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Taihemen is the main gate of the Forbidden City's outer palace. It was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. It is considered the highest-specification gate in ancient my country and one of the five gates of the emperor.
Sitting on a white marble base, the pair of bronze lions on the left and right of the gate were cast in the Ming Dynasty. They are also the largest pair of bronze lions in the Forbidden City.
Inside the gate is the Hall of Supreme Harmony. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was a system of "holding government affairs at the gate". The emperor had to accept the worship of ministers and handle government affairs in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
Between Taihemen and Wumen is Taihemen Square. The Inner Jinshui River flows from west to east, echoing with Jingshan Mountain behind, giving the royal family an excellent feng shui with mountains behind and water in front.
Attractions Location: Inside the Palace Museum, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 (November 1st to March 31st of the following year, Tuesday to Sunday)
08:30-16:30 (Tuesday to Sunday, April 1st to October 31st)
Not open to the public (all year round) : (January 1st - December 31st, Monday)
Contact Details： 010-85007421
Transportation:
Take bus No. 1, 2, 10, 20, 82, 120, 37, 52, 126, 99, 203, 205, 210, 728, Special No. 1, Special No. 2, get off at "Tiananmen East" stop and walk about 900 meters to Meridian Gate. Take bus No. 1, 5, 10, 22, 37, 52, 205, 99, 728, get off at "Tiananmen West" stop and walk about 1000 meters to enter from Meridian Gate.
Take Metro Line 1 and get off at Tiananmen East Station. Walk about 900 meters to enter the Forbidden City from the Meridian Gate.
Time reference: 1-3 hours
Focus on Taihemen and the buildings on the central axis of the Forbidden City, and feel the core of the "Five Gates of the Son of Heaven" system
Accommodation: Wangfujing area hotel
Food: Lunch: "Four Seasons Minfu" Forbidden City store roast duck, dinner: "Haiwanju" fried noodles
Compare and contrast the ritual space of the Forbidden City and the sacrificial space of the Temple of Heaven
Accommodation: Qianmen Siheyuan Hotel
Food: Day 1 dinner "Dadong" roast duck, Day 2 lunch "Fengzeyuan" Shandong cuisine
From Taihemen to Jingshan Wanchun Pavilion, fully experience the central axis of Beijing
Accommodation: Shichahai Boutique B&B
Food: Day 3 lunch "Fangshan" imperial cuisine
The diverse presentation of royal ritual architecture and religious architecture
Accommodation: Beixinqiao Hutong Hotel
Food: Day 4 lunch "Jingzhaoyin" vegetarian
Traditional court art collides with contemporary avant-garde art
Accommodation: Sanlitun Designer Hotel
Food: Day 5 lunch "UCCA" art restaurant
The Imperial City's defense system echoes the Great Wall's military engineering
Accommodation: Huairou Boutique B&B
Food: Day 6 lunch "Yisonglou" farmhouse banquet
A complete royal life experience from the political center of Taihemen to the royal gardens
Accommodation: Hotels near Xiyuan Subway Station
Food: Day 7 lunch "Tingli Pavilion" imperial cuisine
The attractions in the Forbidden City are must-see attractions as a world heritage site.
It is the largest palace gate in the Forbidden City and the main gate of the outer palace. Taihe Gate was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty and was called Fengtian Gate at that time. It was burned down in the 14th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt the following year. Taihe Gate is 9 bays wide and 3 bays deep, with a construction area of 1,300 square meters. It is covered with a double-eaved hip roof and a white marble base. The beams and rafters are painted with Hexi colors.
In front of Taihe Gate stands a pair of bronze lions and four bronze tripods, which were cast in the Ming Dynasty. Taihe Gate was the place where the emperor held court in the Ming Dynasty. The emperor received the worship and memorials of his subjects, issued imperial edicts, and handled government affairs.
