Forbidden City in Beijing - the greatest buildings and structures. Imperial Palace in Beijing - “Forbidden City” (“Gugong”)

The location plays an important role; it is located in the very center of Beijing.

GPS coordinates

39.917328, 116.397182

Opening Hours/Schedule

8.30 – 17.00 – open
8.30 – 16.00 – cash desk opening hours

Price

Adult – 40 yuan
Child up to 1.2 m tall – free
Audio guide rental – 40 yuan
Entrance to the eastern wing, the so-called treasury - 10 yuan

general information

Forbidden City (other names – Forbidden Palace, Forbidden City)

This is a central place in the city, and therefore there are always a lot of people here. At the same time, those who want to visit the Closed City do not care about the time of year. It is better to choose to visit early in the morning on a weekday. By forcing you to come here earlier than others, you will save yourself from kilometer-long queues.

In summer it is very hot here - the scorching sun will nurture your desire to hide under the shade, and closer to winter it is very cold - winds pierce to the bones. So the best time of year to visit is autumn and spring. This is just a statement of fact, but visit at any time of the year, just be prepared.

Impression

The closed city is the place that is most impressive in documentaries. When visiting in person, many complain about the monotony: behind one gate there appears an area almost identical to the one left behind. Much of the architecture is very similar. I can partly agree with this and therefore recommend that you take an audio guide. In this case, faceless and similar buildings will begin to come to life in your imagination.

Audio guides in Beijing work automatically. The story begins when you approach the right place. The advantage is that you don’t need to monitor the map; the disadvantage is that it doesn’t work properly. It can start before the right place, sometimes it ends unexpectedly.

And that is not all. The audio guide lectures are hampered by all sorts of speech errors. Audio guides in Beijing were recorded by local Chinese studying Russian, hence the whole problem.

On the other hand, without an audio guide at all it will be very bland. How can you get superficial information? Anything is better than going through the Forbidden City and saying that it is nothing.

Many parts of the Forbidden City are closed to the public: some have never been opened, others are under restoration.

The city gave me a gloomy feeling. Everything is somehow too dry, without life. Maybe, of course, everything was different before, but now the bare, straight, stone walls on all sides are depressing. It is not surprising that some emperors preferred to spend most of their time in.

Be sure to climb to higher ground ( Jinshan Park) behind the Forbidden City. When you are inside the palace it is one thing, but when you look at it from above it is another. If you imagine that you are 300 years behind and can see this city from above, you will feel in touch with a miracle. After all, it was impossible to get there; what was going on there was unknown to a mere mortal.

Photos of the Forbidden City

Queue at the checkpoint. All Chinese are checked and identified. They treat foreigners more loyally; they don’t look at their passports. But it’s better to have it with you just in case.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office on the left side of the entrance. Then we go straight and see the turnstiles.

Behind them there is a building where you can take an audio guide.

Here's the thing

Entering the Forbidden City
(Rebus: find the ninja in the photo below)

It's not the same building. I already talked about the similarity.

This is the original building we passed through.

It’s disappointing that you can’t go inside the most important palace premises. You can only jostle in the crowd to move closer to the open viewing area. It's scary to imagine what happens here in the summer.

And with some palaces things are even worse: you need to look through the window.

And then you can see the interior.

Territory of the Forbidden City

View of side buildings

One of the side entrances in the Closed City

In this place, surrounded by trees, in ancient times, emperors chose their concubines from pretty girls of 15-17 years old brought from all over the area. So, for example, the great empress was chosen here Tsy Xi subsequently ruling China from 1861 to 1908.

Before visiting the main attractions of Beijing, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the last two centuries of Chinese history. In particular, read, for example, on Wikipedia about the Dowager Empress Ci Xi, about whom the audio guides will talk a lot.

A building built on wonderful stones is nearby. Only the emperor and his wife could go upstairs. This happened once a year on one of the holidays.

The ceiling in one of the unremarkable rooms

Wall of Nine Dragons. There are several Nine Dragon Walls. This one was built in 1771 and is located in the Forbidden City at the entrance towards the treasury. Entrance is separate and paid (10 yuan). The second wall can be seen not far from the Forbidden City, in Beihai Park.

There are 9 dragons for a reason. This number has a sacred meaning in China. And the dragons themselves in China are good creatures, they were created to protect and support from evil spirits and everything bad.

Selected exhibitions from the treasury of the Forbidden City.

For almost 500 years, the Forbidden City was the heart of China. Emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) lived there. It is located north of Tiananmen Square, from which it is separated by the Tiananmen Gate, and east of Zhongnanhai Lake, where the residences of modern Chinese leaders are located, also known as the “Lake District”. There are watchtowers at each of the four corners of the wall, which are visible far beyond Beijing. You can get to the Forbidden City through one of the four gates that are located on each side of the wall.

