The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing city, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 5 hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

It was built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings with 8707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum’s former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War.

The wall surrounding the Forbidden City of China spans almost 30 meters tall. Held inside is the world’s largest palace complex. The interior is a violent yellow. The bricks that soil layer, which covers up to the sky, numerous decorations and shines throughout the Forbidden City of China, are all a shade of yellow-like. This is because yellow is the traditional color of royalty in China.

The Forbidden City of China is divided into two main parts. The outdoor patio is the place where emperors ruled, the inner courtyard where they, along with the rest of the royal family lived. The two are separated by the huge door of Heavenly Purity. But first you have to get in – the main gate of the Forbidden City is located to the south, in front of the Tiananmen Square. This portal, also called the Meridian Gate, is famous for its resemblance to a Phoenix. Since most of Chinese architecture and surroundings, most all aspects of the Forbidden City has a nickname – every corridor or courtyard is an ancient symbol, every nook and cranny has some secret meaning. The maze of walls and buildings is also strictly governed by strict principles of Feng Shui, be sure to give many structures of a stern and stoic quality to them, the knowledge that everything is in place.

Harmony is an important topic, and repeating, to these sacred sites of the Forbidden City, China. Memories of the virtues of Confucius also litter the inner and outer courts, both in name and spirit. If the enclosure has a big heart, he is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where emperors decreed laws for the Chinese people. The Hall of Central Harmony Hall of Central Harmony and are candidates to close this connection.

And these are just some of the many rooms that are scattered throughout the Forbidden City of China. One of the most remaining cultural and historical significance of ancient Chinese empire, is also one of the busiest in relation to tourists. Even at the height of winter, the crowds can be excruciating. The best time to stroll the grounds of refinement is in the early morning when the morning silence contributes to the serenity and strength of China is “the glory of the past.”