City Facts
- Beijing Overview
- Beijing Climate
- Beijing Maps
- Beijing Pictures
- What to See
- Where to Stay
- What to Shop
- Local Cuisine
- City Life
City Tours
Most Popular Tourist Cities
Beijing Videos
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Questions & Reservation
Beijing > Beijing Attractions > Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The construction of the grand palace started in the fourth year of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1406) and ended in 1420. In ancient times, the emperors claimed to be the sons of heaven and therefore their supreme power was conferred upon them from heaven. Their residence on the earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace where God lived in the Heaven. Such a divine place was certainly forbidden to the ordinary people and this is why the Forbidden City is so called. The museum is a real treasures house of Chinese cultural and historical relics, recognized as one of the most important five palaces in the world. The splendid architecture of the Forbidden City represents the essence and culmination of traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment. In 1961 the Forbidden City was listed as one of the most important historical monuments under special preservation by the Chinese central government and in 1987, it was nominated as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Forbidden City covers an area of about 150, 000 square meters. All the gates, palaces and other structures of the Forbidden City were arranged on both sides of the south-north central axis. The City falls into two parts: the outer court and the inner palace. The outer court is made up of three main buildings (Tai He Dian, or the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Zhong He Dian, or the Hall of Middle Harmony and Bao He Dian or the Hall of Preserving Harmony) where the emperors attended grand ceremonies and conducted state affairs. The inner palace is composed of the rear three main structures of the City, that is, Qian Qing Gong (the Palace of Heavenly Purity), Jiao Tai Dian (the Palace of Union and Peace) and Kun Ning Gong (the Palace of Earthly Tranquility). Furthermore, there are the six eastern palaces and six western palaces, where the emperor used to handle everyday affairs and which was the living quarters for the emperor and his concubines.
For security the Forbidden City is enclosed by a 10 meter high city wall, which has a circumference of 3, 430 meters. At each corner of the rectangular Forbidden City, there stands a magnificent watchtower, which was heavily guarded in the past. And around the outskirts of the City a moat goes as the last piece of defense.
Features
Demonstration of traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment
A house of Chinese cultural and historical relics
70 halls and palaces, totaling 9,999 rooms comprise the palace which spans a north-south axis
Multiple galleries displaying portions of the imperial treasure trove
Regular Visiting Hours
3 hours
Tips
-
Opening hours
-
Recommended Level
| More Hot Beijing Attractions | Search for more Beijing Attractions |
Beijing Featured Vacations
| 5 Days Beijing Imperial Tour |
| Tour Code:GWV-C-Beijing-004 |
| Attractions: |
| Tiananmen Square , Forbidden City , Hutong |
| Price: from $ 266 |
Why choose GWV as your China Tour Operator?
- Our AgentPoints plan helps get you increasing profits from the China inbound tour market;
- Our exclusive GreatWall Club assigns you the right to gain online China tour packages with super competitive commission;
- The unique quotation systems created by GWV facilitate your learning and using Chinese travel quotation methods;
- We provide strong and instantaneous support from all suppliers in China to guarantee your group's quality;
- Our Learning Programme enhances your strength to explore the China tour market.
- Our license Number:L-GX-A003 ,备案号:桂ICP备06013201
- Contact Us: contact@greatwallvacation.com
- Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved to Great Wall Vacation. Owned by WANWIN China.