When the Yongle Emperor (1360-1424) began construction of the Forbidden City in 1406, he wanted to create a “state within a state,” an “inland empire” that would not be dependent on Beijing in any way. It was an impressive, powerful fortress that became the center of the emperor's power. Here he was completely safe from external and internal enemies, from here he could rule his country. No one had the right to enter the city, and once entered, no one could leave. The city was divided into two parts - the Inner Palace, intended for the emperor and his family, and the Outer Palace, which served for ceremonial purposes, in which numerous servants and other residents who did not belong to the imperial family lived. This guaranteed the self-sufficiency of the city, which even had its own markets and schools.

The inner palace was intended exclusively for the emperor, his family members and the highest officials of the country. To occupy such a high position, an official had to spend many years studying and pass difficult exams. Although the residents of the Inner Palace could lead a full life - shops and markets were open, children went to school - members of the imperial family led an extremely isolated life. Only the emperor and senior officials had constant contact with the outside world. Each member of the emperor's family was under constant surveillance by eunuchs and servants. Naturally, there could be no talk of any personal life in such conditions. The emperor and his relatives had numerous obligations to the state and the people, which is why their life was filled with numerous ceremonies and was regulated by ancient customs and traditions. This way of life existed for many centuries until the monarchy was abolished in China in 1912.

After the Xinhai Revolution of 1912, the Forbidden City lost its function as the political center of the country. The last Chinese emperor Pu Yi, who was only 6 years old, lost power and had to remain within the walls of the city. In 1924, the new Chinese government expelled Pu Yi from the capital and turned the Forbidden City into a museum. Today, the most common name for the city in China is “Gugong” - a former palace.

After the fall of the monarchy, troubled times came for the Forbidden City. During the Civil War and World War II, many artifacts and works of art were stolen or destroyed. Many items were transported to Taiwan, where they were exhibited in the Imperial Palace Museum in Taipei, which was created specially for this purpose. The walls and buildings of the Forbidden City were also damaged, becoming targets for the rebels and the Japanese army. However, the greatest damage to the city was caused during the years of the Cultural Revolution, and only the efforts of the Premier of the People's Republic of China Zhou Enlai, who organized the defense of the Forbidden City from the Red Guard, saved this unique complex from complete looting. Only after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, calm times came for this historical monument and its full functioning began as a museum for the Chinese people and guests of Beijing.

In the West, the Forbidden City became widely known after the release of Bernardo Bertolucci's film “The Last Emperor,” based on the biography of Pu Yi. Bertolucci became the first Western director who was allowed to film on the territory of the complex. The film perfectly showed the internal structure and life of the Forbidden City, and also became a symbol of the significant warming of relations between China and the Western world.

It is noteworthy that despite the fact that the Forbidden City is open to visitors, tourists are not allowed into the interior of the buildings. Their sizes, such as the size of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, are too small to accommodate those who wish to participate. Therefore, the Chinese authorities decided to leave the doors and windows of the buildings open, so that anyone can look inside and enjoy the beauty of the decoration and furniture.

The Forbidden City certainly deserves to be called one of the most beautiful places in China. Everything here breathes with antiquity, rich history, which you can feel as soon as you set foot on its territory. The architecture is stunning and impressive, and the paintings of the palaces and halls are colorful and detailed. This place is a must-visit for anyone interested in Chinese history and who appreciates authentic ancient beauty.

China, Beijing, Forbidden City, the imperial palace, sights

Description of the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City of Gugong is the largest and most famous palace complex in the world, located in Beijing. It served as the residence of twenty-four powerful rulers of two dynasties of the Celestial Empire - Ming and Qing.
Today, when heading to the Forbidden City, you need to go through only three gates: Tiananmen, Duanmen and, finally, the main gate of the palace - Wumen. In earlier times, for foreign ambassadors and officials, the path to the palace was longer: they passed through five gates.
All the decoration and design of the Forbidden City is permeated with philosophical and religious ideas and principles of China, including the fact that the emperor, despite all his greatness, must be fair and wise.

A little history

The construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406. The emperor who gave instructions for its construction was Zhu Di. There is a legend that one of the monks dreamed about the project of the Forbidden City, and he told about it to the prince, who later became the emperor.
The main material used for the construction of the palace is wood, as well as brick, marble, and tiles. Almost all the buildings inside the complex are one-story, and the massive roofs rest on powerful columns; this design is the most resistant to earthquakes. The facades of all the main buildings face the south - thereby the Forbidden City turned its back on all the hostile forces of the north. The main entrance is also on the south side.
The Forbidden City is not just a pretty name, it is also a statement of fact. Ordinary people did not have access here. The family of the ruling emperor and their numerous servants lived in a closed palace. It was forbidden to enter the city without permission under pain of slow and painful execution - although the most curious were sometimes not frightened even by this. However, it was not only curiosity that forced people to enter the Forbidden City; for example, the last emperor of the Ming dynasty was driven to suicide by residents who broke into the palace and were angry about exorbitant taxes and hunger.
According to legend, the Qing family, the last ruling dynasty in the Forbidden City, was cursed - the Qing house would fall at the hands of a woman. In general, this is what happened. The former concubine Cixi ruled China after the death of her husband, until her nephew, two-year-old Pu-Yi, became her successor. The Kid became the last emperor and owner of the Forbidden City. In 1912, at the age of five, he abdicated the throne, but remained to live in the palace.