When I arrived, I was very disappointed. There was a movable door blocking the stairs in front of the main hall. If there were few people, I could still see it, but there were too many people today. I could only take pictures of the Spring Festival couplets and door gods posted on the door from a distance.
午門、內金水橋、再來是太和門就到太和殿(俗稱金鑾殿)。太和門是紫禁城內最大的宮門，也是紫禁城外朝宮殿的正門。
The huge palace stands tall in the Forbidden City.
In front is Taihe Gate, the main entrance to the outer palace and the largest palace gate in the Forbidden City. It was where the Ming Dynasty emperors held court. Here the emperors accepted the worship and memorials from their subjects, issued imperial edicts, and handled state affairs.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the Golden Throne Hall, is the essence of ancient Chinese palace architecture, one of the three great halls in the East, and the largest existing wooden structure hall in China. It was first built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, but was burned down and rebuilt many times after its completion. The current hall is the one rebuilt during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the place where various ceremonies are held.
The Qingtong Lion in front of the Taihe Gate exudes a domineering aura. On its majestic body, wherever the naked eye can see, there are rain, snow, wind and frost that Zijing City has experienced for thousands of years. Even though it looks haggard, it still retains its arrogance.
Taihemen, entering Taihemen is the Taihe Hall, which is the first stop on the central axis of the Palace Museum.
Rushing into the Meridian Gate, the huge Taihemen Square was exactly as I imagined. Five Jinshui Bridges spanned the Jinshui River. As a Forbidden City fan, the Forbidden City's topography, the location of the palaces, and the stories that happened there were all in my mind. But seeing the real scene, it felt so familiar! P.S. The picture shows the photo of returning to Taihemen. The number of tourists has gradually increased.
In many TV dramas of the Ming and Qing dynasties, we often see scenes where the emperor gets up at five in the morning, washes up and goes to the morning court, while ministers stand in a row in the Golden Throne Hall waiting for the emperor to arrive, shouting "I have something to report" one after another.
In fact, the so-called morning court was not held in the Jinluan Palace, but in the Taihe Gate in front of us. Civil officials were in the east, and military officials were in the west.
Moreover, the morning court system is not absolute. Emperor Wanli did not attend court for more than 20 years. Even an emperor who was particularly diligent in ruling the country did not attend morning court every day.
The bronze lion in front of Taihe Gate is the Forbidden City’s calling card. Its features are so outstanding that I believe many people have seen it.
Entering the Taihe Gate in front of the Taihe Hall, you will feel the extraordinary royal atmosphere.
Taihemen is the largest palace gate in the Forbidden City and the main gate of the outer palace. Taihemen was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty and was called Fengtianmen at that time. It was burned down in the 14th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt the following year. Taihemen is 9 bays wide and 3 bays deep, with a construction area of 1,300 square meters. It is covered with a double-eaved hip roof and a white marble base. The beams and other components are painted with Hexi colors. In front of the gate are a pair of bronze lions and four bronze tripods, which were cast in the Ming Dynasty. Taihemen was the place where the emperor "held government affairs at the gate" in the Ming Dynasty. The emperor received the worship and memorials of his subjects, issued imperial edicts, and handled government affairs here.
Taihemen is the largest palace gate in the Forbidden City and the main entrance to the outer palace. Coming here, it feels like watching a TV series.
The court session in the Ming Dynasty was held at Taihe Gate, so it was called "Imperial Gate Hearing Government". Now Taihe Gate is a tourist information center where you can book tour guides. The stone lions in front of Taihe Gate are very majestic, one male and one female. The female lion has a little lion under her feet, symbolizing motherhood, and the male lion is stepping on a ball, symbolizing power.
Taihemen was the place where the emperors of the Ming Dynasty held court. It was the main gate outside the Forbidden City. It was built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty and was renamed Taihemen in the 2nd year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. It was destroyed by fire in the 14th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in the 15th year.
The most important gate in the Forbidden City. After passing through it is the majestic Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is the most spectacular part of the former Forbidden City.
