The Strange and Mysterious Architecture of the Forbidden City Amazes Scientists. This ancient palace has withstood over 200 severe earthquakes in 600 years.
The Forbidden City, also known as the Imperial Palace, is the grand palace of the emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China. Located in the heart of modern-day Beijing, the Forbidden City is one of the most famous landmarks and a focal point for researchers.
The top attraction of the Forbidden City lies in its remarkably unique architecture. Few structures from thousands of years ago are designed as specifically as the Forbidden City, allowing it to withstand both major and minor earthquakes without sustaining damage.
The mysteries in the unique architecture have allowed the Forbidden City to remain standing for 600 years despite being “swept” by around 200 earthquakes.
With its uniquely designed wooden roofs, the Forbidden City has effectively handled numerous earthquakes. This capability has sparked curiosity among many researchers who are determined to uncover the secrets of this extraordinary resilience that European architectural works admire today.
What Did the Skilled Craftsmen Do 2500 Years Ago?
According to researchers, as early as 500 BC, ancient architects in China developed a structural form capable of withstanding natural disasters, featuring many rectangular wooden frameworks known as “Dou Gong.”
Dou Gong is the “key” to the unique structure of the buildings in the Forbidden City.
Dou Gong reduces the impact of earthquakes on buildings.
This type of structure is a roof framing technique. Dou Gong serves not only to extend the porch area but also has excellent load-bearing capacity while providing decorative details to the palaces within the Forbidden City.
Dou Gong not only stabilizes the house but also serves as a decorative element for the grand buildings in the Forbidden City.
This has been evidenced in history, as this unique structure has allowed the Imperial Palace to withstand 200 earthquakes over 600 years.
To explore the extraordinary load-bearing capacity of the Dou Gong structure, professional carpenters conducted experiments to demonstrate how this unique architecture helped the palaces in the Forbidden City survive numerous earthquakes, including the most “severe” ones of the 20th century, which reached 9.5 on the Richter scale.
The unique structure of “Dou Gong” is very sturdy and flexible.
Specifically, experts and carpenters built a house model with a Dou Gong structure right above the surface of a shaking table. To accurately assess this ancient architecture, they constructed the details very meticulously and in a traditional manner.
The Forbidden City Remains “Standing Strong” Even During a 10.1 Magnitude Earthquake
Afterwards, the experts used a system to simulate earthquakes to challenge the house. According to researchers, the largest earthquake ever recorded in history had a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale.
However, through testing, this one-of-a-kind architectural structure can withstand earthquake magnitudes up to 10.1 without collapsing. The framework and roof remain stable, leaving researchers and many architects in awe of the intelligence and craftsmanship of those artisans from 2500 years ago.
“Dou Gong” can support the extended porch and the heavy load from the roof.
Dou Gong is typically located beneath the eaves and roof. Despite not using any adhesive, the installation of wooden beams in perfect alignment allows this structure to hold the roof and frame firmly in place even during earthquakes.
Researchers are amazed by the capabilities of “Dou Gong,” which enable the houses in the Forbidden City to withstand earthquakes of up to 10.1 on the Richter scale.
Dou Gong is a special architectural structure that has been widely used since the Spring and Autumn period (approximately 770 – 476 BC) in Chinese history.
This unique architectural form astonishes many researchers due to its effective earthquake resistance, surpassing many contemporary technological applications.
To gain further insight into the special capabilities of the mysterious architecture in the Forbidden City, which can “specifically treat” earthquakes, please watch the video below.
Watch the subtitled video for more information:
