Where did the name of the Forbidden City come from?

The name of the Forbidden City comes from the Purple Star Tower. Ancient astronomers in China once divided the stars in the sky into three constellations, twenty-eight constellations and other constellations. The three walls include Taiwei Garden, Ziwei Garden and Tianshi Garden. Ziweiyuan is in the middle of the three yuan. According to the long-term observation of celestial bodies in space, ancient astronomy in China believed that Wei Zixing was located in the middle of the sky and its position was eternal, so it became a constellation representing the Emperor of Heaven. This is the residence of the Emperor of Heaven. Therefore, the heavenly palace where the Emperor of Heaven lives is the Purple Palace. Forbidden, on the other hand, is better understood, which means that the palace is the royal base camp and no one else is allowed to come here.

In order to maintain their authority and dignity and consider their own safety, the Ming and Qing emperors built palaces, which were both magnificent and heavily guarded. The city is not only full of palaces and pavilions, but also surrounded by a wall more than 10 meters high and a moat 52 meters wide. Moreover, there are many outposts and high security. Needless to say, it is absolutely forbidden for ordinary people to enjoy balconies and pavilions, even if they are very close.

In addition to serving their ladies-in-waiting, eunuchs and bodyguards, only summoned officials and privileged people can enter the palace where the Ming emperors and their families lived. This is a place where outsiders can't cross the border. Therefore, the imperial palace in the Ming Dynasty was both a purple palace and a forbidden area, so it was called the Forbidden City.