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One of the copper vats for holding water to douse fires next to the Tai He Dian. Info from the plaque next to it:
Copper and Iron Vats
Copper and iron vats were part of the fire-fighting equipment in the palace. They were filled with water to be used to douse fires. From October to February every year, the vats were covered with quilts to prevent the water from freezing, and on very cold days they would be heated by charcoal fires. The oldest vats were cast during the Hongzhi reign period (1488-1505) of the Ming Dynasty. Each of the Ming Dynasty vats has two iron rings, ancient, simple and natural. The Qing Dynasty vats had two beast-shaped bronze rings, a big belly and a small mouth. The Palace Museum has a total of 308 copper and iron vats of various sizes. Of them, 18 are copper vats inlaid with gold, which are located on both sides of Tai He Dian (Hall of Supreme Harmony), Bao He Dian (Hall of Preserved Harmony) and Qian Qing Men (Gate of Heavenly Purity).
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