Half of the Forbidden City: Huabiao and stone lions that have endured six hundred years of wind and rain

The Forbidden City is a book that can never be finished. I go to the Forbidden City almost ten times a year, and there are new discoveries every time.

We all know that there are Chinese watches and stone lions in front of Tiananmen Square, but do you know how many pairs of Chinese watches and stone lions there are in that area? Two pairs, both pairs. Two pairs of Chinese watches are on the north and south sides of Tiananmen Square, and stone lions are on both sides of the Jinshui Bridge.

The Chinese watch and the stone lion are both made of white marble, and were placed there during the Yongle period, six hundred years ago! How many original objects are left from Yongle in the Forbidden City? They feel more and more precious.

At the end of 2022, some of them were staying at home, some were taking care of Yang, some were resting, and some were afraid of Yang and did not dare to go out. There are not many people on the streets, let alone scenic spots. The Tiananmen area of ​​the Forbidden City is a rare place with few people and blue sky. Only then did he have the mood and conditions to take a good look at the Chinese watch and the stone lion.

The pair of Chinese watches in front of Tiananmen Square is almost another synonym for Tiananmen Square. On that day, the sky was blue and there were few people. In front of the building with red walls and yellow tiles, the white watch was eye-catching and added contrast to the entire building. The color matching is so comfortable!

The Huabiao was carved during the Yongle period and is a cultural relic six hundred years old. The original location is not here, the current location is slightly moved.

The small stone lion on the observation post of the outer fence of Huabiao.

Silly and strong, very cute.

High relief and low relief, meticulous. Six hundred years later, the lines are still so clear. The stone is so good.

The large stone lion was also carved during the Yongle period. Emperor Yongle was very generous, and the pair of bronze lions in front of the Taihe Gate were most likely made by Yongle.

The stone lion is powerful and majestic, worthy of Tiananmen Square.

The small stone lion on the pillar of Huabiao fence on the west side.

The little lion is a little silly, a little cute, and a little silly.

I never noticed before that there is a pair of stone lions on the north bank of Jinshui Bridge.

Waijinshuiqiao.

The figure is majestic. Six hundred years later, its prestige has not diminished.

Crossing Tiananmen Square, there is also a pair of Chinese watches. The mythical beast squatting at the top is Shi Jian, also called Wangtianhou. The stone jade on the watch faces north, towards the palace, and people call it "looking forward to the king's coming out". "Wang Jun comes out" advised the emperor not to stay in the palace all the time, but to go to the people to see the suffering of the people.

Recommended related reading:

Half explanation of the Forbidden City: How many pairs of bronze lions are there in the Forbidden City? Where are the largest and smallest ones?

Three Tombs: He was the emperor in January and built an imperial mausoleum on someone else's abandoned tomb.

Half-understanding of the Forbidden City: A closer look at the horned beast in the Hall of Supreme Harmony

Palace Museum Ceramics Museum: Yuan blue and white underglaze jar with red lid