Page:Peking the Beautiful.pdf/56

 The Meridian Gate

DHROUGH the medium of architecture the old emperors of China have s from the earliest times sought to empress upon the minds of their subjects the sacredness of the Imperial prerogatives. Thus we find in the history of the Chinese capitals that vast significance was attached to the emperor's palace, and all that pertained to it. Occupying the central portion of the Tartar City, the "Forbidden City" of Peking has been famous for many centuries. Marco Polo in describing the palace of that early day says: "You must know that for three months of the year, to wit December, January, and February, the Great Khan resides in the capital city of Cathay, which is called Cambaluc, In that city stands his great Palace, and now I will tell you what it is like "It is inclosed all round by a great wall forming a square, each side of which is a mile in length; that is to say, the whole compass thereof is four miles. This you may depend on; it is also very thick, and a good round. At each angle of the wall there is a very fine and rich palace in which the war hamness of the Emperor is kept, such as bous and quivers, saddles and bridles, and bowstrings, and everything needful for an army. Also midway between every two of these Comer Palaces there is another of the like, so that taking the whole compass of the inclosure you find eight vast Palaces stored with the Great Lord's hamess of war." Much that is grand in the conception and plan of the wonderful Forbidden City, we owe to the hardy space-loving Mongols, but to Yung Le, the mighty builder of the most noteworthy palaces and temples of Peking, we are indebted for the Forbidden City as it stands to-day. "The famous Du Mên, or Meridian Gate" (see opposite plate), is the official entrance to the inner Forbidden City, and is the grandest of all the palace gates." This huge fortress-like structure, with its five massive towers, is second only to the great Throne Hall itself in beauty of line and massive splendor. The unusual photograph shown herewith was taken from the pretty "terrace walk" which surrounds the courtyard. Through the huge central archway the Emperor passed on his journey to and from the palaces. At such times his coming and going was announced to all by the deep-toned bell in the tower above. This glorious Itaperial arch was also frequently used for other important state occasions. Here the Emperor went out to meet his conquering armies, and here the prisoners that they brought were presented to him. "Here too," writes Juliet Bredon, "the presents he conferred on vassals and ambassadors were pompously bestowed, and the calendar for the whole empire distributed at New Year."