PURPLE FORBIDDEN CITY 73 



Tranquility — to the north, and between them a small build- 

 ing known as the Chiao T'ai Tien $1 ^ fSt Hall of Fusion 

 and Permeation. The name is very difficult to render in 

 English, the complete phrase should read "T'ien Ti Chiao 

 T'ai" ^ 3& ;& 35 translated by Williams as "Heaven and 

 Earth Vigorous and Productive." Juliet Bredon calls the 

 Chiao T'ai, Hall of Imperial Marriage Rites; this is far too 

 concrete and carries the wrong connotation, it suggests that 

 actual marriage rites take place in this Hall; this is not so. 

 The name is entirely figurative, and refers to the moment 

 when the descending Chi M* Vital Force of Heaven meets 

 and is fused with the ascending Ch'i, M* Vital Force of Earth 

 — at which moment, on the fifteenth of the Fifth Month, 

 all things are completly permeated with life. The Tz'u Yiian 

 fi$ iSC reads %£ ^ $Q X 2£ ;£ Bt -tk T'ai expresses the moment 

 of great permeation. 



In the Ch'iao T'ai Hall are kept the Imperial Seals of 

 past Dynasties of Emperors, placed in caskets which are 

 arranged behind the small and simple throne. The board 

 above bears but two characters, those two characters which 

 have caused such endless discussion "Wu Wei" % ffi 

 Lun Yii says that King Shun instituted the rule of "Wu 

 Wei" which is explained as the use of virtue to obtain the 

 evolution of the people, not the use of force or punishment. 

 Eule by the Law of Nature. The characters were written 

 by Ch'ien Lung in the style of K'ang Hsi. 



m % uff m % & m ■& m m &) 



On the east side of the throne stands a magnificent 

 water-clock which dripped out the hours in the days of long 

 ago, and above the dais is a gorgeous and highly ornamented 

 ceiling. 



K'un Ning Kung, the Palace used by the Empress, 

 directly to the north of the .Chiao T'ai and has very 

 beautiful doors, carved with a design of Ju I jtn S heads, 

 and circles, these last are symbols of the perfection of tho 

 full moon, the Moon being an emblem of the Empress. 



To the North-east of the K'un Ning is placed the Chien 

 Chiu Ting =?• fft ^ Pavilion of a thousand autumns, which 

 phrase of course expresses the idea of longevity — an autumn 

 connotes a year completed, a harvest gathered ! Inside the 

 Pavilion are kept utensils used in Buddhists Eites, while 

 directly to the north is the Ch'in An £fc 3c Hall, that of 

 Imperial Peace, it stands in a lovely garden and is the spot 

 where the Euler may enjoy rest from the cares of his office. 

 The balustrade is carved with a design of "moving dragons" 



