Editing Forbidden City (section)

=== Symbolism ===

{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 231
| image_style = border:none;
| image1 = Palace color decorative painting.JPG
| alt1 = Palace color decorative painting
| caption1 = Imperial Palace color of the highest status on the roof ridge of the Hall of Supreme Harmony
}}

The design of the Forbidden City, from its overall layout to the smallest detail, was meticulously planned to reflect [[Chinese philosophy|philosophical]] and [[Religion in China|religious]] principles, and above all to symbolize the majesty of Imperial power. Some noted examples of symbolic designs include:
*Yellow is the color of the Emperor. Thus almost all roofs in the Forbidden City bear yellow glazed tiles. There are only two exceptions. The library at the Pavilion of Literary Profundity ({{linktext|文|渊|阁}}) had black tiles because black was associated with [[Five elements (Chinese philosophy)|water]], and thus fire-prevention. Similarly, the Crown Prince's residences have green tiles because green was associated with [[Five elements (Chinese philosophy)|wood]], and thus growth.<ref name="DPM Elements" />
*The main halls of the Outer and Inner courts are all arranged in groups of three – the shape of the Qian [[Bagua|trigram]] ☰, representing Heaven. The residences of the Inner Court on the other hand are arranged in clusters of six – the shape of the Kun trigram ☷, representing the Earth.<ref name="CCTV2" />
*The sloping ridges of building roofs are decorated with a [[Imperial roof decoration|line of statuettes]] led by a man riding a [[Phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]] and followed by an [[Chinese dragon|imperial dragon]]. The number of statuettes represents the status of the building – a minor building might have three or five. The Hall of Supreme Harmony has ten, the only building in the country to be permitted this in Imperial times. As a result, its tenth statuette, called a "''Hangshi''", or "ranked tenth" ({{zh|c={{linktext|行|十}}|p=Hángshí}}),<ref name="CCTV3">{{cite video |people=China Central Television, The Palace Museum |date=2005 |url=https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |title=Gugong: "III. Rites under Heaven " |medium=Documentary |location=China |publisher=CCTV |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-date=31 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731180128/https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> is also unique in the Forbidden City.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Hall of Supreme Harmony |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref>
*The layout of buildings follows ancient customs laid down in the ''[[Classic of Rites]]''. Thus, [[Ancestral shrine|ancestral temples]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=祠堂与祠堂文化 _世界王氏网 |url=http://www.wwdoa.com/2013/0124/7595.html |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=www.wwdoa.com |archive-date=18 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818030639/http://www.wwdoa.com/2013/0124/7595.html |url-status=live }}</ref> are in front of the palace. Storage areas are placed in the front part of the palace complex, and residences in the back.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Steinhardt |first=Nancy Shatzman |author-link=Nancy S. Steinhardt |date=Dec 1986 |title=Why were Chang'an and Beijing so different? |journal=The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=339–357 |doi=10.2307/990206 |jstor=990206}}</ref>