According to legend, there are ten thousand rooms in the palace of the Heavenly Emperor. The Palace of the Son of Heaven, as the emperors of China called themselves, should be at least a little more modest so as not to overshadow the Heavenly Ruler. So it occupies an area of 72 hectares, on which there are about eight hundred buildings and a total of only 9,999 rooms.
The city is surrounded by a high wall and a moat filled with water - the Jinshuihe Canal (River of Golden Water). Several bridges were thrown across the moat - the central two were intended only for members of the imperial family, the next ones were for senior military and civil officials, and the outermost ones were called public and any inhabitant of the Forbidden City could cross them, regardless of his rank and origin.
There are many beautiful and elegant buildings on the territory of the Forbidden City. Pavilions, gazebos, galleries, as well as lakes, rivers, gardens. And their names, as a rule, are in no way inferior in elegance to their appearance - for example, the Pavilion of the Contact of Heaven and Earth, the Gate of Heavenly Purity, or the Gazebo, from where the arrival of spring is visible.
The Forbidden City was rebuilt several times after fires, destruction and robberies. However, they tried to reproduce its appearance with maximum accuracy, so what we can see there now is not too different from the original appearance of the palace.
The collection of valuable exhibits is replenished year after year and has already reached a million. The main part of the exhibition consists of paintings, books, bronze items, imperial clothes and jewelry, made with amazing skill.
The Forbidden City is divided by a central axis, eight kilometers long. In the center stands the Taihedian (Supreme Harmony) Pavilion, whose height reaches almost forty meters. For many centuries, it remained the tallest building in Beijing, because during the empire it was not allowed to erect buildings higher than it - the ban did not apply only to temples. In the center of the pavilion is a Throne, a symbol of the emperor’s power on earth.

Tour number: 500

- This is the ancient residence of Chinese emperors, today turned into a huge museum. Nowadays the city is simply called Gugun or Former Palace. This is the largest palace complex in the world.

It is located slightly north of Tiananmen Square and is considered the main cultural and historical attraction of everything. Tourists from all over the world come here every year.

The main palace of the Forbidden City became the residence of the emperor from the moment of its construction, i.e. from the beginning of the 15th century. At that time, the Ming Dynasty reigned. And it ceased to be in 1912, when the last emperor of the Qing dynasty was overthrown.

The palace took about 15 years to build. The best architects, builders, masons, artists and millions of simple unknown builders took part in its construction. Construction was carried out from precious trees and expensive materials.

The emperor lived with his family and servants in the Forbidden City. No one else was allowed here under penalty of death. The palace complex is surrounded by thick walls and a wide moat filled with water.

In total, during the entire period of the empire, 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived in this city. All significant ceremonies were held here; it was the political center of the Great Ming Empire and the Qing Empire.

In 1912, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Pu Yi, was overthrown but was allowed to continue living in the Inner Palace. And a museum was organized in the Outer Palace. A few years later, Pu Yi was expelled from his palace.

In the 30s of the last century, when Japan attacked China and captured Beijing, the palace’s jewelry had to be hastily removed. A significant part of them was captured by the Japanese, but out of respect for the former emperor they were preserved.

The Cultural Revolution caused the most damage to this site. In the 50-60s of the 20th century, some artifacts were destroyed here. However, the vandalism was stopped and army battalions were deployed near Gugun to protect the cultural heritage.

Over the entire period of its existence before becoming a museum in 1925, the Forbidden City underwent many changes. He was constantly upset and strengthened, huge amounts of money were invested in him.

The entire complex of palaces is an example of Chinese traditional palace architecture. At the end of the 80s of the last century, it was the first in China to be included in the famous UNESCO list as the largest ancient wooden structure.

Forbidden City today

The Forbidden City is the center of ancient Beijing, which is called the Imperial City. Gugun itself is divided into several parts, surrounded by a wall 3.4 km long and almost 8 m high and a ditch, the width of which is more than 50 m.

On three sides there are magnificent imperial gardens and famous parks. To the south of Gugun there is a Sanctuary where all the emperors of China, without exception, worshiped the spirit of the nation and their ancestors.

Also to the south is the Gate of Heavenly Peace with a portrait of the father of the people - Mao Zedong. This gate is the link between ancient Gugong and modern Tiananmen Square.

