Forbidden City Gate of Celestial Purity (Qianqingmen)
Separated from the Outer Court by a wide piazza
(200 metres east to west and 30 metres north to south) stands Qianqingmen,
The Gate of Celestial Purity. This open space provides a link between the
Outer and Inner Courts while creating a dramatic setting for imperial pageantry.
During the Qing dynasty the emperor would be enthroned under the centre of this gate for the purpose of receiving reports and giving his decisions on matters presented to him. Small buildings on either side were duty rooms for officials and waiting rooms to accommodate ministers awaiting interviews, etc.
Against
the red wall beside gate there are ten huge gleaming, gilded bronze vats.
Although these are decorative, their prime function was to contain the
vast amounts of water necessary to fight any outbreak of fire in the many
timber buildings. Each of these vats weighs four tons and would contain
over two hundred gallons of water. There is a total of three hundred and
eight vats spread around the Forbidden City, twenty-two of which are of
the same design as those seen by this gate.