The Palace Museum 🇨🇳

Located in the core of Beijing, China, The Palace Museum is a massive national museum complex housed within the historic Forbidden City. Covering 720,000 square meters (180 acres), this grand site served for almost five centuries as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government and the imperial palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties. Constructed from 1406 to 1420, it features 980 surviving buildings showcasing traditional Chinese palatial architecture, recognized by UNESCO as the world's largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures.

You should visit to explore a legacy that opened to the public in 1925 after China's last emperor, Puyi, was evicted. Today, the museum holds over 1.8 million works of art and imperial artifacts. During your visit, you can view dedicated themed exhibition halls alongside "as-was" displays that present rooms just as they appeared during the imperial era.

The vast collection spans 340,000 ceramics, nearly 50,000 paintings, 30,000 jade pieces, early Shang dynasty bronzeware, and over 1,000 18th- and 19th-century mechanical timepieces, offering an unmissable glimpse into China's rich imperial history.

What to see at The Palace Museum

• Sprawling imperial complex featuring 980 surviving buildings across 720,000 square meters
• Extensive ceramic collection representing 8,000 years of Chinese porcelain production
• Over 1,000 mechanical timepieces, including a clock with an automaton that writes Chinese calligraphy
• Rare paintings, jades, and pre-Qin period inscribed ceremonial bronzewares
• Authentic "as-was" room exhibitions depicting imperial daily life and government protocols

Visiting tips

Be sure to book your entry early, as museum management caps visitor capacity at a daily limit of 80,000 to protect the historic structures and enhance your experience.

How long: Full day · Best time: Early morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

The Palace Museum is easy to reach on Beijing’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Forbidden City and Summer Palace. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Beijing travel guide.