太和殿前的太平缸啦，就是我们平时说的水缸，当然是为了防火，因为故宫的宫殿都是木制的嘛，看看这——有刮的痕迹！

The Taiping VAT in front of the Taihe palace, which we usually call the water vat, is of course for fire prevention, because the Palace Museum's palaces are all made of wood. Look here - there are scratches!

在故宫的各个地方放置了大小水缸308口，叫作“太平缸”，用来储水防火。大缸有铁的，有铜的，也有铜质鎏金的。一般来讲，铁缸是明代铸造的，铜缸有明代的，也有清代的，鎏金铜缸都是清代的。冬天缸下加温，防缸水冻冰。大缸雕饰华美，造价不菲。据乾隆年间《奏销档》记载，鎏金铜缸每口约重1696公斤，仅铜缸制造费就要白银500多两，再加上缸外覆盖的100两黄金，共需费至少白银1500两。故宫鎏金铜缸共22口，现存18口，其中太和殿前有4口。八国联军侵华时，窜入紫禁城，侵略者竟然用刺刀刮去缸上的金子。累累刀痕，至今可见，提醒人们，勿忘国耻！

308 large and small water tanks, called "Taiping tanks", are placed in various places of the Forbidden City to store water and prevent fire. And the VATS were of iron, and of bronze, and of gilded bronze. Generally speaking, iron jars were made in Ming Dynasty, copper jars were made in Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, and gold-plated copper jars were made in Qing Dynasty. In winter, the temperature under the cylinder shall be increased to prevent the water from freezing. The big VAT is carved with gorgeous decoration and high cost. According to the records in the book of Zou pin records in Qianlong period, each gilded copper cylinder weighs about 1696 kg, and the manufacturing cost of the copper cylinder alone is more than 500 liang of silver. Plus 100 liang of gold covered outside the cylinder, the total cost is at least 1500 liang of silver. There are 22 gilded bronze jars in the Forbidden City, 18 of which are now in existence, including 4 in front of Taihe palace. When the Allied forces of eight powers invaded China, they rushed into the Forbidden City. The invaders even scraped the gold from the jar with bayonets. Many knife marks, so far visible, remind people, do not forget national humiliation!

河北唐县汇丰工艺品厂主要经营：铜缸、铜雕缸、铜缸雕塑、故宫铜缸、大型铜缸、铜雕塑、青铜器、铜雕工艺品等。

Hebei Tangxian HSBC handicraft factory mainly deals in: copper cylinder, copper carving cylinder, copper cylinder sculpture, Imperial Palace copper cylinder, large-scale copper cylinder, copper sculpture, bronze ware, copper carving handicraft, etc.