Forbidden City

The Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing is one of the most impressive palace complexes in the world. Until the revolution of 1911, it served as the residence and seat of government of the Chinese emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The name comes from the fact that ordinary people were strictly forbidden to enter. A masterpiece of Chinese architecture, the complex reflects the rulers' cosmic view of the world. It is laid out strictly along a north-south axis, in keeping with the principle of yin and yang, and forms the emperor's symbol of power at the center. The roofs of the main buildings are covered with yellow, partially gilded tiles, since yellow was the emperor's symbolic color. No other building in Beijing was allowed to rise above the complex in height. In 1987, UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site.

Construction began in 1406 under the third Ming emperor, Yongle, and was completed in 1420. The immense effort, which reportedly employed up to a million laborers and more than 100,000 skilled craftsmen at times, made it possible to finish in such a short period. The layout has remained unchanged ever since. The history of the complex is marked by dynastic changes and conflicts. After the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644, the Manchus set parts of the palace on fire before founding the Qing dynasty. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Forbidden City was occupied several times by foreign troops, including during the Boxer Rebellion. After the abdication of the last emperor, Puyi, in 1912, the imperial family left the complex for good in 1924, and the gates were opened to the public. During the Cultural Revolution, the palace was spared destruction thanks to protection by the People's Liberation Army.

Today the Forbidden City houses the Palace Museum in Beijing and is one of China's most popular tourist attractions. The entire complex covers 720,000 square meters with 890 palaces and more than 8,800 rooms. It is divided into an outer court and an inner court. The outer court in the south was the area for official affairs of state. Here you will find great halls such as the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony. The Gate of Supreme Harmony is guarded by bronze lions and leads to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a 35-meter-high building where important ceremonies such as enthronements and the announcement of examination results took place. At the center of this hall stands the Dragon Throne, flanked by symbolic elephants.

The inner court in the north was the private realm of the imperial family and the court. The emperor, empress, concubines, and eunuchs lived here in palaces such as the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. To the north lies the Imperial Garden. The entire complex is surrounded by a ten-meter-high wall and a wide moat, with distinctive corner towers at its corners. Today you can explore the opulent interiors, the marble terraces, and the sweeping curved roofs. Extensive restoration work, which continued until the 2008 Olympic Games, has helped preserve the historic condition of the site. The museum's collection comprises around 1.5 million objects, including rare items from the Qianlong Emperor's private garden house, which were only rediscovered during the renovations.