Why does the water in some tanks in the Forbidden City not freeze for 600 years?
Brief introduction of the vats in the Forbidden City These vats in the Forbidden City were not cast at the same time. Some were cast in the Ming Dynasty, while others were cast in the Qing Dynasty. The styles and materials of big pots cast in Ming and Qing Dynasties are different. The vats cast in Ming dynasty were generally made of iron, and the style was relatively simple, mainly by installing iron rings on both sides of the vats. Urns cast in the Qing Dynasty were generally made of copper, and their styles and techniques were more exquisite than those in the Ming Dynasty, with bronze rings with animal faces on both sides.
In addition, during the Qianlong period, 18 gold-plated bronze cylinders were cast. These 18 gold-plated copper cylinders were placed in important areas such as Jindian and Gan Qing Gate to show their style. Emperor Qianlong's luxury can be seen. Unfortunately, after Eight-Nation Alliance entered the Forbidden City in the late Qing Dynasty, the gold on the gilded copper cylinder was scraped away by foreigners. Now, on the gilded copper cylinders on both sides of the Golden Hall, you can also see the countless knife marks left by Eight-Nation Alliance scraping gold. These knife marks also bear witness to the humiliating history of the late Qing Dynasty.
The purpose of the Forbidden City urn In the Forbidden City, I saw these large and exquisite urns, which many people thought were decorations. In fact, these vats were originally designed as water tanks. Simply put, it is used for storing water, not for decoration. These vats are all in the open air, so the water in them is definitely not for drinking. The water in the vat of the Forbidden City is used as a backup water source for fire fighting. On weekdays, the vat must be filled with water. According to our current words, these vats in the Forbidden City are equivalent to the ancient version of fire hydrants.
It took more than 500 years from the completion of the 1420 Forbidden City to the demise of the Qing Dynasty. During these 500 years, there have been hundreds of fires in the Forbidden City. Most of the buildings in the Forbidden City are built with wooden beams. These dry sticks are flammable. Once a fire breaks out in the palace, it is easy to cause a fire. In the Forbidden City, charcoal fire is used for heating and candles are used for lighting in winter. These are all fire sources, and a little carelessness can easily lead to a fire. This is also a reason why the Forbidden City is prone to fire.
In addition to the wooden structure, another important reason why the Forbidden City is prone to fire is that lightning causes fire. Relevant information shows that a fire broke out in the second and third years of the Forbidden City. Both fires were caused by lightning. It is said that at that time, Judy went to the ancestral temple to worship her ancestors.
Once a fire breaks out in the palace, people in the palace can take water from a nearby vat to put out the fire. Of course, there are wells in the Forbidden City, but in contrast, when there is a fire, it is much faster to draw water from a vat to put out the fire than from a well. It is precisely because the water in the cylinder is very important for fire fighting that no water in the cylinder or water in the cylinder freezes is not allowed.
These vats in the Forbidden City also have a lucky name? Menhai? . What is the so-called gate sea? The sea in front of the door? Meaning. The meaning of naming these water tanks in the Forbidden City as Menhai is obvious, that is, using the water in Menhai to avoid fire. There are many naming examples similar to this meaning. In Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, there is a library building built in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, which is presided over by Fan Qin, a retired assistant minister of the Ministry of War. This library is named Tianyi Pavilion. Which one is it? Life is full of water? Meaning. The library is most afraid of fire, and water can put out the fire, so the implication of naming the library Tianyi Pavilion is also obvious.
The reason why the water in the vat of the Forbidden City does not freeze for 500 years The Forbidden City is located in the north, and the temperature is often below zero in winter. If no measures are taken, the water in the water tank of the Forbidden City will definitely freeze. But the water in the water tank of the Forbidden City is not allowed to freeze. So how did ancient times ensure that the water in the water tank of the Forbidden City did not freeze?
It turns out that every year during the light snow festival, the eunuchs in the palace will put a cotton cover on the water supply cylinder liner and cover it on the cylinder head. Moreover, we can see that these large water tanks in the Forbidden City are not placed directly on the ground, but on a pedestal. This base has a mouth, the purpose is to put charcoal fire at the bottom of the water tank in winter to prevent the water in the water tank from freezing.
Of course, in addition to placing hundreds of vats in the Forbidden City, other fire prevention measures were taken at that time. For example, a chef who often uses fire will move to the downwind. However, these fire prevention measures are obviously insignificant in the face of fire. In the past 500 years, there have been many fires in the Forbidden City.