View source for Forbidden City

{{Short description|Imperial palace complex in Beijing, China}}
{{Redirect|The Forbidden City|the film by this name|The Forbidden City (film)|other uses|Forbidden City (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Gugong}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Infobox museum
| name            = Forbidden City<br />{{nobold|{{lang|zh-hans|紫禁城}}}}
| visitors        = 16.7 million<ref name=visitors>{{cite news |url=https://www.chinanews.com/sh/2017/12-31/8413475.shtml |script-title=zh:故宫2017年接待观众逾1699万人次 创历史新纪录 |language=zh-hans =[[China News Service]] |date=31 December 2017 |access-date=24 March 2018 |archive-date=25 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325045339/http://www.chinanews.com/sh/2017/12-31/8413475.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
| established     = 1406– {{Start date and age|1420|br=y}}<br>{{start date and age|1925}} (as public museum)
| type            = {{hlist|[[Art museum]]|imperial palace|[[historic site]]}}
| image           = The Forbidden City - View from Coal Hill.jpg
| caption         = The Forbidden City viewed from [[Jingshan Park|Jingshan Hill]]
| location        = 4 Jingshan Front St, [[Dongcheng, Beijing|Dongcheng District, Beijing]], China
| curator         = [[Wang Xudong (curator)|Wang Xudong]]
| image_size      = 300px
| image_upright   = 
| pushpin_map     = Beijing#China
| coordinates     = {{coord|39|54|57|N|116|23|27|E|type:landmark_region:CN-11|display=inline,title}}
| website         = {{URL|https://www.dpm.org.cn|dpm.org.cn}} (in Chinese)<br>{{URL|https://intl.dpm.org.cn}} (in English)
| embedded        = {{infobox historic site 
 |embed        = yes 
 |area         = 72 hectares
 |built        = 1406–1420 ([[Ming dynasty]])
 |architecture = [[Chinese architecture]]
 |architect    = [[Kuai Xiang]] 
 |designation1 = Major cultural heritage sites under national-level protection
}}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
 |child    = yes
 |Part_of  = [[Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang]]
 |ID       = 439-001
 |Year     = 1987
 |Criteria = Cultural: i, ii, iii, iv
 }}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
 |child    = yes
 |Part_of  = [[Beijing Central Axis]]
 |ID       = 1714
 |Year     = 2024
 |Criteria = Cultural: iii, iv
 }}
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Forbidden City (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = "Forbidden City" in Chinese characters
| picupright = 0.75
| c = 紫禁城
| l = "Purple Forbidden City"
| p = Zǐjìnchéng
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|zi|3|.|j|in|4|.|ch|eng|2}}
| j = Zi2-gam3-sing4
| y = Jí-gam-sìhng
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|z|i|2|.|g|am|3|.|s|ing|4}}
| poj = Chí-kìm-siâⁿ
| tl = Tsí-kìm-siânn
| mnc = {{ManchuSibeUnicode|ᡩᠠᠪᡴᡡᡵᡳ<br />ᡩᠣᡵᡤᡳ<br />ᡥᠣᡨᠣᠨ}}
| mnc_rom = dabkūri dorgi hoton
"Former Inner City"
| w = {{tone superscript|Tzu3-chin4-ch}}{{wg-apos}}{{tone superscript|eng2}}
| tp = Zǐh-jìn-chéng
| bpmf = ㄗˇ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄔㄥˊ
|vie = Tử Cấm Thành
|chuhan =紫禁城
}}

The '''Forbidden City''' ({{zh|c=紫禁城|p=Zǐjìnchéng}}) is the [[Chinese Empire|imperial]] [[Chinese palace|palace]] complex in the center of the [[Imperial City, Beijing|Imperial City]] in [[Beijing]], China. It was the residence of 24 [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] dynasty [[List of Chinese monarchs|Emperors]], and the center of political power in [[China]] for over 500 years from 1420 to 1924. The palace is now administered by the [[Palace Museum]] as a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]]. The Forbidden City is arguably the most famous [[Chinese palace|palace]] in all of [[History of China|Chinese history]], and is the largest preserved [[Palace|royal palace]] complex still standing in the world.

The Forbidden City was constructed from 1406 to 1420, and was the imperial palace and winter residence of the [[Emperor of China]] from the [[Ming dynasty]] (since the [[Yongle Emperor]]) to the end of the [[Qing dynasty]], between 1420 and 1924. The Forbidden City served as the home of Chinese emperors and their households and was the ceremonial and political center of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] for over 500 years. Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the [[Palace Museum]], whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts was built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Forbidden City was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1987.<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web |title=UNESCO World Heritage List: Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439 |access-date=2007-05-04 |publisher=UNESCO |archive-date=5 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505084440/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The complex claims to consist of 9,999 rooms in total, although experts have shown in recent years that the number only amounts to 8,886,<ref name="Oakland" /> covering {{cvt|72|ha|m2|abbr=off}}/178-acre.<ref name="Lu">{{cite book |last=Lu |first=Yongxiang |title=A History of Chinese Science and Technology, Volume 3 |year=2014 |publisher=Springer |location=New York |isbn=978-3-662-44163-3}}</ref><ref name="UNESCO-ABE">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/439bis.pdf |title=Advisory Body Evaluation (1987) |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=2016-02-25 |archive-date=2 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102040136/http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/439bis.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The palace exemplifies the opulence of the residences of the Chinese emperor and the traditional [[Chinese architecture|Chinese palatial architecture]],<ref name="UNESCO" /> and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in [[East Asia]] and elsewhere. [[UNESCO]] recognizes it as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Since 2012, the Forbidden City has seen an average of 14 million visitors annually, and received more than 19 million visitors in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1900万！故宫年客流量创新高-新华网 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2019-12/23/c_1125378126.htm |access-date=2020-01-21 |website=www.xinhuanet.com |archive-date=6 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206194711/http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2019-12/23/c_1125378126.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018, the Forbidden City's market value was estimated at US$70 billion, making it both the world's most valuable palace and the most valuable piece of real estate anywhere in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How much the world's most valuable palaces are worth |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/realestate/how-much-the-worlds-most-valuable-palaces-are-worth/ss-BBF7f9o#image=29 |publisher=[[MSN.com]] |quote=Forbidden City, China – $69.66 billion+ (£54bn+). The crown jewel of Beijing, the Forbidden City was the residence of the Chinese emperors and the locus of government from 1420 to 1912. Now a museum, the complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. |access-date=10 December 2020 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110051010/https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/realestate/how-much-the-worlds-most-valuable-palaces-are-worth/ss-BBF7f9o#image=29 |url-status=live }}</ref>

It was included in the first list of [[national priority protected site]]s in 1961.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439/ |access-date=2021-12-01 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en |archive-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202143607/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439 |url-status=live }}</ref> The palace is extremely important to the Chinese public and nation, who often view it as a cultural and heavenly link to their ancestors{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}.

