Tourist Attractions

Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is one of the largest and best-preserved palace complexes in the world. Located in the heart of Beijing, it was built in the Yongle period (1406-1420) during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It remained the residence of the emperors for nearly five hundred years, from the 15th century to the early 20th century, and was the actual and symbolic seat of imperial power.

The Forbidden City, extending 823 yards (753 meters) from east to west, and 1,051 yards (961 meters) from north to south, makes a rectangular shape and covers a total area of 178 acres (720,000 square meters). It consists of several dozen compounds of varying sizes and some 9,900 bays of rooms, with a total floor area of 37 acres (150,000 square meters). Most of the buildings were built with wood, roofed with yellow glazed tiles and built on blue-and-white stone foundations, looking solemn and brilliant. City walls were 33 feet (10 meters) high, and a 171-yard (52 meters) wide moat surround the Forbidden City. Three-storied towers are placed at each corner of the wall.

The layout of the Forbidden City is based on a Chinese cosmic diagram of the universe that clearly defines the north-south and east-west axes. The buildings represent the largest and best-preserved examples of Chinese traditional architecture found today. The overall layout is centered on the three primary Halls of State: The Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), The Hall of Middle Harmony (Zhonghedian) and The Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian).

State ceremonies were held in the Outer Court (Wai Chao) of the Forbidden City. Here the emperors governed from their thrones, holding court sessions with their ministers, issuing imperial edicts and initiating military expeditions. The Outer Court was also the site for important ceremonies: the accession of a new emperor to the throne, birthdays and weddings. The Inner Court (Nei Ting) was the residential area of the emperor and the imperial household, as well as the place where the emperor dealt with routine state affairs.

The buildings of the Forbidden City fully embody the artistic features and style of ancient Chinese palace architecture, and can be called a masterpiece in Chinese, even world, architectural history. Today, as the largest museum of cultural relics in China, the Forbidden City, also called the Palace Museum, collected and displayed some one million precious historical relics from the Shang Dynasty (16th century -771 BC) through to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was made part of the world cultural heritage list in 1987.

More Top Visitor Attractions in Beijing:
Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square,
Ming Tombs, Old Beijing Hutongs

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