Gate of Heavenly Purity 乾清门

What seemed like an end to the endless series of gates in the Forbidden City, turned out to be only temporary. For after the Hall of Preserved Harmony is yet another gate. This one is not as imposing as the former structures. The Gate of Heavenly Purity 乾清门 is the next gate I would encounter in this Chinese architecture overload experience. Honestly, they all start to look alike and I would only be able to tell what is what through the name which they generously posted in front.

The Gate of Heavenly Purity is used primarily by the emperor to listen to state reports. This also marks the start of the inner court, which explains why there is another gate here. It is quite amusing to see emperors having dedicated places for all sorts of stuff. Since this is the start of the inner court, it is but natural that the emperor conduct his business from here instead of having to travel all the out to the grander structures.

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