A royal grain measure just outside of the Hall of Preserving Harmony, or Bao He Dian. This is the final outer court hall, used by the Qing emperors, used for the Palace Examinations that selected the nation's best students for the civil service. These examinations were open to everybody, rich and poor, although sometimes the testing could be swayed in behalf of someone with a little money jingling in his pockets. It was such a big deal that some applicants, upon hearing of their failure, killed themselves rather than face resuming a life of poverty without relief.