The Forbidden City
The imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, in the heart of Beijing.
History
The Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty moved the capital to Beijing and ordered the palace built. Construction began in 1406 and was completed in 1420. From then, 24 emperors lived and ruled here: 14 of the Ming dynasty and 10 of the Qing dynasty, which took over in 1644.
The last emperor, Puyi, abdicated in 1912 when the Qing dynasty ended, but he was allowed to remain in the rear part of the palace until 1924. The Palace Museum was founded in 1925, opening the grounds to the public.
Layout
The palace is a walled rectangle surrounded by a moat. Its buildings follow a north-south central axis, which also organises the old city of Beijing. Important buildings face south and lie on the axis, while smaller ones stand on either side, a pattern that reflects the order of the imperial court.
The palace is divided into two main parts:
- The Outer Court in the south, used for ceremonies and state business.
- The Inner Court in the north, where the emperor and his family lived and worked day to day.
Visitors traditionally enter by the Meridian Gate in the south and leave through the Gate of Divine Might in the north. Yellow glazed roof tiles, the colour reserved for the emperor, cover most of the principal buildings.
Main halls
- Hall of Supreme Harmony
- The largest hall of the Outer Court, used for the most important ceremonies, such as an emperor's enthronement.
- Hall of Central Harmony
- A smaller hall where the emperor prepared before ceremonies.
- Hall of Preserving Harmony
- Used for banquets and, later, for imperial examinations.
- Palace of Heavenly Purity
- The main building of the Inner Court, which long served as the emperor's residence.
- Imperial Garden
- A garden with old trees, rockeries and pavilions at the northern end of the palace.
Today
The Forbidden City houses the Palace Museum, which cares for a very large collection of art and objects from the imperial court. UNESCO inscribed the palace as a World Heritage Site in 1987, and it was later extended to include the Mukden Palace in Shenyang. It is one of the most visited cultural sites in the world.
Opening days, ticketing and visitor rules change, so check the Palace Museum's official website before you plan a visit.