太和殿內景

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Dian)

The Hall of Supreme Harmony, also known as the Hall of Golden Chimes, occupies the most prominent position on the north- south axis of the Forbidden City. The largest and highest-level building in the Forbidden City, it is magnificent and mighty.

First built in 1420 during the early Ming Dynasty, it was initially named the Hall of Venerating Heaven (Fengtian dian) and renamed the Hall of Supreme Harmony during the reign of Emperor Shunzhi (1643-1661) of the Qing Dynasty. Its name "Taihe" comes from The Book of Changes, representing the Chinese philosophy of respecting nature and advocating harmony and unity.

Historically, the Hall of Supreme Harmony underwent destruction and reconstruction several times. As the top of the three main halls in the Forbidden City, the 35.05-meter-tall hall sits on a three-tier marble terrace alongside the Hall of Middle Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

The architectural details and interior furnishings all reflect its lofty status: Ten mythical animal figurines guard the roof ridges of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the only example in the country; golden dragon colored paintings are found under the eaves, which were exclusive to the imperial palace; inside the hall is the imperial throne painted and carved with golden dragons, which can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the emperor's enthronement, weddings, and other major ceremonies were held in the Hall of Supreme Hall. Celebrations for the Winter Solstice, the Chinese New Year, and the emperor's birthday also took place here.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony ranks first among the ancient Chinese buildings in terms of architectural standards and decoration techniques.

As the most important structure in the Forbidden City, the architectural designs of the Hall of Supreme Harmony focus on order, etiquette, and harmony. With extremely high historical and cultural value, it not only displays the essence of ancient Chinese architecture in architectural scale and decoration methods, but has also witnessed many important ceremonies and activities of the royal family in ancient China.

太和殿外景

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

太和殿

太和殿俗稱“金鑾殿”，位于紫禁城中軸線的顯要位置，是紫禁城中規模最大、等級最高的宮殿，氣度恢宏，威嚴壯觀。

大殿建于明初1420年，原稱奉天殿，清順治時改為太和殿。“太和”出自典籍《周易》，表明中華文化崇尚天道自然，崇尚和諧統一。歷史上，太和殿曾數度焚毀并重建。作為紫禁城三大殿之首，它與中和、保和二殿共同坐落于三層臺基之上，通高35.05米。建筑細節和室內陳設，均體現其崇高地位：檐角設10個脊獸，數量最多，為全國孤例；檐下繪金龍和璽彩畫，等級最高，為宮廷特有；殿內置皇帝寶座，髹（在器物涂漆）金雕龍，為明代遺物。明清兩朝，皇帝登基、大婚等重大儀式，均在太和殿舉行，另外冬至、元旦、萬壽節（即皇帝生日）三大節慶典也必設在太和殿。

太和殿建筑規制之高，裝飾手法之精，堪列中國古代建筑之首。作為紫禁城最重要的宮殿，太和殿講究秩序、重視禮儀、追求和諧，不僅在建筑規模和裝飾工藝上展現了中國古代建筑的精華，也承載了許多中國皇室的重要儀式和活動，具有極高的歷史和文化價值。