Hall of Union and Peace
The Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union (Jiaotaidian), or the Hall of Union and Peace, is one of the three main palaces in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City. It is between the other two main palaces, the Palace of Heavenly Purity (qianqinggong) and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunninggong). The hall was established in the reign of Jiajing (1522-1566) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), restored in 1655 and 1669. In 1797, it was damaged by a fire and thus rebuilt the next year. The Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union is a single-roof structure with a gilded bronze spherical pinnacle. Square in shape, it is three bays wide and three bays deep, smaller than the Hall of Central Harmony (zhonghedian) which is in similar architectural style. The name of the hall was adopted from the Book of Changes, meaning the union of heaven and earth, peace and harmony of the whole nation in Chinese. In view of the authoritarian role of eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Shunzhi (1644-1661) set an iron sign, forbidding eunuchs' interference into government affairs, in this hall.
The empress held ceremonies here on the Spring Festival, the Winter Solstice and her birthday, receiving tributes from the imperial concubines, the princesses and the princes' wives. Since the reign of Emperor Qianlong (the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty), the hall was used to keep twenty-five imperial seals, each of which was designed for a certain purpose. These seals are laid in boxes which were covered with damask silk as what they were.
Behind a throne, visitors will see a screen with an article on it. This is an ode to the Hall of Union and Peace written by Emperor Qianlong. Above the screen, there are two characters on a plaque, which advise Emperors to govern the state by virtue. A clepsydra made in 1745 stands in the east of the hall. This device measures time by marking the escape of water, an ancient way used by the Chinese people. In the west, there is a chime clock which looks like a mini-pavilion. It was made early in 1789, but still can tinkle out the exact time today.