Final answer:
The Forbidden City in Beijing, built during the Ming Dynasty, was the residence of emperors and signified imperial power with restricted access and was fortified by a high wall. It featured traditional Chinese architectural design with symbolic colors, particularly emperor-associated yellow.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Forbidden City, constructed as the home of the emperors and the governmental center during the Ming Dynasty, is a massive complex in the heart of Beijing. Completed between 1406 and 1429, this extensively fortified palace housed emperors for almost 500 years. The Forbidden City was named such because it was the exclusive residence for the emperor and his family, and access was highly restricted. Enclosed by a formidable twenty-five feet high stone wall, only important individuals who lived and worked inside were allowed entrance. Moreover, native-born individuals were allowed to reside within, while trade was permitted only within the city's perimeters. With over 950 traditional Chinese architectural-style buildings and designed on a north-south axis, the complex's construction incorporated unique Phoebe Zhennan wood, marble quarried in cold conditions, and special golden-looking bricks.
Design, color, and symbolism played crucial roles in the city's construction, reflecting the culture and values of the Ming dynasty. Yellow, a representative color of the emperor, was predominant in the city's rooftops, emphasizing the emperor's divine status. The meticulous layout, centered around palaces, temples, and gardens, depicted China's power and magnificence, and was a statement of the era's cultural and philosophical beliefs.