| What is it? |
The Forbidden City (紫禁城) was the home of the Chinese Emperors from the Ming Dynasty (1407) until the Qing Dynasty (1924)! |
| What makes it historical? |
Originally called Zǐjinchéng, the Purple Forbidden City, because it was aligned with Polaris, the “purple” star and home to the Jade Emperor), this enormous palace complex was built out of bricks made from rice and designed in layers of difficulty to access. The higher you ranked, the closer you could get to the emperor, but only the emperor was allowed in the center of the city! The gates were adorned with dragons that were supposed to enforce this rule!
The city is accessed by four gates: the Meridian Gate on the south (now decorated with the face of Mao Tse Tung), the Gate of Divine Prowess on the north, and the East and West Prosperity Gates. It is filled with centuries worth of treasures that were evacuated to Nanjing and Taipei during successive revolts and invasions. Nonetheless, there are still many crated treasures that have not been re-opened in many years. So in many ways, there are still parts of this City that are forbidden! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? |
HERE’S HOW:
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
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| Where is this place? |
4 Jingshan Front St
Dongcheng Qu, Beijing Shi
China
From Beijing: ~1mi (2km) — 0.1hrs
From Guilin: ~1240mi (1996km) — 20.7hrs
From Shanghai: ~752mi (1211km) — 12.6hrs
From Xi’an: ~669mi (1077km) — 11.2hrs |
| When should I go? |
The Forbidden City is open from 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM, April 1 through October 31, and until 4:30 PM during the winter months! |
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