Forbidden City - Religion

Figure 4.2: Lamaistic Altar

The Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers is a three-storied building. The roof of the first floor is green. The roof of the second floor is blue and yellow while the roof of the third floor is yellow. The uppermost roof is covered with gilt bronze tiles (Yu 176). On the four ridges, there are four rare free-standing dragons made of gilt bronze (Yu 176). The first floor is surrounded by a covered verandah. The column-heads of the second and third floors are decorated using �animal masks with additional coiled dragons� (Yu 189). The first floor inside the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers has a circular Lamaistic altar, which is also called a mandala, made of cloisonn�, as shown in figure 4.2 (Ru 130). The second floor is also an altar, as shown in figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3: Second Floor of the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers

The Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers was built under the reign of Qian Long in the Ching Dynasty (Yu 189). The construction of the building cost a lot of money: 22,533 taels of silver and 19,681 taels of gold (Yu 326). The Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers worshipped the Buddhas of the Western Paradise and was for the practice of Lamaism (Yu 179, 189). It held monthly ceremonies such as chanting from the sutras (Yu 176). The Chinese emperor Qian Long introduced Lamaism to the Forbidden City and Lamaism became the official religion in China during the Ching Dynasty. He also provided opportunities for the imperial family to see an outside view of the Forbidden City because the upper balcony of the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers can provide a view beyond the Forbidden City. The sad women in the Ching Dynasty went to this balcony and looked at the roofs toward their homes in the city. They also dreamed of being carefree by looking at the high horizons of the Western hills (Dorn 267). The Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers can comfort these people and allow them to express their homesick feelings. Hence, the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers not only brought Lamaism to the Forbidden City but also provided a way for the imperial family to express their feelings of missing their families.