== Etymology ==
The [[Chinese palace|palace]] gained its name from its enormous scale and severely restricted access to all but the [[Emperor of China|Emperor]], the [[Royal family|Imperial family]], and [[Eunuchs in China|Eunuchs]]; hence the Chinese term "Forbidden City" emerged. The punishment for unauthorised entry to the palace was immediate execution. The common English name "Forbidden City" is a translation of the Chinese name ''Zijincheng'' ({{zh|c={{linktext|紫|禁|城}}|p=|l=|labels=no}}; {{Literally|Purple Forbidden City}}), which first formally appeared in 1576.<ref>p. 26, [[Geremie Barmé|Barmé, Geremie R]] (2008). The Forbidden City. Harvard University Press.</ref> Another English name of similar origin is "Forbidden Palace", though "city" is much closer to the original Chinese meaning.<ref>See, e.g., {{cite journal |title=Perspective of urban land use in Beijing |journal=GeoJournal |date=April 1990 |first=Guo-hui |last=Gan |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=359–364 |doi=10.1007/bf00174975 |bibcode=1990GeoJo..20..359G |s2cid=154980396}}</ref>

The name "''Zijincheng''" has significance on many levels. ''Zi'', or "purple", refers to the [[Polaris|North Star]], which in ancient China was called the ''Ziwei'' Star, and in traditional [[Chinese astrology]] was the heavenly abode of the [[Jade Emperor]]. The surrounding celestial region, the [[Three enclosures|Ziwei Enclosure]] ({{zh|c={{linktext|紫|微|垣}}|p=Zǐwēiyuán|labels=no}}), was the realm of the Jade Emperor and his family. The Forbidden City, as the residence of the terrestrial emperor, was its earthly counterpart. ''Jin'' refers to a prohibition or [[taboo]]. ''Cheng'' originally meant a castle, fortress, or fortification, but in modern Chinese, the character means city.

Today, the site is most commonly known in Chinese as ''Gugong'' ({{Zh|c={{linktext|故|宮}}|labels=no}}), which means the "Former Palace".{{efn|"Gùgōng" in a generic sense also refers to all former palaces, another prominent example being the former Imperial Palaces ([[Mukden Palace]]) in [[Shenyang]]; see [[Gugong (disambiguation)]].}} The museum which is based in these buildings is known as the "Palace Museum" ({{zh|p=Gùgōng Bówùyùan|c={{linktext|故|宮|博|物|院}}|labels=no}}).

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City was also known as ''Danei'' ({{Zh|c={{linktext|大|内}}|labels=no}}) or "Palace City" ({{Zh|c={{linktext|宮|城}}|labels=no|p=Gōngchéng}}).

== History ==
{{Main|History of the Forbidden City}}
<!--This section is a summary of the main article at [[History of the Forbidden City]]. Please consider adding new material to the main article-->
[[File:北京宫城图轴.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The Forbidden City as depicted in a [[Ming dynasty painting]]]]
[[File:Die Gartenlaube (1853) b 445.jpg|thumb|A depiction of the Forbidden City from the German magazine {{lang|de|[[Die Gartenlaube]]}} (1853)]]
[[File:Vue prise en ballon du Palais Impérial à Pékin.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the Forbidden City (1900 or 1901)]]

When the [[Hongwu Emperor]]'s son Zhu Di became the [[Yongle Emperor]], he moved the capital from [[Nanjing]] to Beijing, and construction began in 1406 on what would become the Forbidden City.<ref name="Yu 18">p. 18, {{cite book |last=Yu |first=Zhuoyun |title=Palaces of the Forbidden City |year=1984 |publisher=Viking |location=New York |isbn=0-670-53721-7}}</ref>

Construction lasted 14 years and required more than a million workers.<ref name="Yang 15">p. 15, {{cite book |last=Yang |first=Xiagui |others=Li, Shaobai (photography); Chen, Huang (translation) |title=The Invisible Palace |year=2003 |publisher=Foreign Language Press |location=Beijing |isbn=7-119-03432-4}}</ref> Material used include whole logs of precious ''[[Phoebe zhennan]]'' wood ({{zh|c={{linktext|楠|木}}|p=nánmù|labels=no}}) found in the jungles of south-western China, and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing.<ref name="CCTV">{{cite video |people=China Central Television, The Palace Museum |date=2005 |url=https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |title=Gugong: "I. Building the Forbidden City" |medium=Documentary |location=China |publisher=CCTV |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-date=31 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731180128/https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> The floors of major halls were paved with "golden bricks" ({{zh|c={{linktext|金|磚}}|p=jīnzhuān|labels=no}}), specially baked paving bricks from [[Suzhou, Jiangsu|Suzhou]].<ref name="Yang 15" />

From 1420 to 1644, the Forbidden City was the seat of the [[Ming dynasty]]. In April 1644, it was captured by rebel forces led by [[Li Zicheng]], who proclaimed himself emperor of the [[Shun dynasty]].<ref>p. 69, Yang (2003)</ref> He soon fled before the combined armies of former Ming general [[Wu Sangui]] and [[Manchu people|Manchu]] forces, setting fire to parts of the Forbidden City in the process.<ref>p. 3734, {{cite book |last=Wu |first=Han |author-link=Wu Han (PRC) |title=朝鲜李朝实录中的中国史料 (Chinese historical material in the Annals of the Joseon Yi dynasty) |year=1980 |publisher=Zhonghua Book Company |location=Beijing |id=CN / D829.312}}</ref>

By October, the Manchus had achieved supremacy in northern China, and a ceremony was held at the Forbidden City to proclaim the young [[Shunzhi Emperor]] as ruler of all China under the [[Qing dynasty]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Muoruo |last=Guo |author-link=Guo Moruo |title=甲申三百年祭 (Commemorating 300th anniversary of the Jia-Sheng Year) |work=New China Daily |date=1944-03-20 |language=zh}}</ref> The Qing rulers changed the names on some of the principal buildings to emphasise "harmony" rather than "supremacy",<ref name="CCTV2" /> made the [[nameplate]]s bilingual (Chinese and [[Manchu language|Manchu]]),<ref>{{cite news |title=故宫外朝宫殿为何无满文？ (Why is there no Manchu on the halls of the Outer Court?) |url=https://ha.people.com.cn/news/2006/06/16/109613.htm |work=People Net |date=2006-06-16 |access-date=2007-07-12 |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201185034/https://ha.people.com.cn/news/2006/06/16/109613.htm |archive-date=1 December 2008}}</ref> and introduced [[Shamanism|shamanist]] elements to the palace.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://125.35.3.4/China/phoweb/BuildingPage/1/B488.htm |title=坤宁宫 (Palace of Earthly Tranquility) |access-date=2007-07-12 |author=Zhou Suqin |publisher=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929095215/https://125.35.3.4/China/phoweb/BuildingPage/1/B488.htm |archive-date=29 September 2007}}</ref>

In 1860, during the [[Second Opium War]], Anglo-French forces took control of the Forbidden City and occupied it until the end of the war.<ref name="CCTV11">{{cite video |people=China Central Television, The Palace Museum |date=2005 |url=https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |title=Gugong: "XI. Flight of the National Treasures" |medium=Documentary |location=China |publisher=CCTV |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-date=31 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731180128/https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1900 [[Empress Dowager Cixi]] fled from the Forbidden City during the [[Boxer Rebellion]], leaving it to be occupied by forces of the treaty powers until the following year.<ref name="CCTV11" />