The entire design of this beautiful architectural masterpiece is filled with symbols of Chinese religion and philosophy, and also emphasizes the greatness of the imperial power and its direct connection with heaven. The layout follows ancient traditions.

This palace complex is a real wonder of the world, which is described in books and films. In 1918, he was featured in one of the first Chinese feature films, a biopic about the last emperor Pu Yi, a TV series about Marco Polo, etc.

Modernity

Currently, the Forbidden City is visited by at least 7 million tourists a year, especially in the summer. This is the most famous Chinese landmark. Xi Jinping recently hosted Donald Trump at the Inner Palace.

This historical and cultural monument is under state protection. All responsibilities related to restoration work rest entirely with the Palace Museum, and there is a state restoration plan.

The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world!

One of the most visited places by tourists in China is the Forbidden City, or Gugong. It is located in Beijing and is a huge palace complex, probably the largest in the world. And one of the most famous, that’s for sure. It is located on an area of 72 hectares, surrounded by a high wall, and inside these walls there are wide squares, palaces rise, among gardens and ponds there are pavilions, temples, and each building captivates with beauty and harmony.

What is the Forbidden City?

The historical name of this complex is “Purple Forbidden City”. Nowadays it is most often called “Gugun” - “Former Palace”.

The main buildings of the complex - the ceremonial premises intended for receptions and ceremonies - are called "Hall of Higher Harmony", "Hall of Middle Harmony" and "Hall of Preserving Harmony". And behind them begin courtyards and buildings intended not for ceremonies, but for life. They are smaller, lower, and more graceful. And without exception, all palaces and pavilions are designed in a color scheme in which the main color is purple. However, what else? After all, this is the Purple Forbidden City!

In total, the Gugun complex contains 800 buildings. It is difficult to say how many rooms there are in these buildings. The Chinese themselves claim that there are 9,999 of them there. Why? According to Chinese beliefs, there are 10 thousand rooms in the palace of the Heavenly Emperor. And the earthly ruler, who was titled “son of Heaven,” must observe subordination! And although there are apparently still fewer rooms than 9999, visitors to the Forbidden City have no time for calculations: just have time to admire and admire!

Panoramic plan of the Forbidden City on the scale of the Chinese capital

The history of the Forbidden City palace complex

The name “Forbidden City” is not a figure of speech or a metaphor, but comes from the fact that no one except the emperor’s family, wives and concubines, children and servants, consisting mostly of eunuchs, had access to the imperial residence.

Other residents of the Celestial Empire, as well as foreigners, were prohibited from appearing in the Forbidden City without the highest permission. A terrible execution awaited those who disobeyed. However, legends say that there were curious people who, without fear of punishment, still tried to penetrate the high walls.

The emergence of the Forbidden City is associated with such a legend. A purple city appeared in a dream to a certain monk, shielded by impregnable walls from the low-lying life seething around. He told about his vision to the sovereign prince, on whose lands the monastery was located. The prince liked the idea of a city closed from commoners and strangers so much that, upon becoming emperor, he immediately began to bring it to life. This was in 1406. The builder of the palace was killed by Ju-Di, this was the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty. By the way, it was he who made Beijing the capital of China.

Gugun, or the Forbidden City, is an exemplary feng shui

Of course, the palace of the Chinese emperor was built in accordance with Chinese philosophy, the main concept of which is harmony, and the requirements of Feng Shui. The site for the construction was chosen by astrologers. They assured that the Imperial Palace in Beijing would be located in the very center of the earth.

The palace was built mainly from wood, marble and brick were also used. The buildings are mostly one-story. The facades of the buildings face south. After all, the north, according to Feng Shui, is the side from which forces hostile to man come. And the main entrance to the palace, of course, also faces south.

The best examples of Chinese Feng Shui in the center of the capital

The names of all the buildings, all the ponds, parks and streams of the palace complex are imbued with the spirit of harmony and grace. There is, for example, the Pavilion of the Contact of Heaven and Earth, and the Gate of Heavenly Purity, and the Gazebo, from where one can see the arrival of spring.

It happened that the emperor's palace suffered from fire and earthquakes. And after each such cataclysm, the builders sought to reproduce the original plan with maximum accuracy. Thanks to this, today we can see the Forbidden City almost as it was during the Ming Dynasty. The Forbidden City served as a home for emperors until 1924. Then the last emperor of China, whose name was Pu-Yi, was deposed.

Nowadays, Gugong is the largest museum complex in China, access to which is open to all tourists. Each of the palaces and pavilions houses museum exhibitions dedicated to the history and culture of China. Even a month is not enough for a very cursory acquaintance with this wealth.

Imperial Park in Beijing

One of the most recognizable panoramas of the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City

Beautiful architectural details of Gugun Palace

The Forbidden City is one of the main attractions not only of Beijing, but of all of China