Forbidden City in Beijing - 2008

Palace Moat - 37

Despite measuring only 510 meters in length, during the 14th to 20th century the Changpu was one of Beijing's two most important rivers, the other being the Golden Water River by the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. As the Changpu runs outside the imperial compound, it is also known as the Outer Golden Water River. In the Ming Dynasty, the city of Beijing was divided into three concentric rings, with the downtown area at the periphery, the Forbidden City at the center, and the imperial city between the two. As domicile to the royal family, the Forbidden City was surrounded by water, with the Golden Water River to the south and the Tongzi River to the east, west and north. Both still exist. The downtown area was also encircled by moats. Moats extant in Beijing were constructed during the Ming Dynasty, when they performed the multiple functions of water supply, sewage treatment, transportation, and defense.