The main gate of the Outer Palace, the largest palace gate in the Forbidden City.
The first gate after entering the Forbidden City from the Meridian Gate, the Taihe Gate is the highest-standard gate in ancient China, with a width of nine rooms and a depth of three rooms. There are two majestic lions at the Taihe Gate, which are the largest pair of six pairs of bronze lions in the Forbidden City. After entering from the Taihe Gate, you will reach the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Taihe Gate stands on a three-meter-high white marble platform. Four copper stoves are placed in the middle of the platform. When celebrations were held in the past, they looked like smoke curling up, adding to the mysterious atmosphere.
There is a huge square in front of the gate, with the Meridian Gate and the Taihe Gate facing each other from afar opposite.
On both sides of the steps in front of the gate, there is a pair of bronze lions from the Ming Dynasty, sitting on white marble pedestals, guarding the gate.
There is a small stone pavilion on the left side of the gate, called the Imperial Edict Pavilion. When issuing an imperial edict, it would be placed in the pavilion first.
There is a stone box on the right side of the door. According to records, it was filled with grains and ingots. Some books say that it is a lucky charm, that is, a house-guarding item, and it should imply a bumper harvest and abundant wealth in the country.
Taihemen is a gate that leads to the Hall of Supreme Harmony after the Wumen Gate across the Jinshui Bridge. There are vast open spaces in front of and behind the gate, which further highlights the grandeur of the building.
The main gate of the Forbidden City, formerly known as Fengtian Gate, was built in the 18th year of Yongle.
Taihe Gate is the largest gate in the Forbidden City. The base is made of white marble, and the beams are painted. It looks very solemn and sacred, especially the pair of bronze lions at the gate, which are mighty and fierce. Taking pictures in front of the gate makes you feel the majesty of an emperor.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Preserving Harmony, and the Hall of Central Harmony are located in a row on the central axis of the Forbidden City. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest and most spectacular. Unfortunately, I went there at a wrong time because the Hall of Supreme Harmony was under maintenance and was not open to the public. I could only see the exterior.
The first building you will pass by when entering the Palace Museum is the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The buildings here are all made of blue bricks and yellow tiles, with carved beams and painted rafters, and are very magnificent.
However, don't visit the Forbidden City during holidays. There are so many people here that it is difficult to find a place to stay. If you want to take pictures, just take pictures of people.
Although I have seen the scenery many times on TV and in movies, I have only been there three times in person. The first two times were better because there were fewer people. The third time was when I brought my family. It was hot in the summer and there were too many people. It was unbearable. It was better to watch DVDs at home. There are more films introducing the Forbidden City, which looks more exciting.
A part of the "Forbidden City", located on the central axis, echoing the "Wu Men" and one of the important gates of the "Forbidden City". After crossing the Jinshui Bridge, you can see the "Taihe Hall", the iconic building of the "Forbidden City".
Taihe Gate of the Forbidden City. Due to historical reasons, it is not recommended to take photos here! It is said that there are three places in the Forbidden City where it is not suitable to take photos, and this is one of them.
The majestic lion in front of Taihe Gate represents the majesty of imperial power.
The ancients are gone and the court is empty, but the forbidden city is now open for viewing.
Taihemen is the largest palace gate in the Forbidden City and the main gate of the outer palace. Taihemen was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty and was called Fengtianmen at that time. It was burned down in the 14th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt the following year. Taihemen is 9 bays wide and 3 bays deep, with a construction area of 1,300 square meters. It is covered with a double-eaved hip roof and a white marble base. The beams and other components are painted with Hexi colors. In front of Taihemen stands a pair of bronze lions and four bronze tripods, which were cast in the Ming Dynasty. Taihemen was the place where the emperor "held government affairs at the gate" in the Ming Dynasty. The emperor received the worship and memorials of his subjects, issued imperial edicts, and handled government affairs here.