{"id":17592,"date":"2025-06-14T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-14T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/destary.com\/?p=17592"},"modified":"2025-06-01T09:34:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T07:34:52","slug":"the-forbidden-city-in-beijing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/destary.com\/en\/sights\/the-forbidden-city-in-beijing\/","title":{"rendered":"The Forbidden City in Beijing"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In the centre of Beijing stands one of the most impressive buildings in world history: the Forbidden City. Once a symbol of imperial omnipotence, this huge palace complex was closed to the public for centuries, but still fascinates visitors today with its unique architecture, profound symbolism and eventful history. As one of the world’s largest preserved wooden structures, the Forbidden City is one of China’s most important cultural monuments and an absolute highlight of any trip to Beijing. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Location and significance in Beijing's cityscape<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Forbidden City (Chinese: \u7d2b\u7981\u57ce, Z\u01d0j\u00ecnch\u00e9ng) is located in the centre of Beijing and forms the heart of the old city. Directly north of the famous Tian’anmen Square, the vast complex covers an area of around 720,000 square metres. It is completely surrounded by a ten-metre-high wall and a 52-metre-wide moat, which are symbols of protection and seclusion. The palace’s geographical orientation strictly follows the principles of feng shui: it opens to the south, with the Meridian Gate (W\u01d4m\u00e9n) serving as the main entrance. To the north lies Coal Hill (Jingshan Park), which acts as a natural shelter. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Historical background: Imperial Power and Isolation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406, during the reign of the third Ming emperor, Yongle. The complex was completed in 1420 after only 14 years of construction. Over a million workers, including countless craftsmen and artists, were involved in the project. The aim was to create a worldly image of the Heavenly Palace \u2014 a place where the ‘Son of Heaven’ could reign in earthly splendour. <\/p>

For almost 500 years, from the Ming to the Qing dynasty, the Forbidden City was the political and ceremonial centre of the Chinese empire. A total of 24 emperors resided here. Access was strictly forbidden to the population, hence the name ‘Forbidden City’. It was not opened to the public as a ‘palace museum’ until the end of the imperial era in 1925. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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