After being the home of 24 emperors — 14 of the Ming dynasty and 10 of the Qing dynasty — the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of [[Puyi]], the last Emperor of China. Under [[Articles of Favourable Treatment of the Great Qing Emperor after His Abdication|an agreement]] with the new [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] government, Puyi remained in the Inner Court, while the Outer Court was given over to public use,<ref>p. 137, Yang (2003)</ref> until he was evicted after a [[1924 Beijing Coup|coup]] in 1924.<ref name="Yan4">{{cite book |last=Yan |first=Chongnian |author-link=Yan Chongnian |title=正说清朝十二帝 (True Stories of the Twelve Qing Emperors) |url=https://archive.org/details/zhengshuoqingcha0000yanc |year=2004 |publisher=Zhonghua Book Company |location=Beijing |isbn=7-101-04445-X |language=zh |chapter=国民—战犯—公民 (National – War criminal – Citizen) |url-access=registration}}</ref> The Palace Museum was then established in the Forbidden City in 1925.<ref>{{cite news |author=Cao Kun |title=故宫X档案: 开院门票 掏五毛钱可劲逛 (Forbidden City X-Files: Opening admission 50 cents) |url=https://culture.people.com.cn/GB/22226/53974/53977/3750782.html |work=Beijing Legal Evening |publisher=People Net |date=2005-10-06 |access-date=2007-07-25 |language=zh |archive-date=1 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201175346/http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/22226/53974/53977/3750782.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1933, the [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Japanese invasion of China]] forced the evacuation of the national treasures in the Forbidden City.<ref>See map of the evacuation routes at: {{cite web |url=https://www.npm.gov.tw/en/administration/about/tradition.htm |title=National Palace Museum – Tradition & Continuity |access-date=2007-05-01 |publisher=National Palace Museum |archive-date=20 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320073822/http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/administration/about/tradition.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> Part of the collection returned at the end of [[World War II]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npm.gov.tw/en/administration/about/tradition.htm |title=National Palace Museum – Tradition & Continuity |access-date=2007-05-01 |publisher=National Palace Museum |archive-date=20 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320073822/http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/administration/about/tradition.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> but the other part was evacuated to Taiwan in 1948 under orders of [[Chiang Kai-shek]], whose [[Kuomintang]] was losing the [[Chinese Civil War]]. This relatively small but high quality collection was kept in storage until 1965, when it again became public as the core of the [[National Palace Museum]] in [[Taipei]].<ref name="Three">{{cite news |title=三大院长南京说文物 (Three museum directors talk artefacts in Nanjing) |url=https://www.people.com.cn/GB/paper447/10416/949293.html |work=Jiangnan Times |publisher=People Net |date=2003-10-19 |access-date=2007-07-05 |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201133727/https://www.people.com.cn/GB/paper447/10416/949293.html |archive-date=1 December 2008}}</ref>

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, some damage was done to the Forbidden City as the country was swept up in revolutionary zeal.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jie |last=Chen |title=故宫曾有多种可怕改造方案 (Several horrifying reconstruction proposals had been made for the Forbidden City) |url=https://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81803/node112035/userobject1ai1829390.html |work=Yangcheng Evening News |publisher=Eastday |date=2006-02-04 |access-date=2007-05-01 |language=zh |archive-date=27 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527175620/https://news.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81803/node112035/userobject1ai1829390.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> During the [[Cultural Revolution]], however, further destruction was prevented when Premier [[Zhou Enlai]] sent an army battalion to guard the city.<ref>{{cite news |first=Yinming |last=Xie |author2=Qu, Wanlin |title="文化大革命"中谁保护了故宫 (Who protected the Forbidden City in the Cultural Revolution?) |url=https://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/68742/69115/69120/5005812.html |work=CPC Documents |publisher=People Net |date=2006-11-07 |access-date=2007-07-25 |language=zh |archive-date=2 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402115513/http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/68742/69115/69120/5005812.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Forbidden City was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1987 by [[UNESCO]] as the "Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties",<ref>The Forbidden City was listed as the "[https://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/439.pdf Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326110017/https://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/439.pdf |date=26 March 2009 }}" (Official Document). In 2004, [[Mukden Palace]] in [[Shenyang]] was added as an extension item to the property, which then became known as "Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang": {{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439 |title=UNESCO World Heritage List: Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang |access-date=2007-05-04 |archive-date=5 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505084440/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439 |url-status=live }}</ref> due to its significant place in the development of [[Chinese architecture]] and culture.

In the early 21st century, the Palace Museum carried out a sixteen-year restoration project to repair and restore all buildings in the Forbidden City to their pre-1911 state, with the goal that 76% of the palace would be open to the public by 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gjdx.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Forbidden City restoration project website |access-date=2007-05-03 |author=Palace Museum |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421023644/https://gjdx.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=21 April 2007}}</ref> As a result of that project, the Shoukang Palace was officially opened to the public in 2013, after initially being displayed in its original state. A sculpture museum was opened in the Cining Palace in 2015. Also opened in 2015 were the precincts around Cining Palace, the Yanyin Building and the Donghua Gate.<ref>{{cite web |title=故宫慈宁宫花园明年8月开放 拟推年票定价300元 |work=People's Daily |date=18 August 2014 |url=http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0818/c70731-25482127.html |access-date=1 May 2021 |archive-date=2 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002073634/http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0818/c70731-25482127.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 5 November 2024, 100 years was marked since the expulsion of the last [[Emperor of China]], [[Puyi]], from the palace by [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|republican forces]], led by [[Feng Yuxiang]].

== Structure ==
[[File:Forbidden city map wp 1.png|thumb|350px|Plan of the Forbidden City. Labels in red are used to refer to locations throughout the article.
----
<span style="color:red;">- – -</span> Approximate dividing line between Inner (north) and Outer (south) Courts.
----
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
A. [[Meridian Gate]]<br />
B. [[Gate of Divine Might]]<br />
C. West Glorious Gate<br />
D. East Glorious Gate<br />
E. Corner towers<br />
F. [[Gate of Supreme Harmony]]<br />
G. [[Hall of Supreme Harmony]]<br />
{{col-break}}
H. Hall of Military Eminence<br />
J. [[Hall of Literary Brilliance|Hall of Literary Glory]]<br />
K. Southern Three Places<br />
L. [[Palace of Heavenly Purity]]<br />
M. Imperial Garden<br />
N. [[Hall of Mental Cultivation]]<br />
O. [[Palace of Tranquil Longevity]]

{{col-end}}]]
The Forbidden City is a rectangle, measuring {{cvt|961|m|ft}} from north to south and {{cvt|753|m|ft}} from east to west.<ref name="Lu" /><ref name="UNESCO-ABE" /> It consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,886 bays of rooms.<ref name=Oakland>{{cite web |url=https://museumca.org/exhibit/exhib_fc2.html |title=Amazing Facts About the Forbidden City |publisher=[[Oakland Museum of California]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614204459/https://museumca.org/exhibit/exhib_fc2.html |archive-date=14 June 2012}}</ref>{{efn|As larger buildings in traditional Chinese architecture are easily and regularly sub-divided into different configurations, the number of rooms in the Forbidden City is traditionally counted in terms of "bays" of rooms, with each bay being the space defined by four structural pillars.}} A common myth states that there are 9,999 rooms including antechambers,<ref>{{cite news |author=Glueck, Grace |author-link=Grace Glueck |date=2001-08-31 |title=ART REVIEW; They Had Expensive Tastes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/31/arts/art-review-they-had-expensive-tastes.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021120929/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/31/arts/art-review-they-had-expensive-tastes.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |archive-date=21 October 2020 |access-date=19 February 2017 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> based on oral tradition, but it is not supported by survey evidence.<ref>{{cite web |date=2007-07-20 |title=Numbers Inside the Forbidden City |url=https://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/217858.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722095705/https://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/217858.htm |archive-date=22 July 2018 |access-date=22 July 2018 |work=China Daily |publisher=China.org.cn}}</ref> The layout of the Forbidden City protected the imperial code of ethics as a physical installation. The courtyard was built on a massive, luxurious scale but it has the appearance of a quadrangle courtyard.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Peng |last2=Lan |first2=Lan |date=July 2021 |title=Bodily Changes: Castration as Cultural and Social Practice in the Space of the Forbidden City |journal=SAGE Open |language=en |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=215824402110407 |doi=10.1177/21582440211040772 |s2cid=238145832 |issn=2158-2440 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The Forbidden City was designed to be the centre of the ancient, walled city of Beijing. It is enclosed in a larger, walled area called the [[Imperial City, Beijing|Imperial City]]. The Imperial City is, in turn, enclosed by the Inner City; to its south lies the Outer City.

