Taihe Hall (太和殿) is commonly known as the "Gold Hall", and was the tallest building insidethe Palace Museumduring the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it stands at 35.05 meters tall including three levels of Xumizuo and 37.44 meters tall including its cornices. Each layer is decorated with these Xumizuo, surrounded by white marble railings on which there are viewing posts and under which there are Li heads which belch water. Each viewing post has its own decoration too. The hall is as wide as eleven rooms and as deep as five rooms, and covers an area of 2,377 square meters. At present, it is also the largest historical wooden hall from history across China. The roof of the hall features intricate architectural style and looks very beautiful. The golden painted throne with carved dragon patterns is the symbol of the emperor. Taihe Hall is a place where enthronement ceremonies or celebrations took place, or officials meet here to pay their respects to the emperor. When a general was appointed to battle, the emperor would grant him thesealfor maneuvering the military troops here. During the Ming Dynasty, the Hall Examination (for excellent students to be future senior officials) and the New Year’s Banquet were also held in the hall.