PURPLE FORBIDDEN CITY 69 



The Imperial seat can hardly be called a throne, beiner 

 very small and but slightly raised. The horizental board 

 above it reads : 



% ffc K **» Yiin Chih Chiieh Chung, Sincerely hold fast 

 the Perfect Mean, and the Tui Tzu which hang on either side 

 read : — 



Always the Emperor mounts the chariot, drawn by six dragons, 

 in order to rise to Heaven ; He shuns luxurious ease. 



Spreading abroad and bestowing the Five Happinesses — making 

 clear to the Four Quarters, that he is governed by Eternal 

 Principles. 



The allusion to the chariot with six dragons is to the chariot 

 of the Sun which is supposed to proceed through the sky drawn 

 by six dragons and driven by a god Hsi Ho §|| 5fn . 



Beyond the Chung Ho Tien, on the northern extremity 

 of the immense platform stands the Pao Ho Tien fie %tt 8* 

 Protection of Harmony Hall. It had two uses; Here on the 

 last of the twelfth month the tributary Princes were feasted, 

 and here were received those scholars who had passed their 

 examinations successfully. The ceiling is coffered in the 

 deep squares known as Tsao Ching M ft "Pondweed Wells" 

 and the colouring is very rich and beautiful. The throne is 

 less richly carved than is that of the Tai Ho Tien, and 

 the inscription hung over it reads : — 



Huang Chien Yu Chi g>M 1% *5 "In the Creations of 

 the Emperor are to be found the most Perfect Excellence." 



Van Braam gives a very entertaining account of an 

 Audience in this Hall which he attended on January 20th, 

 1795, when Ch'ien Lung received Envoys from Korea and 

 Mongolia and the Dutch Embassy. 



In the middle of the hall is the Imperial throne, upon a 

 platform six feet high. The approach to it is by three flights of 

 steps. The platform is covered with a carpet, and furnished 

 with a balustrade, which is ornamented with carved work, as 

 well as the Emperor's arm-chair, and the rails that accompany 

 each flight of steps. Behind the throne hung a yellow tapestry, 

 and on the sides of the platform were several vases filled with 

 natural flowers . . . 



The two extremities of the gallery without the hall are 

 paved entirely with stones of a finely polished surface. There 

 were ranged the bulky instruments of music, such as that consist- 

 ing of sixteen little bells, that composed of sixteen pieces of 

 metal, the great drum and several other instruments of a similar 

 kind. They were all richly gilt, as well as the pedestals on 

 which they stood. 



The outer court, in which most of the guests were obliged to 

 breakfast in the open air, was covered with thick carpets, on 

 which were laid the cushions that each guest had taken care to 

 make his servant bring, in order that he might sit down more 

 conveniently on the ground fronting the platform. 



