Why are there so many large tanks in the Forbidden City? What is their purpose?

Many people who have been to the Forbidden City in Beijing know that there are large metal vats placed in front of some of the main halls and in the courtyards of the Forbidden City. These large vats have a wide belly and a large capacity, and are beautifully decorated, with animal-faced copper rings hanging on the ears. So, what are these large tanks used for?

You may have heard the idiom that if the city gate catches fire, the fish in the pond will be affected. On the surface, this meaning means that the city gate is on fire, causing harm to the fish in the "pool". It means that if the disaster spreads, innocent people will be harmed! It means that the misfortune of others may cause your own misfortune. You cannot just sit back and rejoice in misfortune just because you think you have nothing to do with it.

Does the origin of this idiom have anything to do with the vat in the Forbidden City?

It means that water is usually stored in the tank, and fish are kept in the tank for viewing in summer. Once there is a fire in the Forbidden City, the water in the tank needs to be taken to put out the fire, which will harm the fish in the tank. . In the Forbidden City, a vat made of copper and iron is placed, which is called a "Taiping vat" or "auspicious vat". It serves as a fire-fighting water storage vat. The name "Taiping Jar" contains the ancients' hope for peace in the world and peace for the country and the people. Nowadays, there are many fire-fighting methods, such as isolating oxygen, isolating fire sources, establishing protective belts, cooling, etc., which are not used now. In the ancient Forbidden City, the main thing available was cooling. To isolate oxygen, foam fire extinguishers, carbon dioxide fire extinguishers, etc. were used, which were not available at that time. Isolation is even less possible with huge palaces. The most direct thing is to ask the eunuchs and maids to each carry a bucket to put out the fire.

In the old days, people called the large tank "Menhai". It is not difficult to understand literally, "menhai" means the sea in front of the door. With the sea in front of the main hall, there will be no more fires. Therefore, these large vats are also called auspicious vats and peace vats.

Of course, in addition to being used as fire-fighting equipment, these copper cylinders are also a good decoration in themselves. Especially the gilt copper cylinders, both in terms of materials and craftsmanship, have reached the level of works of art. According to modern estimates, to make a top-grade gilt copper vat, as much as 100 taels of gold are used on the surface, and the entire vat costs 1,500 taels of silver, which is really not a small amount. So this is also a decoration and auspicious object.