Hall of Complete Harmony --Zhonghedian

Hall of Complete Harmony , also called Zhonghedian, is a square building with a single pyramid roof. It contains a throne with incense burners and braziers in front of it.

Announcing the function of the hall
Hall of Complete Harmony (Zhonghedian) served as a place of rest for the emperor on his way to he Hall of Supreme Harmony. It was here that they consulted with their religious ministers. Each year prior to their departure for important sacrificial rites at the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of the Earth or elsewhere, they would read elegiac addresses. The emperor also received members of the cabinet and officials in the Ministry of Rites, and rehearsals for ceremonies were also held here. Before going to the Temple of the Ancestral Farmers, they would inspect the seeds and farming tools to be used during the ceremony. During the Qing dynasty the imperial genealogy was revised every ten years. A special ceremony was conducted in this hall so that the revision could be presented to His Majesty for approval.

Discover decorations inside
Inside the Hall of Complete Harmony (Zhonghedian), visitors can see a pair of golden unicorns standing on either side of the centrally positioned throne. Called 'luduan' in Chinese, these were believed to be multilingual and capable of travelling 9,000 kilometres in just one day. Due to their extraordinary abilities, effigies of these mythical beasts, which served also as sandalwood burners, were put beside the throne as a symbol of the emperors' great wisdom and intelligence. Beside the throne, there are two sedan chairs, that were used to shuttle emperors around the Forbidden City.

The building to the north is Baohedian (Hall of Preserved Harmony).