Two white stone pillars in Tiananmen Square have stood for 500 years. What function do they have?

These two pillars are called huabiao. The role of these two pillars is somewhat similar to the opinion collection box or complaint box of our government units. There are two main functions. 1 function is to collect opinions. At that time, these two pillars were mainly used to collect suggestions from ordinary people, who could write down some opinions or ideas or even dissatisfaction with the emperor. This may only have such a role at the beginning of this pillar, and later it just became a formalism.

After all, the emperors of every dynasty are the real dragons, and it is impossible for ordinary people to slander them. These two pillars are usually placed in the imperial city, and ordinary people can't get close to them. Therefore, the function of collecting opinions is gradually forgotten after being used. The second function, that is, vigilance, is mainly to persuade the emperor to rule. This pillar is carved with two auspicious animals, one facing the imperial city and the other facing the imperial city, that is to say, one is inward and the other is outward.

Inward is actually a warning to the emperor, to remember his mission, not to be greedy for pleasure, to always think about the lives of ordinary people, and to truly understand the sufferings of ordinary people in order to better govern the country. I only hope that the emperor can often go out of the palace, travel incognito, observe people's feelings and understand people's livelihood. Externally, I hope that when the emperor is away, he will not miss the country too much because of the beauty of the outside world, but remember the country. I just hope that the emperor can care about the country and the court after he leaves the palace.

The two pillars in Tiananmen Square have a history of more than 500 years, but in fact, the earliest appearance of huabiao can be traced back to the Yao Shunyu period, only because of the technical and material problems at that time, the pillars were not made of stone, but of wood. These are the crystallization of ancient wisdom. A simple China table is divided into two sides, which also expresses the expectations of the ancients for the ancient emperors.