In the Forbidden City the most important buildings have
figures on the eaves of the roofs. My sister Linda was very fascinated by these
figures, to the extent that she is now considering add a set to the eve of her
roof.
These roof charms are only allowed on official buildings
of the empire. The more important the building the more figures. Made of glazed ceramic and colored yellow, this was the color reserved for the roofs of the imperial buildings.The Hall of
the Supreme Harmony has the highest number in the Forbidden City.
The first figure is
a man riding a chicken, he is followed by nine mythical beasts in this order.
The dragon, protects against fire by controlling the rain and the sea. The
Phoenix, is the king of the birds and controls the wind and air, the loin, is
the king of the beasts and the most powerful of the animals. The lion protects
the country and imperial rule. The heavenly horse, can run like the wind and
travel thousands of miles in a day, Saun Ni, a mythical beast which is a
combination of a lion, wild beast, and wild horse, The guardian fish, a wind and
storm-summoning fish, the xiezhi, a monster which could tell right from wrong and
uses its horn to gore an evildoer, and a bull which dispels evil and fights the
enemy with its horns. The last figure is a imperial dragon representing the
authority of the state.
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| the eave of the Hall of the Supreme Harmony |
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