“A Clear Mirror Hangs up High”
 
The Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD) is often considered the pinnacle of the magnificence of five thousand years of Chinese culture. The Daming Palace was a symbol of when the Tang Dynasty was at its peak in the areas of literature and martial arts.
 
Many Chinese are familiar with two proverbs related to Daming Palace: "Ming Jing Gao Xuan" ("A clear mirror hangs up high"), and "Zheng Da Guang Ming" ("Righteously and nobly"). The proverbs refer to the open and unbiased nature of all the issues resolved by the imperial court, always with righteousness and nobility, and unblemished, like a clear mirror that hangs high. To the imperial court ministers, the proverbs served as constant reminders, and they were also the expectations of the people.
 
"Clear mirror hangs up high" was formerly termed "Qin mirror hangs up high." Why was that so? To understand the origin of the phrase, one has to look back to the Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BC). It was said that the Qin mirror was a treasure with magical powers. It had been carefully kept by Emperor Qin Shihuang in the Xianyang Palace. The mirror had some special functions. When one looked at the mirror from the front, it reflected the image upside down. If the person rubbed his hand over the chest, then the internal organs of the person could be clearly seen. More interestingly, it could also distinguish the loyal from the disloyal ministers in the imperial court, as well as foretell the rise and fall of a state... indeed it was a national treasure. However, Emperor Qin Shihuang used the mirror only to inspect the ladies in the imperial court. Anyone who panicked in front of the mirror were treated as traitors and killed. His son, Hu Hai, the second Emperor of Qin, was even worse. He killed innumerable innocent people, but left behind corrupt officials such as Minister Zhao Gao (infamous for calling a deer a horse to save Hu Hai’s face), who finally betrayed the country. The great Qin empire, once respected and feared by the Xiongnu, finally collapsed during the rule of Qin the Second.
 
When Liu Bang (256 – 195 BC), the first emperor of the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) took over the capital city Xianyang, his top advisor Xiao He advised him to seal all the Qin palaces, including Xianyang Palace and Epang Palace. Xiao He advised against looting any of the gold and treasures, or any women, children or animals. But what he did take from the Qin palaces were all the books and scrolls, and the acclaimed treasure of the state - the Qin mirror. When the Han Dynasty came to an end, the whereabouts of the Qin mirror also became a mystery. The mirror resurfaced a few hundred years later, when Emperor Tang Taizong (598 – 649 AD) gave the order to rebuild the Yongan Palace.
 
While excavating the foundations of the Yongan Palace, the Qin mirror was unearthed. Accompanied by the two ministers, Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng, Emperor Taizong personally visited the site. The following famous conversation about the Qin mirror had since been handed down for over a thousand years.
 
After hearing Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng discuss the importance of the Qin mirror, Emperor Taizong sighed and said, "What do I need this mirror for? I already have a mirror many thousand times better than this Qin mirror!" Fang Xuanling was confused but Wei Zheng blushed upon hearing that. Unable to comprehend, Fang Xuanling asked, "Your majesty, where is this mirror of yours? Can we see it?" Patting Wei Zheng's shoulder, the emperor said, "My beloved Minister Wei is my mirror!" After saying this, he laughed aloud.
 
In seriousness, Emperor Taizong then said, "With a copper mirror, I can see my attire. Taking history as my mirror, I can see the rise and fall of history. With people as a mirror, I understand one's loss and gain. My beloved Minister Wei frequently admonishes me, reminding me of loss and gain, and of the ups and downs in history. Are you not like a clear mirror that is hanging up high to me? To commemorate our 'mirror' meeting today," Taizong continued, "I will rename this Yongan Palace the Daming Palace." Everyone applauded this circumstance. From then on, the name Daming Palace spread far and wide.
 
