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China Forbidden City’s red gates with golden door nails subject to rules regarding number, colour

Visitors to the Forbidden City in China’s capital city might find it hard to ignore its magnificent red door, but there is more to the…

By Samantha Johnson / May 17, 2026

Visitors to the Forbidden City in China’s capital city might find it hard to ignore its magnificent red door, but there is more to the entrance than its beauty.

The golden door nails not only neatly line up, they were exclusive to the royal family and cannot be seen everywhere in China.

In the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, door nails were a symbol of hierarchy, and are bound by strict rules.

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Firstly, the number of door nails must be odd because in traditional Chinese culture, odd numbers stand for yang, or the light, and even numbers stand for yin, or darkness.

A man looks at two women in traditional attire at the red gates of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua
A man looks at two women in traditional attire at the red gates of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua

Nine is the biggest of odd number under 10, so it became exclusive to the emperor, symbolising the supreme power and divine authority.

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