One of the most ancient structures in China, the Forbidden City holds a great amount of sacred meaning. The citizens of the People’s Republic of China uphold their long, interesting history and that can be seen through the preservation of this space. The image above is of the Forbidden City in the capital of China, Beijing. The Forbidden City was built in the Ming Dynasty in the mid 1300s and housed more than twenty emperors over time. The city is completely surrounded by walls and gates, as one needed permission from the emperor to enter. The city originally served mainly for the military and the royal family. The walls were constructed in a way that made it very difficult for one to climb. Also, they used lime, glutinous rice, and egg whites, making the walls very strong. There is a great amount of rich culture in this well preserved building that keeps thousands of tourists visiting this space every day.

When you look at the photograph, the predominant colors you notice are red, green, and blue. In Chinese culture, colors have deep symbolic meaning. Along the right side of the photo there is a wall of red. Red also translates to the south direction. This could be a good indicator of direction as this structure was built in the mid 1300s. The Forbidden City is also quite large. The buildings and passageways all look pretty similar after a while. The use of color to aid in direction may be a tool used to help navigate through this space. The colors blue and green have often combined intentional meanings in many Asian cultures. The meanings of these colors deal with health and harmony, which makes sense as the Forbidden City houses the emperor, his family, and the Chinese military. These are all people that need to be in good health to control the country of China. Although the photo shows the age of the building well, many touches of gold are added along the red, green, and blue. Gold is regarded as the center of everything. It is the color most often associated with Chinese Buddhist temples, signifying good luck and neutrality.

            Chinese culture also has a lot of symbolism with animals as well. In Western cultures, we have a certain way of viewing Eastern culture. Westerners see the colors and the dragons and pinpoint that as Chinese culture, but it seems to have much deeper roots. The dragon is highly regarded in China, as many emperors have used them as a symbol on shields and throughout the Forbidden City. Although it is not photographed in this space, the dragon plays a huge part in the architecture of this space. Dragons with five claws symbolized imperial use. Many dragons were thought to have been stolen from the Forbidden City once it was opened to the public, so one claw was removed, symbolizing a lesser official, and blurring the track from its origin.

            This photo had a deep depth of field and the flash on to capture each detail of the space. It is always interesting how spaces like this age, but still hold all of their symbolic value. Around Beijing, the patterns and colors from the Forbidden City are seen in small businesses and many other structures, bringing the city back to its roots through this beautiful symbolism. This raw culture mainly serves as a tourist attraction, yet it still houses some of their military. This space is a perfect example of Eastern culture, which is refreshing to view without Western influence. Unlike Chinatown establishments, the Forbidden City is a cultural hotspot and experience in its purest form.