When the Daming Palace was finally completed, Emperor Taizong designated the Qin mirror as the founding treasure of the palace. Henceforth, the Chang’an scholars claimed that the imperial Daming Palace build on the dragon plains could be seen brightly illuminated every night, as if in broad daylight. However, Taizong never moved into Daming Palace to live. He stayed behind in Taiji Palace, governing with the help by Wei Zheng and other capable ministers within his administration. For the first time in history "governing by virtue" was established, and that brought the Tang Dynasty acclaim, honor, and prosperity.
 
Over a thousand years have gone by. The former glory of the Daming Palace has long been buried beneath the ground. But the legend of the "clear mirror" and how the Tang Dynasty was governed righteously and nobly still remains in people's heart. It reflects the corruption of today's Chinese communist regime, and the4 notoriety and lawlessness of today's degenerating world.
 
明镜高悬
 
在五千年灿烂中华文明的壮观中，唐代是顶峰，大明宫，则显示了盛世唐朝君临天下、光照千秋的文治武功。
 
说到大明宫，中国人熟悉的是耳熟能详的两个成语，“明镜高悬”与“正大光明”。“明镜高悬”既是作为为官者对自己的一种警示，也是百姓们对当权者的一种期待。
 
“明镜高悬”在更早的时候却叫“秦镜高悬”，为甚么叫秦镜呢？这要从秦朝的一面镜子说起，相传秦镜乃是一面宝镜，一直珍藏在秦始皇的咸阳宫中。它有一种奇异之处，若从对面来照镜子，里面则映出人的倒影，如果以手抚胸，就能照见体内的五脏六腑，影像十分清晰，纤毫可见。更重要的是，它能照出臣下的忠奸，照出国运之兴衰……这确实是一件辨真伪、明忠奸，诊国病、保江山的国宝。但秦始皇却只用它来照宫里的宫娥彩女，但见“胆张心动者”，全部作为有异心者而杀之。秦二世胡亥更是有过之而无不及，杀人如麻，但却留下了奸臣赵高等指鹿为马、专权误国。使显赫一时，匈奴也为之丧胆的强秦，二代而亡。
 
汉高祖刘邦初占秦都咸阳时，萧何劝他封了咸阳宫、阿房宫等所有宫室，金银财宝，子女玉帛、钟鼎狗马一律不取，仅仅装走了秦宫里的所有图书卷轴、再就是这面镇国之宝──秦镜。汉末群雄逐鹿，秦镜又不知流落何处？直到几百年后，唐太宗下诏修建永安宫时，才再次出现。
 
永安宫地基中挖出秦镜，太宗携房玄龄与魏征亲临察看，随后就留下了这段名传千古的明镜之说。
 
太宗在听了房玄龄与魏征对秦镜的介绍后，慨然说道，“朕要此镜何用？朕早就得到一面胜于秦镜千倍万倍的明镜了！”说到这儿，房玄龄不解，魏征却脸红，房玄龄问道，“陛下的明镜何在，指予微臣一睹为快？”于是太宗手抚著魏征之肩说，“魏爱卿者，朕之明镜也！”说罢哈哈大笑。
 
太宗又正色说，“夫以铜为镜，可以整衣冠；以古为镜，可以知兴替；以人为镜，可以明得失。魏爱卿常进谏于朕，使朕得以明得失兴替，难道不是朕的一面高悬的明镜么！为记今日君臣明镜之会，朕特改此永安宫为大明宫！” 众皆称善，于是天下皆传大明宫之名。
 
大明宫竣工后，太宗果然以秦镜为其镇宫之宝，使其成为真正名副其实的“大明”宫。长安士庶都说，“每夜皆见龙首原上的大明宫里大放光明敞亮若白昼。”但太宗却始终没有搬到大明宫里去，他一直住在太极宫中，依靠著魏征等贤能之臣的辅佐，开创了“贞观之治”的盛唐景象。
 
千年转瞬即逝，大明宫的辉煌也早已化为尘土，唯有这“明镜高悬，正大光明”的传说在中国人的心中依然不灭，也由此照见当今中共国内官吏贪污腐败，横行不法的末世乱象。