The Forbidden City was created to house the emperor and his entourage. All of the walls of the city are colored yellow - a color reserved for the emperor. This picture shows the palatial receiving room where the emperor passed judgement and laws. He was quite paranoid about his enemies burrowing beneath the bricks out front into this room, so he ordered that 11 layers of brick be laid all around it.

The buildings in the Forbidden City are all made of wood - no nails of any type to hold the pillars together. The type of intricate decoration you see above is found on every building in the Forbidden City.

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