Based on the structure of ancient palaces, please explain why ancient emperors always sat in the "north and south" position of the palace?
I hope the answer satisfies you.
The ancients attached great importance to the south. Most of the emperors sat facing south. The princes of the emperor sat facing the south when meeting their ministers, and the ministers and officials met their subordinates. Even in their tombs a hundred years later, their tombstones always faced south. of. So, why is this? Based on his understanding of my country's relevant history and culture, Le Hu believes that "sitting north and facing south is the most respectful thing" originated from the ancients' summary of life experience and the theory of the Five Elements and Bagua, which was first seen in the "Book of Changes".
When building a house, the orientation of the house is very important. Most of the houses are facing south from the main entrance and are called the main house, while those facing east and west are called side rooms. The main house is always occupied by the elders of the family, which also reflects the traditional Chinese "filial piety". Analysis from the perspective of geographical knowledge: the rotation of the earth causes the sun to rise and set, and our country is in the northern hemisphere of the earth, so a house facing due south always gets more sunshine in a day than a house facing other directions, so living here for a long time (facing South) people in the house are healthier. North is yin, south is yang, mountains to the north and water to the south are yin, mountains to the south and water to the north are yang. Sit north and face south, not only for lighting, but also to avoid the north wind. In short, the principle of sitting north and facing south is a correct understanding of natural phenomena, conforming to the way of heaven, getting the aura of mountains and rivers, receiving the brilliance of the sun and moon, nourishing the body, cultivating sentiments, and making the land spiritual and outstanding.
But at that time, our ancestors didn’t even know that the earth was round, so they couldn’t explain why people living in houses facing the south were healthier, so there was the so-called “Five Elements and Bagua” " said. According to it: the east is wood, the south is fire, the west is metal, and the north is water. As the emperor is the incarnation of a dragon, of course he has to sit on the water to suppress the fire. This is auspicious! As the most respected emperor, he naturally wants all the people in the world to be loyal and filial to him, live in a house facing south, and sit on a seat facing south.
The "Book of Changes·Shuo Gua" says: "Li is Ming, everything meets each other, and it is the hexagram of the south." This means that in the eight trigrams, Li hexagram symbolizes light. When the sun is in the middle position, Jinan Cuiyuxuan shines on the south, making everything visible and visible. This is the hexagram representing the south. Therefore, the emperor took the Dharma Li Gua and sat in the north, facing the south to receive ministers and listen to the affairs of the world, which symbolized facing the light and governing the world. Therefore, "Book of Changes·Shuo Gua" says: "The sage faces the south to listen to the world, and governs towards the Ming Dynasty, which is why he takes all this." After ancient kings ascended the throne, they sat facing south. "Proclaimed king" or "proclaimed emperor from the south".
Contrary to the honorable position of "South", "North" was a humble position in ancient times. This must first be explained from the meaning of the word "North". The original meaning of "北" is "back" or "behind". In oracle bone inscriptions, the character "北" means two people standing back to back. Therefore, Xu Shen of the Eastern Han Dynasty explained in "Shuowen Jiezi": "North means good. The two have their backs to each other." In ancient times, when two armies fought, the one who was defeated and fled always had his back to the enemy, so " The word "North" adds the meaning of "failure". "Zuo Zhuan: The Second Year of Ai Gong": "The eldest son saved him with a gun, Zheng Shibei." The "north" here means "defeat" or "fleeing in defeat". Therefore, when ancient texts talk about losing a battle, they often describe the victor as "chasing toward the north". For example, "Historical Records: The Anthology of Emperor Gaozu" says: "The Qin army was strong and often took advantage of its victory to drive north." After the Qin and Han Dynasties, "defeat" became a commonly used word with two syllables. For example, "Historical Records·The Chronicles of Xiang Yu": "I have been eight years old since I started the army. I have fought more than seventy years, and those who fought were defeated, those who attacked were subdued, and I was not defeated." Later, "defeat" not only refers to military failure or failure, but also It has also been cited as failure in various competitions.
In ancient times, when kings met their ministers and elders met juniors and juniors, they all sat facing south. Ministers and juniors all stood in the south, that is, facing north. Therefore, when people point to "North" and call themselves ministers, it is called "North facing ministers". Jinan Cuiyuxuan's "Historical Records: The Benji of Xiang Yu" records that Xiang Yu threatened Liu Bang to retreat by cooking Liu Bang's father. Liu Bang said: "I and Xiang Yu were both ordered to conceive the king from the north, saying that they were 'brothers.' As for Weng, I am lucky enough to share a piece of the pie.
"It means: "Xiang Yu and I both faced north and became ministers to King Huai of Chu. We were once brothers. My father is your father. Please give me a piece of the pie." Later, "North Face" also had the extended meaning of admitting defeat, asking for surrender, and asking for peace. Because the humble boy faced the north to pay homage to his elders, so he was also called "North Face" when he was a disciple. There is an example of this in "Hanshu·Yu Dingguo Biography" To prove it: "Dingguo welcomes his teacher to study the Spring and Autumn Annals. He holds the sutra and prepares disciples' rituals to the north. ”
Sit in the north and face the south, complying with the way of heaven. In ancient times, the south was regarded as the supreme, while the north was symbolized as failure and surrender. The king dominates the world and is the supreme one. The color of the five elements of earth is yellow, and the earth is in the center. Symbolizes unification.