Preface
The Forbidden City is a sacred place for many people, and this former royal palace is not only famous for its grandeur, but also for its many little-known secrets.
Take the rumor that "birds don't poop in the Forbidden City" as an example, I thought it was just a description of some remote and uninhabited areas, but I didn't expect it to be a true portrayal of the Forbidden City, and there is even a scientific basis.
Then the question is, what kind of mystery will be hidden behind the strange phenomenon of "birds don't poop" in the Forbidden City?
A symbol of imperial power
With the popular "special forces" on the Internet, many people are more and more anxious about wanting to go to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, especially to experience the feeling of crossing through the Forbidden City.
Known as the "Forbidden City", the Forbidden City was once the residence of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the center of power, and it is also the most famous state department in the mainland, with a collection of cultural relics of the Chinese nation for 5,000 years.
According to the data, 600 years ago, in order to demonstrate the supremacy of imperial power, countless skilled craftsmen were summoned to the capital, collected rare materials from all over the country, and devoted themselves to building this magnificent palace.
At that time, Ming Chengzu Zhu Di issued an edict, announcing the new palace in Beijing, since then, the Forbidden City is safe, then China is safe, Beijing is safe, then the world is safe, a history of the Forbidden City, is a 500-year history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but also a 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization.
Refer to the new source
In it, every brick and tile reveals the royal style, the splendid palace, and the exquisite decoration all reflect the dignity and luxury of the emperor.
It is worth mentioning that if Chinese culture is compared to a map, then the Forbidden City is definitely a special landmark, and its location reaches the extreme in almost every dimension.
From the geographical point of view, the Forbidden City is in the center of Beijing, and it has a pivotal position in history.
For example, "9,999 and half a palace room", "81 copper nails on the Zhu Gate", "99 delicacies in the emperor's imperial kitchen", etc., also reflect the people's imagination of the emperor's strict authority and the luxury of the court.
Of course, when anything reaches the extreme, it will have a special aura and aura, which cannot be understood from a single perspective, each era has its own Forbidden City imprint, and everyone also has a unique Forbidden City in their hearts.
Since the Forbidden City began to open to the outside world, many people at that time "squeezed their heads" into the place where the emperor lived, and later with the rise of tourism, more and more Chinese and foreign tourists entered the mysterious Forbidden City and feasted their eyes.
As the first of the five palaces in the world, the Forbidden City tells its own story to the world with its magnificent architecture and mysterious legends, but the uniqueness of the Forbidden City lies not only in its gorgeous appearance, but also in the mysteries hidden in the architectural details.
Take, for example, the peculiar phenomenon that "birds don't poop". It is rumored that there is never guano on the roof of the Forbidden City, why is this? Is it that the birds also know the reverence for the imperial power? Or is there something else going on?
The above content is referenced from the article on October 27, 2020 on the article "The roof of the Forbidden City really can't fall birds?" Glazed tile reflections restrict birds from staying".
The mystery of birds not pooping
In fact, on this issue, there are all kinds of speculation among the people, some people say that it is because of the majesty of the palace, the birds dare not trespass, and some people swear that it is the Jade Emperor who is protecting the Forbidden City, so that the birds do not dare to act recklessly here.
Even when visitors walk in the palace and look up at the high roof, they will probably be amazed at the cleanliness and tidiness on it, and they can't help but sigh, could it be that the birds also know the etiquette of the monarch and the minister, and dare not leave filth on the dragon's face?
However, this statement is too superstitious, in today's scientific prosperity, we should look at this problem with a rational eye, birds do not excrete on the roof of the Forbidden City, in fact, there is a lot of article behind it.
First of all, we need to understand the habits of birds, birds need a stable foothold when roosting, and the roof of the Forbidden City, most of which have a steep slope of 45 degrees, is also paved with smooth glazed tiles.
This is "difficult to move an inch" for the bird's claw, and without a stable foothold, the bird naturally cannot stay here for a long time, let alone rest and excrete.
Secondly, the architectural design of the Forbidden City is also very exquisite, in addition to the steep and smooth roof, the delicate and complex eaves structure also makes it difficult for birds to nest.
Let me ask you, have you ever seen a bird's nest built on an inclined plane? Moreover, the slope glows golden from time to time, which must have made the birds feel very uneasy.
In addition, there are few tall trees around the Forbidden City, and the birds have nowhere to hide, so they naturally do not want to stay here for a long time, and the special design of the palace wall will produce a strange echo effect, which will interfere with the hearing of birds and make them stay away from this place.
The mystery of these designs reflects the wisdom of the ancients, who not only considered the beauty and generosity of the buildings when designing them, but also took into account the practicality.
