Hall of Preserving Harmony

The Hall of Preserving Harmony is the last of the three great halls of the Outer Court. During the Qing Dynasty, this was where the highest imperial examinations were held — the Palace Examination, where scholars competed for the title of Zhuangyuan, the top scholar in the land. Walk behind the hall to see the largest stone carving in the Forbidden City: a 250-ton marble ramp carved with dragons and clouds, transported here over roads of ice in the dead of winter.