Hall of Union and Peace

Hall of Union and Peace (Jiaotai Palace) honors to be one of the three primary palaces in the Inner Court of theForbidden City in Beijing. It is located between the other two main palaces, namely, the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. It was originally built in 1420 in Ming dynasty and then was rebuilt in Qing dynasty. In 1748, Emperor Qianlong stored twenty-fifth jade seal here which symbolizes the imperial power, thus this palace became a unique place for storing the imperial seals, because every seal has a special purpose. Meanwhile, this is also a special place for the Empress in Qing Dynasty to hold ceremony and accept the gifts from the ministers. The name Union and Peace (Jiaotai) signifies the intersect of heaven and earth, meaning long-term stability of the country. The wedding of Emperor is held in this palace, so is the appointment of the queen.

In every spring, the emperor would hold a ceremony to worship the ancestors in Hall of Union and Peace. And in Winter Solstice, Qianqiu(Queen’s birthday) every year, the queen had to hold ceremony here to accept the congratulations from the imperial concubines, concubines, Princess, Princes’ wife etc. The emperor ordered that the eunuch must not interfere with affairs of state regulations.

The Structure of Hall of Union and Peace

Hall of Union and Peace was square, Miankuo 3 wide and Miankuo 3 deep, smaller than the Hall of Central Harmony. There are yellow glazed tile on the four corners sharp. There is a throne in the center of palace. And there are four screens behind the throne, on which has the inscription by Qianlong Emperor. There are windows in the south, and the other three sides are all walls. The ground was paved with gold bricks. The copper clepsydra is located in the east and big chime clock in the west.

The Relics in Hall of Union and Peace

The twenty-fifth Seal
The twenty-fifth Seal represented the power of the emperor. In 1748, the emperor stored the twenty-fifth imperial seal in Hall of Union and Peace. These seals were mastered by the Cabinet. Supervisor was required to consult with the emperor when he had to use the seal. Each seals Stored here has different functions. The treasured seal is placed inside a precious box which is covered with yellow damask now. It is displaying in the palace.

Copper clepsydra
Copper clepsydra is an ancient Chinese timer. As early as three thousand years ago, the Chinese had invented the water drip timing methods. The copper clepsydra displayed in Hall of Union and Peace was made in 1745, which is the only clepsydra still kept intact in China.

Big chime clock
Big chime clock in Hall of Union and Peace is made in 1798 by the Qing Office. The time in the Forbidden City was based on the chime clock. The chock is about six meters high, is China's largest existing ancient clock. Its shell is the imitation of Chinese-style pavilion type lockers. It is divided into upper, middle and lower layers. There is a small ladder behind the bell tower. Boarded on the ladder, you can wind up the chime clock. Now, this chime clock has gone through two hundred years, but can still move normally and accurately. It now gives a correct time every day with the crisp and loud sound. Thus it was very sophisticatedly manufactured.

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