Throne palace, the building for great court's meetings, faces the
Noon gate and lies right on the axis piercing the centre of the Royal citadel. It was constructed in 1805 by
Emperor Gia Long and used later in 1806 for his coronation.
In 1833 it was moved onto a foundation of 2.33m high as now by
Emperor Minh Mang. It is 44m long, 30.5m across, 11.8m high and contains a 5-compartment, two-bay main building connected with a 7-compartment, two-bay front building.
The columns are lacquered red and decorated with golden dragon designs. On the roof ridge rest two dragon designs paying homage to a moon. Eaves and roof corners are ornamented with head-turning dragon designs. These and the moldings along the eaves are inlaid with multicoloured ceramic chips.
The roof is covered with yellow enameled tiles. Constructors of the Throne palace have created two contradictive features: cool inside in summer and warm in winter.
Throne Palace is the site where solemn ceremonies took place such as: the Coronation Day, the Crown Prince Coronation Day, Emperor's Birthday Anniversaries, etc. |
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