The Forbidden City remains important in the civic scheme of Beijing. The central north–south axis remains the central axis of Beijing. This axis extends to the south through [[Tiananmen|Tiananmen Gate]] to [[Tiananmen Square]], the ceremonial centre of the People's Republic of China, and on to [[Yongdingmen|Yongdingmen Gate]]. To the north, it extends through [[Jingshan Park]] to the [[Drum Tower and Bell Tower of Beijing|Drum Tower and Bell Tower]].<ref>{{cite news |script-title=zh:北京确立城市发展脉络 重塑7.8公里中轴线 |trans-title=Beijing to establish civic development network; Recreating {{cvt|7.8|km}} central axis |url=https://house.people.com.cn/chengshi/20060530/article_5338.html |publisher=People Net|date=2006-05-30 |access-date=2007-07-05 |language=zh |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019094611/https://house.people.com.cn/chengshi/20060530/article_5338.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> This axis is not exactly aligned north–south, but is tilted by slightly more than two degrees. Researchers now believe that the axis was designed during the [[Yuan dynasty]] to be aligned with [[Shangdu]], the other capital of their empire.<ref>{{cite news |first=Feng |last=Pan |script-title=zh:探秘北京中轴线 |trans-title=Exploring the mystery of Beijing's Central Axis |url=https://www.cas.ac.cn/html/Dir/2005/03/02/5202.htm |work=Science Times |publisher=[[Chinese Academy of Sciences]] |date=2005-03-02 |access-date=2007-10-19 |language=zh |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071211101908/https://www.cas.ac.cn/html/Dir/2005/03/02/5202.htm |archive-date = 2007-12-11 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Cité interdite Porte du midi vue de la Cour intérieure.jpg|center|thumb|290x290px|The [[Meridian Gate]] seen from the inner courtyard]]

=== Walls and gates ===
[[File:Meridian Gate (Forbidden City) 2015 December.jpg|thumb|left|The Meridian Gate, front entrance of the Forbidden City, with two protruding wings]]
[[File:Forbiden city-Beijing-China - panoramio (18).jpg|thumb|left|Close-up on the left protruding wing of the Meridian Gate]]
[[File:Forbidden City (25737200388).jpg|thumb|left|A corner tower in the northwest side and the moat]]
The Forbidden City is surrounded by a {{cvt|7.9|m|ft}} high [[Chinese city wall|city wall]]<ref name="CCTV2">{{cite video |people=China Central Television, The Palace Museum |date=2005 |url=https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |title=Gugong: "II. Ridgeline of a Prosperous Age" |medium=Documentary |location=China |publisher=CCTV |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-date=31 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731180128/https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> and a {{cvt|6|m|ft}} deep by {{cvt|52|m|ft}} wide [[moat]]. The walls are {{cvt|8.62|m|ft}} wide at the base, tapering to {{cvt|6.66|m|ft}} at the top.<ref name="Yang 25">p. 25, Yang (2003)</ref> These walls served as both [[defensive wall]]s and [[retaining wall]]s for the palace. They were constructed with a [[rammed earth]] core, and surfaced with three layers of specially baked bricks on both sides, with the interstices filled with mortar.<ref name="Yu 32">p. 32, Yu (1984)</ref>

At the four corners of the wall sit corner towers (E) with intricate roofs boasting 72 ridges, reproducing the [[Pavilion of Prince Teng]] and the [[Yellow Crane Tower|Yellow Crane Pavilion]] as they appeared in [[Song dynasty]] paintings.<ref name="Yu 32" /> These towers are the most visible parts of the palace to people outside the walls, and much folklore is attached to them. According to one legend, artisans could not put a corner tower back together after it was dismantled for renovations in the early Qing dynasty, and it was only rebuilt after the intervention of master carpenter [[Lu Ban]].<ref name="CCTV2" />

The wall is pierced by a gate on each side. At the southern end is the main [[Meridian Gate]] (A) ({{Zh|c={{linktext|午|門}}|p=Wǔmén|labels=no}}).{{efn|Technically, Tiananmen Gate is not part of the Forbidden City; it is a gate of the [[Imperial City (Beijing)|Imperial City]].}} To the north is the [[Gate of Divine Prowess]] (B) ({{Zh|c={{linktext|神|武|門}}|p=Shénwǔmén|labels=no}}), which faces Jingshan Park. The east and west gates are the East Glorious Gate (D) ({{Zh|c={{linktext|東|華|門}}|p=Dōnghuámén|labels=no}}) and [[Xihua Gate|the West Glorious Gate]] (C) ({{Zh|c={{linktext|西|華|門}}|p=Xīhuámén|labels=no}}). All gates in the Forbidden City are decorated with nine-by-nine arrays of golden door nails, except for the East Glorious Gate, which has only eight.<ref name="Yu 25">p. 25, Yu (1984)</ref>

The Meridian Gate has two protruding wings, which form three sides of a square before it,<ref name="Yu 33">p. 33, Yu (1984)</ref> and five gateways. The central gateway is part of the Imperial Way, a stone flagged path that forms the central axis of the Forbidden City and the ancient city of Beijing itself, leading all the way from the [[Gate of China, Beijing|Gate of China]] in the south to Jingshan Park in the north. Except for the empress on the occasion of her wedding and successful students after the [[Imperial examination|Imperial Examination]], only the emperor could walk or ride on the Imperial Way.<ref name="Yu 25" />

=== Outer Court or the Southern Section ===

[[File:北京故宫2.JPG|thumb|upright|The Inner Golden Water River, an artificial stream that runs through the Forbidden City]]
[[File:Hall of Supreme Harmony (20241127120000).jpg|thumb|left|[[Hall of Supreme Harmony]]]]
[[File:Sign of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.JPG|thumb|left|The vertical inscribed board on the Hall of Supreme Harmony]]
[[File:Un hombre mira la Ciudad Prohibida de Beijing, desde el parque JingShan. Una espesa capa de bruma y contaminación cubre la capital de manera permanente. (15733953712).jpg|thumb|left|View of the Forbidden City from [[Jingshan Park]]]]
[[File:ForbiddenCity-59f.JPG|thumb|Gate of Manifest Virtue]]
[[File:Beijing 2006 2-48.jpg|thumb|The [[Caisson (Asian architecture)|caisson]] of the [[Hall of Union]]]]
[[File:Flickr - archer10 (Dennis) - China-6164.jpg|thumb|left|A close-up view of the tower to the right of the [[Gate of Supreme Harmony]]]]
[[File:·˙·ChinaUli2010·.· Beijing - Forbidden Town - panoramio (82).jpg|thumb|left|A cistern in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony]]

