China's Imperial PalacesAt the height of his power in the eighteenth century， the Chineseemperor ruled over a population of four hundred million peoplespread over a land mass that covered a third of the Asiancontinent. He lived in splendour in his palaces， the most important ofwhich was located in the city of Beijing.In the eighteenth century， China was ruled by the Qing dynasty （1644-1911）. The dynasty originated in the North Eastern provinces of China（formerly known as Manchuria）， but by then had become quite sinicized.The emperor was a hard-working man who rose early to attend court.He was assisted by a sizeable bureaucracy selected by examination.Indeed， he kept a harem， closely supervised by his principal consortsand eunuchs. His palace served as his home and his office. Nevertheless，to see the palace design as being governed by such practical concerns aswhere he might sit to rule on matters of state and what he might do in hisleisure hours misses the very important element of his religious life forwhich the architecture must also cater. The Chinese emperor was theSon of Heaven， and it was his duty and privilege to intercede betweenHeaven and his subjects. The quarters he lived， therefore， were surroundedby shrines of deities and ancestors， to whom tight regulation requiredthat he give offerings on a regular basis. The palace， therefore， combinespractical administration with the emperor's domestic life and his religiouspersonage. Chinese ideas concerning these various aspects of imperialauthority are writ large in palace architecture.
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