On the sign at the Longzong Gate of the Forbidden City in China, there exists a peculiar arrow that has remained untouched for 200 years. What is the mystery behind it?
It can be said that the Forbidden City (Gugong) is one of the most unique classical structures in China. Whether Chinese or foreign visitors, when arriving in Beijing, they often choose this site as their first point of interest to learn about the imperial palace representing the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The magnificent and exquisite architectural art of the Forbidden City always astonishes its visitors. However, not many who have visited the Forbidden City have noticed the peculiar arrow on the sign at the Longzong Gate.
How could such an arrow appear in the royal residences without being noticed by any general or ancient emperor? The answer is that this arrow has existed on the sign for about 200 years, dating back to the reign of Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty. He allowed the arrow to remain on the sign as a reminder of the importance of preserving the country.
The arrow on the sign at Longzong Gate.
The Qing Dynasty was established by ethnic minorities. It is a rare dynasty in Chinese history that unified the Central Plains with minority groups. In the agricultural era, possessing natural resources meant enjoying a more advanced civilization. The nomadic tribes relied on the natural resources they had, leading to a prosperous life, so their civilization was not inferior to that of the Central Plains.
In the feudal society of China, Confucian culture continued to play a foundational role with a history spanning thousands of years. However, after the Manchus emerged, they sought to assimilate Han culture. They intended for the Manchu language to become the official language in the Central Plains and aimed to widely promote Manchu culture.
Although the Qing Dynasty defeated the Ming Dynasty through military force, the culture that had deep roots in the hearts of the people over thousands of years made it challenging for the Qing rulers to uproot the previous dynasty’s legacy. Military force might be acceptable, but if they wanted the Han people to revere Manchu culture and abandon the traditional values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust that had been inherited for thousands of years, it would surely create significant resistance.
Even from the Kangxi era, Qing rulers began to learn calligraphy and Confucian teachings, but the mindset of resistance against the dominant minority culture in the Central Plains remained ingrained in some people’s minds. This was also one of the reasons the Qing rulers always felt insecure.
At that time, many armed organizations opposed Qing rule, and sometimes uprisings were organized that caused headaches for the Qing government. Although these uprisings were suppressed multiple times, those with deep-rooted opposition ideas were like weeds, growing back whenever the wind blew.
These folk organizations were also often intertwined with religion, which always held sway in various circumstances. During Emperor Jiaqing’s reign, a strong anti-Qing organization named the White Lotus (Bai Lian) emerged. They exploited religious sentiments to cleverly control some people who wished to resist Qing rule and restore the Ming Dynasty. The arrow on the sign in front of the Longzong Gate at the Forbidden City is closely related to this White Lotus organization.
During the Qing Dynasty, regardless of the dynasty in power, they never forgot the traditions of their ancestors. Princes were required to learn horseback riding and archery from a young age, and they even had to pass examinations. Once they became emperors, annual hunting activities were organized.
Before each hunting expedition, extensive preparations had to be made. First, the hunting area needed to be secured, monitored throughout the year, with no entry allowed. Second, during hunting, the emperor would typically bring a large entourage. To ensure the emperor’s safety, every hunt required the mobilization of many people to provide adequate protection.
During the Qing Dynasty, princes had to learn horseback riding and archery from a young age.
In the autumn of the eighteenth year of Jiaqing’s reign, he took a group to Chengde for hunting. More than half of the soldiers in the Forbidden City accompanied him. At this time, the Forbidden City was very weak in terms of defense. The emperor Jiaqing was more focused on the traditional hunting of his ancestors than the safety of the imperial city.
At this time, the White Lotus sect had a small offshoot known as the Heavenly Reason sect. Initially, this organization’s numbers were small, but after hundreds of years of development, the Heavenly Reason sect managed to gather a significant civil force. At that time, the leader of the Heavenly Reason sect was Lin Qing, originally from Beijing, who disapproved of the Qing power and voluntarily joined the Heavenly Reason sect. Lin Qing managed to bribe some Qing officials and learned of Jiaqing’s hunting plans.
At that moment, Lin Qing decided to infiltrate the Forbidden City. Although his group had only over 200 members, they felt quite confident as they had heard that most of the guards in the Forbidden City had gone with Jiaqing. However, when Lin Qing and his group entered the Forbidden City, they still faced fierce resistance.
The imperial guards within the Forbidden City underwent strict training, with most being highly skilled in martial arts. Lin Qing’s group, being limited in number and largely consisting of ordinary civilians holding weapons with no combat experience, quickly suffered defeat. Amid the chaos, a stray arrow lodged itself in the sign of the Longzong Gate.
More than two hundred members of the Heavenly Reason sect were subsequently executed. Lin Qing did not escape the death penalty either. After Emperor Jiaqing returned and learned of the situation and saw the arrow on the sign, he ordered that no one was to remove it. He considered it a reminder to stay vigilant and to always protect the country under all circumstances.
