The Forbidden City stands in the center of Beijing. It is protected by high walls and a moat on all four sides and consists of dozens of halls and courtyards. The emperors of two dynasties, the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911), lived here with their families and hundreds of court ladies and palace eunuchs. From their throne in the Forbidden City they governed the country by holding court meetings with their ministers, issuing imperial orders and initiating military expeditions.
The Forbidden City was completed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty. It had been the scene of many important events affecting the course of Chinese history, including political struggles and palace coups, some of them extremely tragic, until the last emperor was finally expelled by republican troops in 1924. The Forbidden City was renamed as the Palace Museum and opened to the general public.
In 1961 the Forbidden City was listed as one of the important historical monuments under the special preservation by the Chinese central government and, in 1987, it was nominated as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The Palace Museum is a real treasure house of Chinese cultural and historical relics.
The Forbidden City situated exactly in the heart of the municipality was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The construction of the grand palace started in the fourth year of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1406) and ended in 1420. In the ancient time, the emperor claimed to be the son of the heaven and therefore their supreme power was conferred upon them from the heaven.
The Inner Palace includes the Palace of Heaven (Celestial) Purity, the Hall of Celestial Union and the Hall of Terrestrial Tranquility (Earthly Peace), collectively known as the "Three Rear Palaces", together with the Imperial Garden and the six palaces to the east and west, was the emperor's domestic quarters and the areas of the palace where the empress, concubines and children of the emperor contained storerooms, libraries and a hall of historical archives.
The Eastern Six Palace included the Palace of Prolonged Auspiciousness, the Palace of Eternal Harmony, the Palace of Great Brilliance, the Palace of Great Benevolence, the Palace of Celestial Favor, and the Palace of Purity. The Western Six Palace refer to the Palace of Everlasting Life, the Palace of Queen Consort, the Palace of Gathering Elegance, the Palace for Eternal Spring, the Palace of Universal Happiness, and the Palace of External Longevity.
Three millions of tourists from home and abroad who visit the Forbidden City every year, but they visit only one-third of the total complex. The other two thirds have been locked down and covered by a thick of layer of dust. The goal of the most extensive renovation is to rehabilitate the glory of the palace when it was at its prime time in the imperial era. Around 70 per cent of the palace will be open to the public after the renovations are finished in 2020.
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--- from US$28