太和殿内景
Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Dian)
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, also known as the Hall of Golden Chimes, occupies the most prominent position on the north- south axis of the Forbidden City. The largest and highest-level building in the Forbidden City, it is magnificent and mighty.
First built in 1420 during the early Ming Dynasty, it was initially named the Hall of Venerating Heaven (Fengtian dian) and renamed the Hall of Supreme Harmony during the reign of Emperor Shunzhi (1643-1661) of the Qing Dynasty. Its name "Taihe" comes from The Book of Changes, representing the Chinese philosophy of respecting nature and advocating harmony and unity.
Historically, the Hall of Supreme Harmony underwent destruction and reconstruction several times. As the top of the three main halls in the Forbidden City, the 35.05-meter-tall hall sits on a three-tier marble terrace alongside the Hall of Middle Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
The architectural details and interior furnishings all reflect its lofty status: Ten mythical animal figurines guard the roof ridges of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the only example in the country; golden dragon colored paintings are found under the eaves, which were exclusive to the imperial palace; inside the hall is the imperial throne painted and carved with golden dragons, which can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the emperor's enthronement, weddings, and other major ceremonies were held in the Hall of Supreme Hall. Celebrations for the Winter Solstice, the Chinese New Year, and the emperor's birthday also took place here.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony ranks first among the ancient Chinese buildings in terms of architectural standards and decoration techniques.
As the most important structure in the Forbidden City, the architectural designs of the Hall of Supreme Harmony focus on order, etiquette, and harmony. With extremely high historical and cultural value, it not only displays the essence of ancient Chinese architecture in architectural scale and decoration methods, but has also witnessed many important ceremonies and activities of the royal family in ancient China.
太和殿外景
Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
太和殿
太和殿俗称“金銮殿”，位于紫禁城中轴线的显要位置，是紫禁城中规模最大、等级最高的宫殿，气度恢宏，威严壮观。
大殿建于明初1420年，原称奉天殿，清顺治时改为太和殿。“太和”出自典籍《周易》，表明中华文化崇尚天道自然，崇尚和谐统一。历史上，太和殿曾数度焚毁并重建。作为紫禁城三大殿之首，它与中和、保和二殿共同坐落于三层台基之上，通高35.05米。建筑细节和室内陈设，均体现其崇高地位：檐角设10个脊兽，数量最多，为全国孤例；檐下绘金龙和玺彩画，等级最高，为宫廷特有；殿内置皇帝宝座，髹（在器物涂漆）金雕龙，为明代遗物。明清两朝，皇帝登基、大婚等重大仪式，均在太和殿举行，另外冬至、元旦、万寿节（即皇帝生日）三大节庆典也必设在太和殿。
太和殿建筑规制之高，装饰手法之精，堪列中国古代建筑之首。作为紫禁城最重要的宫殿，太和殿讲究秩序、重视礼仪、追求和谐，不仅在建筑规模和装饰工艺上展现了中国古代建筑的精华，也承载了许多中国皇室的重要仪式和活动，具有极高的历史和文化价值。
