The Forbidden Cityis 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.
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.
The South Entrance (Meridian Gate or Wumen in Chinese)
The South Entrance (Meridian Gate or Wumen in Chinese)
On the right side the south entrance, you buy your entrance tickets at the ticketing offices. In the tourist peak season, the queue can be very long and you have to patiently line up to buy your tickets. In the tourist high season (spring, autumn and national holidays) scalpers are rampant around the entrance. Just ignore them!
you buy your entrance tickets at the ticketing offices
Entering through the Meridian Gate, you will see a large square that is crossed by five bridges and the Gate of Supreme Harmony in the north area. The Gate of Supreme Harmony is the ceremonial centre of imperial power.
The Gate of Supreme Harmony is the ceremonial centre of imperial power.
Approaching the Gate of Supreme Harmony, look back at the inside part of the south entrance gate – Meridian Gate)
Look back at the inside part of the south entrance gate – Meridian Gate)
A close look at the Gate of Supreme Harmony
A close look at the Gate of Supreme Harmony
Going through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you will see the Hall of Supreme Harmony
Going through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you will see the Palace of Supreme Harmony
The southern ramp in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony has bas-relief carvings
The southern ramp in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony has bas-relief carvings
The Sundial is made of marble stone
The Sundial is made of marble stone
A huge mythical animal perched on the platform in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony
A huge mythical animal perched on the platform in front of Supreme Harmony
The eave corners are decorated with 10 kinds of animals
the eave corners are decorated with 10 kinds of animals
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.
After the Palace of Supreme Harmony, you enter the courtyard where the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
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.
Behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony is the ramp – the largest stone carving.
Now you enter the inner court and see the Palace of Heavenly Court
Now you enter the inner court and see the Palace of Heavenly Court
The Imperial Garden in the north tip of the Forbidden City.
The Imperial Garden in the north tip of the Forbidden City.
The north gate – Gate of Divine ( Shenwu Men in Chinese )
The north gate – Gate of Divine ( Shenwu Men in Chinese )
The Jingshan Patk to the north of the Fobidden City.
The Jingshan Park to the north of the Forbidden City.
A bird’s-eye view of the Forbidden City from the top of the Jingshan Park.
A bird’s-eye view of the Forbidden City from the top of the Jingshan Park.
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:
