How Many Rooms are there in the Forbidden City? 9999.5?
9,371 Rooms in Total
Why are 9,999.5 rooms rumored in the Forbidden City?
The folklore said that the Heavenly Palace, also called Zi Wei Palace, has 10,000 rooms. The son’s palace cannot exceed the Heaven’s residence. Therefore, when building Forbidden City, the emperor cut the room number and only built 9,999 and a half room, less than but infinitely approaching 10,000.
However, many palaces inside the Forbidden City were destroyed by the fire and have not been repaired. If adding this part, it is not impossible to have 9999.5 rooms.
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Where is the half room in the Forbidden City?
Viewpoint 1: Western Most Room in Wen Yuan Hall
However, some scholars don’t agree with it. Although Wen Yuan Hall looks like a building with two stories outside, it actually has three stories inside and even has three to four room-depth. But the westernmost room is just a shallow staircase, not a “room” at all.
Viewpoint 2: Yi Zhai in Qianlong Garden
The name ‘Yi Zhai’ often appears in detached palaces and royal courtyards. It was originally the study room of Emperor Qianlong in his living residence when he was just a prince. After becoming the emperor, Qianlong built many buildings named ‘Yizhai’ in places with beautiful natural scenery, so he could fully enjoy painting and reading. At the same time, he could often recall the memorable time of his youth.
Palaces Not Open to the Public Yet:
Palace of Established Happiness (Jianfugong)
Palace of Many Splendors (Chonghuagong)
Studio of Cleansing Fragrance (Shufangzhai)
Further Reading:
How big is the Forbidden City?
Smallest Palace in the Forbidden City
- Last updated on Sep. 25, 2024 by Gabby Li -