1st Ring Road around the Forbidden City

 

Peking University is between the fourth and fifth ring roads (beltways) around Beijing.  I learned that the first ring road is actually around the imperial palace inside the forbidden city where the last emperor, the son of heaven, lived. Chinese architecture is very interesting, bilateral symmetry and symbolism are everywhere.

• The side courts of the palace stretches out like the wings of cranes.
• Yellow roof tiles symbolize imperial status.  
• Blue roof tiles symbolize the sky and heavens.
• The number nine represents the emperor. (I had not realized that the imperial palace of the forbidden city has 9,999 rooms just under 10,000 rooms.)

We also visited the temple of heaven, a place of worship for good harvests.  Interestingly, in Chinese culture, the earth is represented by a square and heaven by a circle.