:29:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T06:29:14","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-08-11T21:02:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:02:31","slug":"buddhist-forbidden-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/?p=1047","title":{"rendered":"Buddhist Forbidden City"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tibetan Buddhist Heritage
\nin the Forbidden City<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Forbidden City layout<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The forbidden city was built in perfect symmetry\/harmony in a North-South direction with the Polaris North star in the center. The emperor was thus seen as the North Star of his empire.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Symbolism set in stone and wood<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1925 the palatial complex in the heart of Beijing, known as the Forbidden City<\/span><\/a>, opened to the public as the Palace Museum. Enclosed by high walls and a moat, the compound had been the home of the emperor and his consorts (wives) for more than five hundred years. Few would have ever come near, let alone venture into, the vast complex of 9.999 rooms. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The outer court, entered from the south, was reserved for official events. The inner court to the north housed the imperial family and members of its household. The museum now houses 42,000 religious artifacts, 80% of which are related to Tibetan Buddhism. This rich collection witnessed the height of Tibetan Buddhism in China.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nPavilion of a thousand Autumns<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Forbidden City is one of the world\u2019s largest and best-preserved complex of wooden buildings. Its NW corner contains a cluster of 10 Tibetan Buddhist halls. These include Baohua Hall, Yuhua Pavilion, and Fanzong Tower. None of them is open to the public, and thus retain a mystery.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nYuhua Pavilion
\n(Pavilion of Raining Flowers)<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It was built during the Ming Dynasty. In 1749, Emperor Qianlong decided to renovate the Yuhua Pavilion, and modeled it after the Mandala Tower at Tholing Monastery in Ngari, Tibet. It served as a place for the recitation of Buddhist sutras and workshop for religious imagery. In it was the Qianlong Emperor\u2019s private chapel.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is the only structure in the Imperial Palace complex to combine Han and Tibetan design elements. The Buddha statues on the top 4th floor represent 4 different levels of religious practice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Winter sunshine filters through the huge red doors onto the rosewood Buddhist pagoda on the ground floor of Yuhua Pavilion. Above the door hangs a tablet with an inscription by Emperor Qianlong. Inside are Buddha statues that were presented as tributes to the emperors by generations of Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n