J120, 60th Anniv. of Founding of Palace Museum《故宫博物院建院六十周年》

Stamp Title: 60th Anniv. of Founding of Palace Museum
Serial number: J120
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: October 10, 1985
Denomination: 116 fen
Designers: Shao Bolin
Size of stamps: 93*26mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 24 (3*8)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Know also as the “Palace Museum” and the “Imperial Palace,” the Forbidden City was the home to the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is located in the center of Beijing. The first layout of the city was begun in 1406 (the 4th year in the reign of Emperor Yongle of Ming dynasty) and finally completed in 1420. As the home of 24 emperors, it is also a museum containing millions of Chinese cultural treasures from different eras.

Extending 753 meters from east to west and 961 meters from south to north, the rectangle that is the City covers an area of 720,000 square meters. The Forbidden City consists of many groups of courtyards comprising an unbelievable 9,999 halls. Together, the halls cover 150,000 square meters. The City is surrounded by an over 10-meter high rampart and a 52-meter wide moat. It is called the “Forbidden City” because civilians were prohibited to enter for 500 years. All the eunuchs, maids, factotums and guards in service to the royal family lived in the Forbidden City. By the end of Ming dynasty, there were 2,600 eunuchs and 300 maids. The eunuchs were the men on call who served and ran the errands for the royal family. They all came from the rural areas around Beijing. Boys between 6-10 years old were emasculated after they were recruited in order to prevent them from doing anything immoral.

The maids were serving girls for the royal family. There were 12 maids for an empress, 10 for a queen and 6 for a concubine. All maids came from the underclass families. They were chosen at the age of 13 to enter service to the royal family. The rules for the maids were very harsh and strict: They were not permitted to return home, and their parents were not permitted to visit them. They had no personal freedom. They were not permitted to speak loudly, walk with their backs to royalty, grin, or burp (so no maid dared eat her fill)! When they slept, they were required to cuddle up so as not to face upward (that was considered as despising God). When the maids turned 25, they would leave the palace and receive a little tale.

J120 故宫博物院建院六十周年

发行日期：1985.10.10。影写版。P11.5.93mm*26mm。 24(3*8)。竖四枚连印。[G]。
邵柏林。印刷：北京邮票厂。

4-1为“丹阙凌云”。邮票画面是故宫最南端的午门、金水河及太和门，太和门是外朝的入口。
4-2为“太和晴旭”。邮票表现的是故宫建筑群的中心：太和殿、中和殿及保和殿。太和殿，俗称金銮殿，殿内居中是皇帝的金漆雕龙宝座。凡重大庆典，大多在此殿举行。其时，香烟袅袅、鼓乐齐鸣，群臣在广场上，五体投地，山呼万岁。太和殿就更显示出皇权至高无上的威严。
4-3为“乾坤交泰”。邮票上为乾清宫、交泰殿及坤宁宫。这三个建筑构成内廷的中心。乾清宫，是明清皇帝的寝宫，也是皇帝处理日常政务的场所。殿内宝座的上方高悬一块书有“正大光明”四字的巨匾。清代自康熙皇帝后，生前不宣布皇储，而是将内定的皇储名字写好后用小匣子装起来，放在“正大光明”匾额之后，一旦皇帝驾崩，就立刻打开匣子，根据皇帝遗诏，宣布皇位的继承人。处于乾清宫北交泰殿则为存放皇权的象 征物——玉玺之处。交泰殿后的坤宁宫是皇后的寝宫。中国传统哲学中，乾代表天，为阳；坤代表地，为阴。男人为阳、女人为阴。“乾清”、“坤宁”两个宫名，不仅作了定义并寄托了美好的祈求。明崇祯十七 年（1644年）三月农民起义领袖李自成攻进北京，皇后便自杀在坤宁宫。
4-4为“琼苑春晖”。邮票画面是御花园全景及神武门，表现了皇家园林草木葱茏及紫禁城神武门的威严气象。