紫禁城的庭院和街道旁,大小不等的铜缸、铁缸几乎是永恒不变的陈设。故宫原来一共有308口铜铁质地的大缸,其中鎏金铜缸22口这些大缸的作用有多重意义,首先它是储水防火的消防设备。紫禁城建筑大多是以木结构为主,最怕火灾的发生。在高大的宫殿旁边放置贮满水的大缸,用以防备突发的火情。

Beside the courtyard and streets of the Forbidden City, bronze and iron tanks of different sizes are almost permanent furnishings. The palace museum used to have 308 large tanks made of copper and iron. Among them, 22 gilded copper tanks have multiple functions. First, they are fire-fighting equipment for water storage and fire prevention. Most of the buildings in the Forbidden City are made of wood, which is most afraid of fire. Beside the tall palace, a large tank full of water is placed to prevent sudden fire.

朝廷对这些大铜缸非常重视,每年入冬之后,皇帝还要下旨令人在缸盖上加屉子并苦草帘,下面置放炭火防止结冰。其次,它在殿宇巍峨的宫殿群中,起到了装饰作用。金光灿烂的大铜缸,衬托着紫禁城的红墙黄瓦,显得格外富丽堂皇。另外,铜缸有祈福祛灾的吉祥作用,又称“门海”、“福海”、“吉祥缸”。同时,大缸也是一个循环的“小五行”:金生水、水克火!紫禁城中最豪华的鎏金铜缸摆置在象征皇权的太和殿东西两侧,据说每次鎏这种规格的大铜缸要用去3公斤黄金。

The imperial court attached great importance to these large copper tanks. Every winter, the emperor also ordered people to add drawers and bitter straw curtains to the cylinder head, and put charcoal fire under them to prevent freezing. Secondly, it plays a decorative role in the lofty palaces. The big copper vat with brilliant gold light is set off by the red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City, which is particularly magnificent. In addition, the copper cylinder has the auspicious function of praying and eliminating disasters, also known as "Menhai", "Fuhai", "auspicious cylinder". At the same time, the big cylinder is also a circular "small five elements": Gold generates water and water conquers fire! The most luxurious gilded copper cylinder in the Forbidden City is placed on the East and west sides of Taihe hall, which symbolizes the imperial power. It is said that each time the big copper cylinder of this specification is gilded, it needs 3 kg of gold.

但是,现在故宫三大殿旁的鎏金铜缸,不但斑驳陆离,而且伤痕累累。它们是近代中国遭受帝国主义列强侵略的历史见证!1900年,八国联军攻入北京,不仅大肆烧杀淫掠,还明令军队抢劫。他们攻入紫禁城后,竟在午门前阅兵。侵略者的头子们公然坐在乾清宫的宝座上留影,并劫掠了乾清宫内陈设的大量珍宝器物。这还不够,侵略者的刺刀竟然连铜缸上的鎏金也不放过,他们贪婪地刮走了黄金,留下了深深的刀疤,这是外国侵略者对中国犯下的罪证!更有甚者,太平洋战争爆发后,日本侵华部队又从故宫连续几次将部分铜缸、铁缸拉走铸造炮弹!

However, the gilded bronze jars beside the three main halls of the Forbidden City are not only mottled but also scarred. They are the historical witness of modern China's invasion by imperialist powers! In 1900, the Allied forces of eight countries invaded Beijing, not only burning, killing and plundering, but also robbing. After entering the Forbidden City, they paraded in front of the noon gate. The leaders of the invaders took photos on the throne of the Qianqing palace and plundered a large number of treasures. It's not enough. The bayonets of the aggressors are even gilded on the copper jars. They scraped away the gold greedily and left deep scars. This is the evidence of the foreign aggressors' crimes against China! What's more, after the Pacific War broke out, the Japanese aggressors pulled part of the copper jars and iron jars away from the Forbidden City for several times to cast shells!