What's more, the roof is also laid with smooth glazed tiles, which are fired at high temperatures, and the surface is crystal clear, with little friction.
The claws are simply impossible to grasp, just like we wear normal shoes on the ice rink, and it is difficult to stand still, let alone rest.
It is worth mentioning that those exquisite carvings and staggered lines not only add beauty to the building, but also make it difficult for birds to find a suitable nesting spot.
Coupled with the upward upturn of the eaves, even if the birds are lucky enough to nest here, I am afraid it will be difficult to raise offspring with peace of mind, Another noteworthy is the design of the echo wall of the Forbidden City, the special material and structure of the palace wall, will produce a peculiar echo effect.
This sound may be pleasant to the human ear, but it is undoubtedly a distraction and a threat to the hearing of birds, which will naturally stay away from the area in the long run.
This meticulous attention to detail and clever integration of function is truly breathtaking, but of course, we cannot completely rule out the influence of some accidental factors.
For example, the Forbidden City, as a royal palace, has a large number of people coming and going every day, which is also a deterrent to birds, and with diligent cleaning work, even the occasional bird droppings will be quickly cleaned up.
However, this statement is not entirely true, and a blogger once exposed a video on the Internet proving that birds can be on the roof of the palace.
It is worth mentioning that as we mentioned earlier, glazed tiles are a relatively smooth material, and it is not easy for two feet to stand firmly, and after firing, this kind of tile has a very strong ability to reflect light.
Just imagine, when the sun appears, the light is refracted on the glazed tiles, and people will feel dazzling when they look at it, not to mention birds, they will be in instinct to dodge.
But when the light is not so strong, the birds will also have a chance to land on the roof, so it can only be said that people may rarely see birds pooping in the Forbidden City, which does not seem to be very absolute!
Why hasn't there been bird droppings on the roof of the Forbidden City for 600 years? Experts tell the truth, and have to admire the wisdom of the ancients 2024-03-10 16:09Longnan Wudu released
To sum up, it is enough to see that the Forbidden City is not a suitable place for birds to live, therefore, this will lead to them rarely coming here, which is why the Forbidden City is very clean.
In recent years, people's yearning for the Forbidden City has become higher and higher, and even the cultural relics inside have long been overstocked, according to official information, there will be a second Forbidden City in Beijing.
The "second" Forbidden City?
It is understood that this new building, known as the "Second Forbidden City" or "North Courtyard of the Forbidden City", is located in Beijing, with a construction area of more than 100,000 square meters.
The architectural style of the North Courtyard is consistent with the existing Forbidden City, fully reflecting the traditional Chinese aesthetics, and the construction of the North Courtyard is not only to divert tourists, but also to solve the problem of insufficient storage space for cultural relics.
At present, the Palace Museum has collected more than 1 million cultural relics, but due to space constraints, less than 10,000 cultural relics can be exhibited, and the completion of the North Campus can display 2 to 30,000 cultural relics per year, which greatly improves the situation.
Although there are concerns that the distance from the city may affect the number of visitors, it turns out that different visitors have different preferences, with some preferring a lively environment, while others prefer to learn about Chinese history and culture in a quiet environment.
According to the data, the construction of the North Campus will start on December 30, 2022, at a cost of 2.1 billion yuan, and is expected to be completed in three years.
It is worth mentioning that the cultural relics restoration space in the north campus adopts an open design, so that visitors have the opportunity to witness the process of cultural relics restoration and feel the exquisite skills in it.
It can be said that today, as the most important museum in China, the Forbidden City has a large collection of rare treasures and historical relics, which not only have high artistic value, but also carry the historical memory and cultural genes of the Chinese nation.
Every year, millions of tourists from all over the world come to see this magnificent building, which not only drives the tourism economy of Beijing and even the whole country, but also becomes an important platform for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
In this sense, the Forbidden City is not only a building, but also a cultural symbol, a symbol of a nation, which has witnessed the glory of Chinese civilization and experienced the changes of the times.
Today, it continues to write its own legend with a new attitude, as a "living museum", the Forbidden City not only carries history, but also connects the present and the future.
It belongs not only to China, but also to the world, which is perhaps the greatest charm of this ancient palace.
epilogue
The peculiar phenomenon of "birds don't poop" in the Forbidden City is the crystallization of the wisdom of ancient craftsmen, reflecting the subtlety of architectural design, this palace that has witnessed historical changes, although it was once high, but now it is open to everyone.
Let's walk into the Forbidden City together, feel the precious wealth left by our predecessors, and appreciate the extraordinary charm of this great building!