Hall of Supreme Harmony

Hall of supreme hamony (Taihe Dian) it is also called 'Hall of Golden Throne', as the grandest hall in the palace and the largest wooden structure in China. It was originally constructed in 1402 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but was burnt down in later years. The hall we are seeing was rebuilt in 1695 by Emperor Kangxi, a sagacious emperor in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). During the dynasties, the hall was used to hold ceremonies on grand occasions, the Emperor's enthronement, birthday and wedding day, the dispatch of generals to battles, the Winter Solstice and the Spring Festival.

Since the Hall of Supreme Harmony was symbol of the imperial power, it was the highest structure in the empire during the Ming and Qin dynasties. No other building was permitted to be higher any where in the empire. The heavily glazed hall is 35.02 meters high (37.44 meters including the rooftop decoration). It is 63.96 meters in width and 37.2 meters in length respectively. There are a total of 72 pillars, in six rows, supporting the roof. The doors and windows are embossed with clouds and dragons.

As the symbol of imperial power, the interior of the hall is very luxurious. The floor is paved with golden bricks that are not really made of gold but really precious.

In Chinese culture, the emperor is the incarnation of dragon. So the hall is dominated by dragon designs on the throne, columns, windows and ceilings. The golden throne sits on a platform in the north of the hall, with an elegant wall screen behind and three gilded columns on each side. In front of the throne, there are mythical beasts, cranes, and incense burners, which have their own symbolic meaning. The extraordinary ceiling above the throne changes in shape and has a dragon with a pearl in his mouth. The pearl is said to be able to distinguish whether the emperor is the legitimate inheritor or not. It would fall off the ceiling if an illegitimate successor ascended the throne.