The Forbidden City

Ringed by a 52m-wide moat at the very heart of Běijīng, the Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings, and the largest palace complex in the world. So called because it was off limits for 500 years, when it was steeped in stultifying ritual and Byzantine regal protocol, the otherworldly palace was the reclusive home to two dynasties of imperial rule until the Republic overthrew the last Qing emperor.

Features

• It is the world's biggest ancient palace.
• It is considered to be among the world's top 5 most important palaces.
• China's most popular single site tourist attraction.
• The structure is almost 600 years old.
• Home of dynastic clans for 500 years.
• A million articles are considered national heritage.
• 1987 UNESCO World Heritage List
• The largest collection of ancient wooden structures in the world.
• A stunning array of ancient treasures and buildings: with ancient porcelain and jade, gardens, plazas, historic sites, and 9,999 rooms

History

• 1406 Construction began on the Ming Dynasty palace in Beijing
• 1420The palace complex was completed.
• 1644 The Ming Dynasty lost control of the palace and the Manchus took possession.
• 1860 and 1900 Western forces briefly took control of the palace on two occasions.
• 1912 The last emperor of the Qing Empire abdicated.
• 1947 An important part of the palace's antiques and treasures were taken to Taiwan.
• 1987 The complex was named a UNESCO World Heritage.

• Original Purpose: A palace compound to protect and serve the Ming Dynasty clan.
• Significance: The palace complex was the center of two empires and is considered the symbol of China. Now it's Beijing's most popular tourist attraction.

Architecture

Surrounding wall of Forbidden City

• Rooms: 9,999 including anterooms
• Buildings: 980
• Total surface area: 720,000 square meters (7,747,200 square feet / 180 acres). For comparison, the Vatican measures 440,000 square meters, and the Kremlin measures 275,000 square meters.
• Surrounding wall: 7.9 meters (26 ft) high and 8.62 m (28.3 ft) wide at the base.
• Moat outside the walls: 6 meters (20 ft) deep and 52 meters (171 ft) wide
• Largest structure: The Hall of Supreme Harmony is 30 meters (98 ft) tall.
• Distance between east gate and west gate: 750 m
• Distance between north and south gate: 960 m