The Forbidden City明清故宫（北京故宫、沈阳故宫） · Gùgōng — the Ming & Qing imperial palace
Seat of supreme power for almost five centuries, the Forbidden City in Beijing is the world's largest surviving palace complex — some 980 buildings inside a moated rectangle, now the Palace Museum. The UNESCO listing pairs it with the smaller Qing palace in Shenyang.
The center of the Chinese world, for 500 years.
Seat of supreme power from 1416 to 1911, the Forbidden City in Beijing — with its landscaped gardens and buildings whose nearly 10,000 rooms hold furniture and works of art — is a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization under the Ming and Qing dynasties. Twenty-four emperors ruled from behind its walls; ordinary people could not enter, hence the name.
The plan is a lesson in imperial order: a strict south–north axis through the Meridian Gate, across a marble courtyard to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and on through the private inner court to the imperial garden. It is best understood as a single vast diagram of cosmology and hierarchy rendered in timber, gold-glazed tile and stone.
The listing is officially a pair: the Beijing palace plus the far smaller Imperial Palace of the Qing in Shenyang (114 buildings, 1625–1783), where the dynasty began before it took Beijing. Almost everyone visits the Beijing site.
One listing, two imperial palaces.
The World Heritage inscription bundles two palaces of the same imperial tradition. They are in different cities and ticketed separately — nearly everyone means the Beijing one.
Forbidden City 北京故宫
The vast Beijing palace on the city's central axis — 72 hectares, ~980 buildings, the Palace Museum. The site this page is about.
Mukden Palace 沈阳故宫
The much smaller Qing palace in Shenyang (114 buildings, begun 1625), where the last dynasty was founded before it moved the capital to Beijing.
What to see on the walk north.
The palace reads as a sequence along its axis. These are the set-pieces to slow down for between the Meridian Gate and the northern exit.
Tap or hover a photo for access details.
Hall of Supreme Harmony 太和殿
The largest wooden hall in China, raised on triple marble terraces — the throne hall for coronations and the grandest ceremonies.In Outer Court · Fee on the entry ticket
The Inner Court 内廷
The emperors' private palaces and the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where daily rule and court intrigue actually happened.In north of the Outer Court · Fee on the entry ticket
Treasure Gallery 珍宝馆
The northeastern palaces holding jade, gold and the Nine-Dragon Screen, plus the celebrated collection of antique clocks.In northeast corner · Fee small extra ticket
Imperial Garden 御花园
The intimate garden of ancient cypresses, rockeries and pavilions at the north end — the last stop before the exit gate.In far north · Fee on the entry ticket
Autumn mornings, never a Monday.
September–October gives the clearest light and most comfortable temperatures; spring is fine too. Enter right at opening to walk the axis before the tour groups fill the central halls.
Closed every Monday (except public holidays), and 100% pre-booked. Tickets release seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time and the 40,000 daily slots vanish fast, so set a reminder. Turning up without a booking means you won't get in.
For foreign travelers.
- Book the moment the window opens seven days ahead; the Beijing Palace Museum's official system now takes just a passport and email for foreign visitors.
- Enter at the Meridian Gate (south) and exit north at the Gate of Divine Prowess — it's a one-way route, so don't leave bags on the south side.
- Add the Treasure and Clock galleries (small extra fee) if you like decorative arts; skip if you're short on time.
- Climb Jingshan Park hill just north of the exit for the classic view back over the golden roofs. See our Beijing guide.