Traditionally, the Forbidden City is divided into two parts: the Outer Court ({{Zh|c={{linktext|外|朝}}|p=Wàicháo|labels=no}}) or Front Court ({{Zh|c={{linktext|前|朝}}|p=Qiáncháo|labels=no}}) to the south, which was used for ceremonial purposes; and the Inner Court ({{Zh|c={{linktext|内|廷}}|p=Nèitíng|labels=no}}) or Back Palace ({{Zh|c={{linktext|后|宫}}|labels=no|p=Hòugōng}}) to the north, which was the residence of the emperor and his family and was used for day-to-day affairs of state (the approximate dividing line shown as a red dash in the plan above). Generally, the Forbidden City has three vertical axes. The most important buildings are situated on the central north–south axis.<ref name="Yu 25" />

Entering from the Meridian Gate, one encounters a large square, pierced by the meandering Inner Golden Water River, which is crossed by five bridges. Beyond the square stands the [[Gate of Supreme Harmony]] (F) ({{Zh|c={{linktext|太|和|門}}|p=Tàihémén|labels=no}}). Behind that is a square<ref name="Yu 49" /> from which a three-tiered white marble terrace rises and three halls stand on top of this terrace, the focus of the palace complex. From the south, these are the [[Hall of Supreme Harmony]] ({{Zh|c={{linktext|太|和|殿}}|p=Tàihédiàn|labels=no}}), the [[Hall of Central Harmony]] ({{Zh|c={{linktext|中|和|殿}}|p=Zhōnghédiàn|labels=no}}), and the [[Hall of Preserving Harmony]] ({{Zh|c={{linktext|保|和|殿}}|p=Bǎohédiàn|labels=no}}).<ref name="Yu 48">p. 48, Yu (1984)</ref>

The Hall of Supreme Harmony (G) is the largest, and rises some {{cvt|30|m|ft}} above the level of the surrounding square. It is the ceremonial centre of imperial power, and the largest surviving wooden structure in China. It is nine bays wide and five bays deep, the numbers 9 and 5 being symbolically connected to the majesty of the emperor.<ref name="DPM Elements">{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Yin, Yang and the Five Elements in the Forbidden City |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref> Set into the ceiling at the centre of the hall is an intricate [[caisson (Asian architecture)|caisson]] decorated with a coiled dragon, from the mouth of which issues a chandelier-like set of metal balls, called the "[[Yellow Emperor|Xuanyuan]] Mirror".<ref name="Yu 253">p. 253, Yu (1984)</ref> In the Ming dynasty, the emperor held court here to discuss affairs of state. During the Qing dynasty, as emperors held court far more frequently, a less ceremonious location was used instead, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony was only used for ceremonial purposes, such as [[enthronement]]s, [[investiture]]s, and imperial weddings.<ref name="DPM Taihedian">{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/china/c/c2/c2a.htm |title=太和殿 (Hall of Supreme Harmony) |access-date=2007-07-25 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070617181501/https://www.dpm.org.cn/China/c/c2/c2a.htm |archive-date=17 June 2007}}</ref>

The Hall of Central Harmony is a smaller, square hall, used by the emperor to prepare and rest before and during ceremonies.<ref name="DPM Zhonghedian">{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/China/phoweb/BuildingPage/1/B484.htm |title=中和殿 (Hall of Central Harmony) |access-date=2007-07-25 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530064123/https://www.dpm.org.cn/China/phoweb/BuildingPage/1/B484.htm |archive-date=30 May 2007}}</ref> Behind it, the Hall of Preserving Harmony, was used for rehearsing ceremonies, and was also the site of the final stage of the [[imperial examination|Imperial Examination]].<ref name="DPM Baohedian">{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/China/phoweb/BuildingPage/1/B396.htm |title=保和殿 (Hall of Preserving Harmony) |access-date=2007-07-25 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930160611/https://www.dpm.org.cn/China/phoweb/BuildingPage/1/B396.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> All three halls feature imperial thrones, the largest and most elaborate one being that in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.<ref name="Yu 70">p. 70, Yu (1984)</ref>

At the centre of the stairs leading up to the terraces from the northern and southern sides are ceremonial ramps, part of the Imperial Way, featuring elaborate and symbolic [[Relief|bas-relief]] carvings. The northern ramp, behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony, is carved from a single piece of stone {{cvt|16.57|m|ft}} long, {{cvt|3.07|m|ft}} wide, and {{cvt|1.7|m|ft}} thick. It weighs some 200&nbsp;tons and is the largest such carving in China.<ref name="Yang 15" /> The southern ramp, in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is even longer, but is made from two stone slabs joined — the joint was ingeniously hidden using overlapping bas-relief carvings, and was only discovered when weathering widened the gap in the 20th century.<ref name="Yu 213">For an explanation and illustration of the joint, see p. 213, Yu (1984)</ref> The stone slabs were likely transported from a quarry via ice sledge along an ice path lubricated by well water en route.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Nickell |first=Joe |author-link=Joe Nickell |date=May–June 2020 |title=Secrets of Beijing's Forbidden City |magazine=[[Skeptical Inquirer]] |location=Amherst, New York |publisher=[[Center for Inquiry]] |volume=44 |issue=3}}</ref>

In the southwest and southeast of the Outer Court are the halls of Military Eminence (H) and [[Hall of Literary Brilliance|Literary Glory]] (J). The former was used at various times for the emperor to receive ministers and hold court, and later housed the palace's own printing house. The latter was used for ceremonial lectures by highly regarded Confucian scholars, and later became the office of the Grand Secretariat. A copy of the ''[[Complete Library of the Four Treasuries]]'' was stored there. To the north-east are the Southern Three Places ({{linktext|南|三|所}}) (K), which was the residence of the [[crown prince]].<ref name="Yu 49">p. 49, Yu (1984)</ref>

=== Inner Court or the Northern Section ===
The Inner Court is separated from the Outer Court by an oblong courtyard lying [[orthogonal]] to the city's main axis. It was the home of the Emperor and his family. In the Qing dynasty, the Emperor lived and worked almost exclusively in the Inner Court, with the Outer Court used only for ceremonial purposes.<ref name="Yu 73">p. 73, Yu (1984)</ref>

==== Back Three Palaces ====
At the centre of the Inner Court is another set of three halls (L). From the south, these are:
*[[Palace of Heavenly Purity]] ({{linktext|乾|清|宮}})
*[[Hall of Union]] ({{linktext|交|泰|殿}})
*[[Palace of Earthly Tranquility]] ({{linktext|坤|寧|宮}})
Smaller than the Outer Court halls, the three halls of the Inner Court were the official residences of the Emperor and the Empress. The Emperor, representing [[Yin and Yang|Yang]] and the Heavens, would occupy the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Empress, representing [[Yin and Yang|Yin]] and the Earth, would occupy the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. In between them was the Hall of Union, where the [[Yin and Yang]] mixed to produce harmony.<ref name="Yu 75">p. 75, Yu (1984)</ref>

[[File:Transmongolie-676 (27131815114).jpg|thumb|The throne in the [[Palace of Heavenly Purity]]]]
[[File:Neun-Drachen-Mauer.jpg|thumb|The Nine Dragons Screen in front of the [[Palace of Tranquil Longevity]]]]
[[File:故宫御花园 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The Imperial Garden]]

