Forbidden City in Beijing - 2008

Meridian Gate from Inside - 29

The Meridian Gate is the main entrance into the Forbidden City. The walls are 13 meters high and the rostrum above it with the double-eaved roof stands 37.95 meters. There was a throne in the rostrum, which had a drum tower on one side and a bell tower on the other side, The drum was beaten when the emperor went into the Ancestral Temple. When a major ceremony occurred both the drums and bells sounded, carrying for five kilometers.