Forbidden City 🇨🇳

Step into China's imperial past at the Forbidden City, the world's largest preserved royal palace complex located in the center of Beijing. Constructed from 1406 to 1420, this vast 72-hectare complex served as the ceremonial and political heart of China for over 500 years, housing 24 Ming and Qing dynasty emperors. As you explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site, administered today by the Palace Museum, you will discover the world's largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures.

The palace complex features 980 surviving buildings containing 8,886 bays of rooms, showcasing traditional Chinese palatial architecture built with precious wood, Suzhou golden bricks, and marble. You can walk along the central axis along the Imperial Way, enter through the massive Meridian Gate, and cross the sculpted cloud-shaped bridges over the Inner Golden Water River. Outside its high walls and deep moat, you can admire intricate corner towers with 72 roof ridges.

Within the complex, you will find historical areas like the Outer Court for grand ceremonies, the residential Inner Court, Shoukang Palace, Cining Palace with its sculpture museum, and Donghua Gate. It offers you a profound cultural link to ancient Chinese history.

What to see at Forbidden City

• Meridian Gate with five gateways and golden door nails
• Inner Golden Water River spanned by five sculpted bridges
• Intricate corner towers boasting 72 roof ridges
• Cining Palace housing a dedicated sculpture museum
• The central Imperial Way stone-flagged path

Visiting tips

Pay close attention to the door nails on the gates, where almost every gate features a nine-by-nine array of golden nails except for the East Glorious Gate, which has only eight.

How long: Several hours · Best time: Daytime

How to get there & what’s nearby

Forbidden City is easy to reach on Beijing’s public transport. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Beijing travel guide.