The [[Palace of Heavenly Purity]] is a double-eaved building, and set on a single-level white marble platform. It is connected to the [[Gate of Heavenly Purity]] to its south by a raised walkway. In the Ming dynasty, it was the residence of the Emperor. However, beginning from the [[Yongzheng Emperor]] of the [[Qing dynasty]], the Emperor lived instead at the smaller [[Hall of Mental Cultivation]] (N) to the west, out of respect to the memory of the [[Kangxi Emperor]].<ref name="CCTV2" /> The Palace of Heavenly Purity then became the Emperor's audience hall.<ref name="Yu 78">p. 78, Yu (1984)</ref> A caisson is set into the roof, featuring a coiled dragon. Above the throne hangs a tablet reading "Justice and Honour" ({{zh|c={{linktext|明|光|大|正}}|p=míngguāng dà zhèng}}).<ref>p. 51, Yang (2003)</ref>

The [[Palace of Earthly Tranquility]] ({{linktext|坤|寧|宮}}) is a double-eaved building, 9 bays wide and 3 bays deep. In the Ming dynasty, it was the residence of the Empress. In the Qing dynasty, large portions of the Palace were converted for Shamanist worship by the new Manchu rulers. From the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor, the Empress moved out of the Palace. However, two rooms in the Palace of Earthly Harmony were retained for use on the Emperor's wedding night.<ref name="Yu 80-83">pp. 80–83, Yu (1984)</ref>

Between these two palaces is the [[Hall of Union]], which is square in shape with a pyramidal roof. Stored here are the 25 Imperial [[Chinese seal|Seals]] of the Qing dynasty, as well as other ceremonial items.<ref name="CCTV3" />

Behind these three halls lies the Imperial Garden (M). Relatively small, and compact in design, the garden nevertheless contains several elaborate landscaping features.<ref name="Yu 121">p. 121, Yu (1984)</ref> To the north of the garden is the Gate of Divine Might.

Directly to the west is the [[Hall of Mental Cultivation]] (N). Originally a minor palace, this became the ''de facto'' residence and office of the Emperor starting from Yongzheng. In the last decades of the Qing dynasty, empresses dowager, including Cixi, held court from the eastern partition of the hall. Located around the Hall of Mental Cultivation are the offices of the [[Grand Council (Qing dynasty)|Grand Council]] and other key government bodies.<ref name="Yu 87">p. 87, Yu (1984)</ref>

The north-eastern section of the Inner Court is taken up by the Palace of Tranquil Longevity ({{linktext|寧|壽|宮}}) (O), a complex built by the [[Qianlong Emperor]] in anticipation of his retirement. It mirrors the set-up of the Forbidden City proper and features an "outer court", an "inner court", and gardens and temples. The entrance to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity is marked by a glazed-tile [[Nine Dragons Screen]].<ref name="Yu 115">p. 115, Yu (1984)</ref>

==== Six Western and Six Eastern Palaces ====
To the west and to the east of the three main halls of the inner court are the Six Western Palaces (西六宫; ''xīliùgōng'') and the Six Eastern Palaces (东六宫; ''dōngliùgōng''). These palaces were the residences of the imperial [[Imperial Chinese harem system|consorts]]. Six palaces lay to the west and six to the east of the three main halls, hence the name. The architecture of the twelve palaces, connected by passageways, is more or less the same. The Western and Eastern Palaces each have a layout of three palaces on either side of an alley that runs from north to south. Every palace has its own courtyards, main halls, and side-halls. The main halls stand in the middle and the side-halls are in the east and west. The front courtyard and its main hall was used for receptions, while the back courtyard and its main hall served as living quarters.

An imperial consort with the rank of concubine and above was given a residence in the main section of a palace and was the manager of that palace, an honor in itself. Lower ranking imperial consorts (noble ladies and below) lived in the side halls of the palaces and were supervised by the higher ranking imperial consort.

The twelve palaces were the place where many of the Qing emperors were born and grew up, and they formed the daily life of the imperial family.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/forbidden/six_western.htm |title=Six Western Palaces, Xiliugong – Forbidden City, Beijing |website=www.travelchinaguide.com |access-date=20 April 2019 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110051017/https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/forbidden/six_western.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/forbidden/six_eastern.htm |title=Six Eastern Palaces, Dongliugong – Forbidden City, Beijing |website=www.travelchinaguide.com |access-date=9 May 2020 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110051123/https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/forbidden/six_eastern.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the late Qing era, [[Empress Dowager Cixi]] resided in one of the Western Palaces and became known as the "western empress", while her co-regent [[Empress Dowager Ci'an]] lived in one of the Eastern Palaces and was thus known as the "eastern empress".

The names of the palaces were:

'''Western Six Palaces''' 
*[[Palace of Eternal Longevity]] (永寿宫; ''Yǒngshòugōng'')
*[[Hall of the Supreme Principle]] (太极殿; ''Tàijídiàn'')
*[[Palace of Eternal Spring]] (长春宫; ''Chǎngchūngōng'')
*[[Palace of Earthly Honour]] (翊坤宫; ''Yìkūngōng'')
*{{interlanguage link|Palace of Gathering Elegance|ko|저수궁|vi|Trữ Tú cung|zh|儲秀宮}} (储秀宫; ''Chǔxiùgōng'')
*[[Palace of Universal Happiness]] (咸福宫; ''Xíanfúgōng'')

'''Eastern Six Palaces'''
*{{interlanguage link|Palace of Great Benevolence|vi|Cảnh Nhân cung|zh|景仁宮}} (景仁宫; ''Jǐngréngōng'')
*[[Palace of Heavenly Grace]] (承乾宫; ''Chéngqiángōng'')
*{{interlanguage link|Palace of Accumulated Purity|vi|Chung Túy cung|zh|鍾粹宮}} (锺粹宫; ''Zhōngcuìgōng'')
*[[Palace of Prolonging Happiness]] (延禧宫; ''Yánxǐgōng'')
*{{interlanguage link|Palace of Great Brilliance|ko|경양궁|vi|Cảnh Dương cung|zh|景陽宮}} (景阳宫; ''Jǐngyánggōng'')
*{{interlanguage link|Palace of Eternal Harmony|vi|Vĩnh Hòa cung|zh|永和宮}} (永和宫; ''Yǒnghégōng'')

====Cining Palace and Shoukang Palace====
To the west of the [[Hall of Mental Cultivation]] (N) in the western area of the Inner Court is Cining Palace (Palace of Compassion and Tranquility) and Shoukang Palace (Palace of Longevity and Good Health). The palaces were the residences of widowed consorts of previous emperors. In accordance with feudal manners, emperors should not live with the wives of late emperors, so they lived in this separate area of the Inner Court. The Cining palace is bigger and older than Shoukang Palace which is located to the west of Cining Palace. To the south of Cining Palace is Cining garden.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/forbidden/compassion-tranquility-palace.htm |title=Palace of Compassion and Tranquility – Forbidden City |website=www.travelchinaguide.com |access-date=9 May 2020 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110051034/https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/forbidden/compassion-tranquility-palace.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Religion ===

[[File:故宫乾清门椽子万寿彩画.JPG|thumb|[[Swastika]] and [[Shou (character)|Longevity]] pattern. Similar designs can be found throughout the Imperial City.]]

