The Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the Hall of Golden Chimes, occupies a unique and lofty position among numerous palace buildings in China. It is the palace with the highest existing specifications and has won the reputation of being the first among the "Three Great Halls in the East".
Once you step inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, you can immediately feel the overwhelming luxurious atmosphere. The floor is paved with specially made gold bricks, which are solid in texture and shiny as a mirror. Inside the hall, there is a throne with golden lacquer and cloud and dragon patterns placed there. This throne can be regarded as an artistic treasure. Tens of thousands of golden dragon patterns are meticulously inlaid on it. The carving technique of the dragon patterns is extremely exquisite. Each golden dragon looks vivid as if it were about to take off in the next moment. The whole throne looks exquisitely beautiful, fully demonstrating the majesty and nobility of the imperial family.
In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there are also many symbolic objects on display, such as sundials, bronze turtles, and bronze cranes. The sundial was an ancient tool for telling time, while the bronze turtles and bronze cranes symbolize longevity and good fortune, showing the majesty of the imperial family and their anticipation for good luck from different aspects. In addition, there are stone-carved dragon heads installed in front of the hall for drainage purposes. These dragon heads are lifelike in shape and exquisite in craftsmanship. Whenever the rainy season comes, rainwater will converge at these dragon heads through the palace's drainage system and then pour out from the mouths of the dragons, presenting a wonderful and spectacular scene of thousands of dragons spitting water, which is breathtaking and has become a unique landscape in the Forbidden City.
At the same time, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the core of the entire Forbidden City, carrying extremely important functions and serving as a venue for holding all kinds of grand ceremonies. For example, significant moments such as the emperor's accession to the throne, which is related to the fate of the country and symbolizes the alternation of imperial power, the emperor's grand wedding, which symbolizes the continuation of the imperial family and is full of a festive atmosphere, and the ceremony of appointing the empress, which demonstrates the order of the imperial harem and reflects the majesty of the imperial family, will all be held here grandly. It witnesses the occurrence of one significant historical moment after another and also highlights the irreplaceable important position of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the ancient feudal dynasty's ruling system.
