Tian’anmenRostrum
Tian’anmen(theGateofHeavenlyPeace),islocatedinthecenterofBeijing.Itwasfirstbuiltin1417andnamedChengtianmen(theGateofHeavenlySuccession).AttheendoftheMingDynasty,itwasseriouslydamagedbywar.WhenitwasrebuiltundertheQingin1651,itwasrenamedTian’anmen,andservedasthemainentrancetotheImperialCity,theadministrativeandresidentialquartersforcourtofficialsandretainers.ThesouthernsectionsoftheImperialCitywallstillstandonbothsidesoftheGate.Thetoweratthetopofthegateisnine-roomwideandfive–roomdeep.AccordingtotheBookofChanges,thetwonumbersnineandfive,whencombined,symbolizethesupremestatusofasovereign.DuringtheMingandQingdynasties,Tian’anmenwastheplacewherestateceremoniestookplace.Themostimportantoneofthemwastheissuingofimperialedicts,whichfollowedthesesteps:
1)TheMinisterofRiteswouldreceivetheedictinTaihedian(HallofSupremeHarmony),wheretheEmperorwasholdinghiscourt.Theministerwouldthencarrythedecreeonayunpan(trayofcloud),andwithdrawfromthehallviaTaihemen(GateofsupremeHarmony)
2)TheMinisterwouldputthetrayinaminiaturelongting(dragonpavilion).BeneathayellowumbrellaandcarryitviaWumen(MeridianGate),toTian’anmenGatetower.
3)Acourtierwouldbeinvestedtoproclaimtheedict.Thecivilandmilitaryofficialsliningbothsidesofthegatewaybeneaththetowerwouldprostratethemselvesinthedirectionoftheemperorinwaitingforthedecreetotheproclaimed.
)Thecourtierwouldthenputtheedictinaphoenix-shapedwoodenboxandloweritfromthetowerbymeansofasilkcord.ThedocumentwouldfinallybecarriedinasimilartrayofcloudunderayellowumbrellatotheMinistryofRites.
5)Theedict,copiedonyellowpaper,wouldbemadeknowntothewholecountry.
Suchaprocesswashistoricallyrecordedas“ImperialEdictIssuedbyGoldenPhoenix”.DuringtheMingandQingdynastiesTian’anmenwasthemostimportantpassage.ItwasthisgatethattheEmperorandhisretinuewouldgothroughontheirwaytothealtarsforritualandreligiousactivities.
OntheWestsideofTian’anmenstandsZhongshanPark(Dr.SunYat-sen’sPark),andontheeastside,theWorkingPeople’sCulturalPalave.TheParkwasformerlycalledShejitan(AltarofLandandGrain),builtin1420forofferingsacrificialitemstotheGodofLand.Itwasopenedtothepublicasaparkin1914anditsnamewaschangedin1928tothepresentoneinmemoryofthegreatpioneeroftheChineseDemocraticRevolution.TheWorkingPeople’sCulturalPalaceusedtobeTaimiao(theSupremeAncestralTemple),wheretabletsofthedeceaseddynasticrulerswerekept.
ThestreaminfrontofTian’anmeniscalledWaijinshuihe(OuterGoldenRiver),withsevenmarblebridgesspanningoverit.Ofthesesevenbridges,historicalrecordssaythemiddleonewasfortheexclusiveuseoftheemperorandwasaccordinglycalledYuluqiao(ImperialBridge).ThebridgesflankingitoneithersideweremeantforthemembersoftheroyalfamilyandwerethereforecalledWanggongqiao(Royal’sBridges).FartherawayoneachsideofthetwowerebridgesforofficialsrankingabovethethirdorderandwerenamedPinjiqiao(ministerialBridges).TheremainingtwobridgeswerefortheusebytheretinuebelowthethirdorderandwrecalledGongshengqiao(commonBridges).TheyanrtheoneinfrontoftheSupremeAncestralTempletotheeastandtheoneinfrontoftheAltaroflandandGraintothewest.
ThetwostonelionsbytheGateofTian’anmen,oneoneachsideweremeantassentries.Theygazetowardthemiddleaxis,guardingtheemperor’swalkway.InfrontofthegatestandsapairofmarblecolumnscalledHuabiao.Theyareelaboratelycutinbas-relieffollowingthepatternofalegendarydragon.Behindthegatestandsanotherpairofsimilarcolumns.ThestoryofHuabiaomaybetracedtoacoupleofsources.OneoftheversionsaccreditsitsinventiontooneoftheChinesesagekingsnamedYao,whowassaidtohavesetupawoodenpillarinordertoallowtheordinarypeopletoexposeevil-doers,henceitwasoriginallycalledaslanderpillar.Lateritwsreducedtoasignpost,andnowitservesasanornament.