Religion was an important part of life for the imperial court. In the Qing dynasty, the Palace of Earthly Harmony became a place of Manchu [[Shamanism|Shamanist]] ceremony. At the same time, the native Chinese [[Taoism|Taoist]] religion continued to have an important role throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. There were two Taoist shrines, one in the imperial garden and another in the central area of the Inner Court.<ref name="Yu 176">p. 176, Yu (1984)</ref>

Another prevalent form of religion in the Qing dynasty palace was [[Buddhism]]. A number of temples and shrines were scattered throughout the Inner Court, including that of [[Tibetan Buddhism]] or Lamaism. Buddhist iconography also proliferated in the interior decorations of many buildings.<ref name="Yu 177">p. 177, Yu (1984)</ref> Of these, the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers is one of the most important. It housed a large number of Buddhist statues, icons, and [[mandala]]s, placed in ritualistic arrangements.<ref name="Yu 189-193">pp. 189–193, Yu (1984)</ref>

=== Surroundings ===
{{See also|Imperial City (Beijing)}}

[[File:Beijing city wall map vectorized.svg|thumb|left|Location of the Forbidden City in the historic center of Beijing]]

The palace complex is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples including the {{cvt|54|acre|adj=on|disp=flip}} [[Zhongshan Park (Beijing)|Zhongshan Park]], the sacrificial [[Imperial Ancestral Temple]], the {{cvt|171|acre|adj=on|disp=flip}} [[Beihai Park]], and the {{cvt|57|acre|adj=on|disp=flip}} [[Jingshan Park]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Symbolism in the Forbidden City: The Magnificent Design, Distinct Colors, and Lucky Numbers of China's Imperial Palace|last1=Gao|first1=Jie|url=http://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/symbolism-in-the-forbidden-city-the-magnificent-design-distinct-colors-and-lucky-numbers-of-chinas-imperial-palace/ |access-date=2021-11-18 |publisher=Association for Asian Studies |language=en-US |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118074554/https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/symbolism-in-the-forbidden-city-the-magnificent-design-distinct-colors-and-lucky-numbers-of-chinas-imperial-palace/ |url-status=live |year=2016|volume=21|number=3|journal=Education About Asia}}</ref>

The Forbidden City is surrounded on three sides by imperial gardens. To the north is [[Jingshan Park]], also known as Prospect Hill, an artificial hill created from the soil excavated to build the moat and from nearby lakes.<ref name="Yu 20">p. 20, Yu (1984)</ref>

To the west lies [[Zhongnanhai]], a former royal garden centred on two connected lakes, which now serves as the central headquarters for the [[Chinese Communist Party]] and the [[State Council of the People's Republic of China]]. To the north-west lies [[Beihai Park]], also centred on a lake connected to the southern two, and a popular royal park.

To the south of the Forbidden City were two important shrines – the Imperial Shrine of Family or the [[Imperial Ancestral Temple]] ({{zh|c={{linktext|太|廟}}|p=Tàimiào}}) and the Imperial Shrine of State or [[Beijing Shejitan]] ({{zh|c={{linktext|社|稷|壇|}}|p=Shèjìtán}}), where the Emperor would venerate the spirits of his ancestors and the spirit of the nation, respectively. Today, these are the Beijing Labouring People's Cultural Hall<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.china.org.cn/english/features/beijing/31019.htm |title=Working People's Cultural Palace |access-date=2007-07-29 |publisher=China.org.cn |archive-date=11 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011195047/http://china.org.cn/english/features/beijing/31019.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Zhongshan Park (Beijing)|Zhongshan Park]] (commemorating [[Sun Yat-sen]]) respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.china.org.cn/english/features/beijing/31020.htm |title=Zhongshan Park |access-date=2007-07-29 |publisher=China.org.cn |archive-date=19 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819102242/http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/beijing/31020.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>

To the south, two nearly identical gatehouses stand along the main axis. They are the [[Duanmen|Upright Gate]] ({{zh|c={{linktext|端|门}}|p=Duānmén}}) and the more famous [[Tiananmen Gate]], which is decorated with a portrait of [[Mao Zedong]] in the centre and two placards to the left and right: "Long Live the People's Republic of China" ({{zh|c=中华人民共和国万岁|p=zhōnghuá rénmín gònghéguó wànsuì}}) and "Long live the Great Unity of the World's Peoples" ({{zh|c=世界人民大团结万岁|p=shìjiè rénmín dàtuánjié wànsuì}}). The Tiananmen Gate connects the Forbidden City precinct with the modern, symbolic centre of the Chinese state, Tiananmen Square.

While development is now tightly controlled in the vicinity of the Forbidden City, throughout the past century uncontrolled and sometimes politically motivated demolition and reconstruction has changed the character of the areas surrounding the Forbidden City. Since 2000, the Beijing municipal government has worked to evict governmental and military institutions occupying some historical buildings, and has established a park around the remaining parts of the Imperial City wall. In 2004, an ordinance relating to building height and planning restriction was renewed to establish the Imperial City area and the northern city area as a buffer zone for the Forbidden City.<ref>{{cite news |title=Forbidden City Buffer Zone Plan submitted to World Heritage conference |url=https://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-07/16/content_3225720.htm |publisher=Xinhua Net |date=2005-07-16 |access-date=2007-04-13 |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207165716/https://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-07/16/content_3225720.htm |archive-date=7 December 2008}}</ref> In 2005, the Imperial City and [[Beihai Park|Beihai]] (as an extension item to the [[Summer Palace]]) were included in the shortlist for the next [[World Heritage Site]] in Beijing.<ref>{{cite news |first=Yang |last=Li |title=Beijing confirms 7 World Heritage alternate items; Large scale reconstruction of Imperial City halted |url=https://www.bj.xinhuanet.com/bjpd_sdzx/2005-06/04/content_4374144.htm |publisher=Xinhua Net |date=2005-06-04 |access-date=2007-04-13 |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206151702/https://www.bj.xinhuanet.com/bjpd_sdzx/2005-06/04/content_4374144.htm |archive-date=6 February 2007}}</ref>

== Architecture ==

=== Symbolism ===

{{multiple image
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The design of the Forbidden City, from its overall layout to the smallest detail, was meticulously planned to reflect [[Chinese philosophy|philosophical]] and [[Religion in China|religious]] principles, and above all to symbolize the majesty of Imperial power. Some noted examples of symbolic designs include:
*Yellow is the color of the Emperor. Thus almost all roofs in the Forbidden City bear yellow glazed tiles. There are only two exceptions. The library at the Pavilion of Literary Profundity ({{linktext|文|渊|阁}}) had black tiles because black was associated with [[Five elements (Chinese philosophy)|water]], and thus fire-prevention. Similarly, the Crown Prince's residences have green tiles because green was associated with [[Five elements (Chinese philosophy)|wood]], and thus growth.<ref name="DPM Elements" />
*The main halls of the Outer and Inner courts are all arranged in groups of three – the shape of the Qian [[Bagua|trigram]] ☰, representing Heaven. The residences of the Inner Court on the other hand are arranged in clusters of six – the shape of the Kun trigram ☷, representing the Earth.<ref name="CCTV2" />
*The sloping ridges of building roofs are decorated with a [[Imperial roof decoration|line of statuettes]] led by a man riding a [[Phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]] and followed by an [[Chinese dragon|imperial dragon]]. The number of statuettes represents the status of the building – a minor building might have three or five. The Hall of Supreme Harmony has ten, the only building in the country to be permitted this in Imperial times. As a result, its tenth statuette, called a "''Hangshi''", or "ranked tenth" ({{zh|c={{linktext|行|十}}|p=Hángshí}}),<ref name="CCTV3">{{cite video |people=China Central Television, The Palace Museum |date=2005 |url=https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |title=Gugong: "III. Rites under Heaven " |medium=Documentary |location=China |publisher=CCTV |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-date=31 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731180128/https://www.cctv.com/history/special/C15041/01/index.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> is also unique in the Forbidden City.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Hall of Supreme Harmony |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref>
*The layout of buildings follows ancient customs laid down in the ''[[Classic of Rites]]''. Thus, [[Ancestral shrine|ancestral temples]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=祠堂与祠堂文化 _世界王氏网 |url=http://www.wwdoa.com/2013/0124/7595.html |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=www.wwdoa.com |archive-date=18 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818030639/http://www.wwdoa.com/2013/0124/7595.html |url-status=live }}</ref> are in front of the palace. Storage areas are placed in the front part of the palace complex, and residences in the back.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Steinhardt |first=Nancy Shatzman |author-link=Nancy S. Steinhardt |date=Dec 1986 |title=Why were Chang'an and Beijing so different? |journal=The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=339–357 |doi=10.2307/990206 |jstor=990206}}</ref>

