Forbidden City Pictures - Forbidden City Photo Gallery

The Forbidden City is one of the must see attractions during your Beijing tour. Forbidden City was the imperial palace both for Ming and Qing dynasties. It served as the home of the successive emperors and their households, and the place for th

eir governance as well. Forbidden City is also named "The Palace Musuem" or "The Imperial Palace".Constructed for 14 years or so from 1406 to 1420, the palace complex was composed of 999 buildings with an area of 720,000 m2.

The palace complex buildings features the traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and have great impact on cultural and architectural developments both in China and the world. The Forbidden City was crowned a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as the largest cluster of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

For more information on how to visit the Forbidden City, you may check the Forbidden City Travel Tips.

You must enter the Forbidden City from its south entrance (Meridian Gate – Wumen) and out from its northern gate (Gate of Divine – Shenwu Men). You may move on from Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City.

After the Hall of Supreme Harmony, you enter the courtyard where both the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony are located.

The Hall of Central Peace is a smaller and square hall that was used by the Emperors to prepare and rest before and during ceremonies.

Behind the Hall of Central Harmony is the Hall of Preserving Harmony, which was used for rehearsing ceremonies, and it also used be the site of the final stage of the Imperial examination.

Behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony is the ramp - the largest stone carvin, the large bas-relief carvings in Forbiddenn City.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

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