The Forbidden City in Beijing

Forbidden City Overview
Overview of the Forbidden City
Photo by: Stas Kulesh, Creative Commons

The Forbidden City of China is located right in the heart of Beijing and was home to 24 emperors of the Qing and Ming Dynasties. The grand palace’s construction started during the Yongle Emperor’s 4th year of ruling the Ming Dynasty in 1406, ending 14 years later in 1420.

When the city was built, the emperor was believed to be the son of heaven, having supreme power. Therefore, their home on Earth was meant to be a replica, built to resemble the Purple Palace in heaven. A place as divine as this was forbidden to ordinary people, which is where the Forbidden City got its name. Its splendid architecture is a representation of the culmination and essence of the traditional Chinese style. The Palace Museum has become home to various Chinese historical and cultural relics and was recognized as one of the top 5 most important palaces worldwide.

During 1961, the museum was named an important historical monument under the Chinese central government’s special preservation. Then in 1987, the museum declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO foundation. The Forbidden City is the country’s best preserved imperial palace and the world’s biggest ancient palatial structure. It covers about 72 hectares of area, having a total of 150,000 square meters of floor space. There are 90 courtyards and palaces, 8,704 rooms, and 980 buildings. The city is surrounded by a moat that is 6 meters deep, and a wall that is 10 meters high with gates on every side.

Pictures and Photos of The Forbidden City

7 responses to “The Forbidden City in Beijing”

  1. shanell says:
    January 9, 2013 at 1:15 pm

    This place is a dream come true if I were given an opportunity to req a place of my chioce to visit hmm gosh,I love this palace.

  2. Alayna says:
    February 8, 2013 at 2:46 pm

    This place is absolutley magical!! I just thought that “The Forbidden City” was Beijing itself. But Now I know it’s so much more!!!! 🙂

  3. test site says:
    March 15, 2013 at 4:13 pm

    You really make it appear so easy along with your presentation however I to find this topic to be actually something which I think I’d by no means understand. It seems too complex and extremely vast for me. I am taking a look forward for your next post, I

  4. ph says:
    August 5, 2013 at 10:04 pm

    I visited this place when China just opened up to westerners. Nobody spoke English. I am not sure if you are a man or a woman but one thing to note is that in that time men that entered the forbidden city were required to be castrated before entering. Something to think about…

  5. Ashtyn says:
    November 21, 2013 at 11:30 am

    This didn’t help at all. [sarcasticly] thanks

  6. Charles E Kabaka says:
    March 24, 2014 at 2:07 am

    There is a need to reform peoples mind abt the way God see things in this World. The eyes of God isnt like that of human beings.
    The ordinary people could have right to enter into the City basing to rightiousness than power or what they posses.
    People enters heaven by saintful regardless their power,richness or title. So if we need to let heaven on earth,llets eliminate those boundaries of ordinary or advanced nature of seing things.

  7. gfdefrg says:
    November 7, 2016 at 4:48 pm

    great for my school work thank you i guess

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