== Collections ==
{{Main|Palace Museum}}
[[File:China qing two blue ceramics.JPG|thumb|Two blue porcelain wares ([[Qing dynasty]])]]
[[File:孝洁肃皇后陈氏.jpg|thumb|Portrait of [[Empress Chen (Jiajing)|Empress Xiaojiesu]] (1508–1528), first wife of the [[Jiajing Emperor]]]]
The collections of the Palace Museum are based on the Qing imperial collection, including paintings, ceramics, seals, steles, sculptures, inscribed wares, bronze wares and enamel objects. According to the latest audit, it has 1,862,690 pieces of art. In addition, the imperial libraries housed a large collection of rare books and historical documents, including government documents of the [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] dynasties, which has since been transferred to the [[First Historical Archives of China|First Historical Archives]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The forbidden city: the biography of a palace |author=Dorn, Frank |place=[[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]] |year=1970 |oclc=101030 |page=176}}</ref>

From 1933, the threat of Japanese invasion forced the evacuation of the most important parts of the Museum's collection. After the end of World War II, this collection was returned to Nanjing. However, with the [[Chinese Communist Party|Communists]]' victory imminent in the Chinese Civil War, the Nationalist government decided to ship the pick of this collection to Taiwan. Of the 13,491 boxes of evacuated artefacts, 2,972 boxes are now housed in the [[National Palace Museum]] in Taipei. More than 8,000 boxes were returned to Beijing, but 2,221 boxes remain today in storage under the charge of the [[Nanjing Museum]].<ref name="Three" />

The Palace Museum holds 340,000 pieces of [[ceramic]]s and [[porcelain]]. These include imperial collections from the [[Tang dynasty]] and the [[Song dynasty]]. It has close to 50,000 paintings, within which more than 400 date from before the [[Yuan dynasty]] (1271–1368), which is the largest in China.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Collection highlights – Paintings |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref> Its [[bronze]] collection dates from the early [[Shang dynasty]]. Of the almost 10,000 pieces held, about 1,600 are inscribed items from the pre-[[Qin dynasty|Qin]] period (to 221 BC). A significant part of the collection is ceremonial bronzeware from the imperial court.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Collection highlights – Bronzeware |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref> The Palace Museum has one of the largest collections of mechanical timepieces of the 18th and 19th centuries in the world, with more than 1,000 pieces. The collection contains both Chinese- and foreign-made pieces. Chinese pieces came from the palace's own workshops. Foreign pieces came from countries including [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]], France, Switzerland, the United States, and Japan. Of these, the largest portion come from Britain.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Collection highlights – Timepieces |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref> [[Jade]] has a unique place in [[Chinese culture]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Laufer |first=Berthold |author-link=Berthold Laufer |title=Jade: A Study in Chinese Archeology & Religion |year=1912 |publisher=Reprint (1989): Peter Smith Pub Inc |location=Gloucestor MA |isbn=978-0-8446-5214-6}}</ref> The Museum's collection includes some 30,000 pieces. The pre-Yuan dynasty part of the collection includes several pieces famed throughout history. The earliest pieces date from the [[Neolithic]] period.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Collection highlights – Jade |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref> In addition to works of art, a large proportion of the Museum's collection consists of the artifacts of the imperial court. This includes items used by the imperial family and the palace in daily life. This comprehensive collection preserves the daily life and ceremonial protocols of the imperial era.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |title=Collection highlights – Palace artefacts |access-date=2007-07-05 |author=The Palace Museum |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213540/https://www.dpm.org.cn/ |archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="145">
File:China ming blue dragons.JPG|A blue and white [[porcelain]] vase with cloud and dragon designs, marked with the word "[[Shou (character)|longevity]]" ({{Zh|c=寿|p=shòu|labels=no}}) ([[Jiajing Emperor|Jiajing period]] of the [[Ming dynasty]]
File:北京故宫12.JPG|Exhibits on display in the corridor connecting the Hall of Literary Glory and the Hall of Main Respect
File:Exhibition of architecture of the Forbidden City 2015 December.jpg|Inside the East Glorious Gate
File:Meridian Gate (Forbidden City) West wing interior 2015 December.jpg|Inside the West Wing of the Meridian Gate
</gallery>

== Influence ==
[[File:BuildingDecoration.jpg|thumb|Glazed building decoration]]
[[File:Flickr - archer10 (Dennis) - China-6237.jpg|thumb|A gilded [[Imperial guardian lion|lion]] in front of the [[Hall of Mental Cultivation]]]]
The Forbidden City has been influential in the subsequent development of [[Chinese architecture]], as well as in providing inspiration for many artistic works.

=== Depiction in art, film, literature and popular culture ===
The Forbidden City has served as the scene to many works of fiction. In recent years, it has been depicted in films and television series. Some notable examples include:
*''[[The Forbidden City (film)|The Forbidden City]]'' (1918), a fiction film about a Chinese emperor and an American.
*''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987), a [[biographical film]] about [[Puyi]], was the first feature film ever authorised by the government of the People's Republic of China to be filmed in the Forbidden City.
*''[[Forbidden City Cop]]'' (1996), a Hong Kong [[wuxia]] comedy film about an imperial secret agent.
*''[[Marco Polo (1982 TV series)|Marco Polo]]'' (1982), a joint [[NBC]] and [[RAI]] [[miniseries]] filmed inside the Forbidden City. Note, however, that the present Forbidden City did not exist during the Mongol-led [[Yuan dynasty]], when [[Marco Polo]] met [[Kublai Khan]].
*The 2003 real-time strategy game ''[[Rise of Nations]]'' depicts the Forbidden City as one of the great wonders of the world; in terms of game mechanics, it functions identically to a major city and provides additional resources to the player.
*The Forbidden City is a buildable Wonder in many different titles of the [[Civilization (series)|''Civilization'']] series of video games.
*[[Shanghai Noon]] (2000), [[Martial arts film|martial arts]] [[Western film|western]] [[Action comedy film|action comedy]] starring [[Jackie Chan]], [[Owen Wilson]], [[Lucy Liu]], and [[Walton Goggins]].

==Replicas==
{{Main|Hengdian World Studios}}
[[File:Dongyang, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Replica of the Forbidden City at the [[Hengdian World Studios]] in [[Dongyang]], [[Zhejiang Province]].]] 
A large replica of the Forbidden City is included within the [[Hengdian World Studios]] in [[Dongyang]], [[Zhejiang Province]] - a section of which many Chinese period-films and television shows were filmed. When filmography was restricted within the actual Forbidden City-proper in [[Beijing]] after gaining UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1987, the Hengdian World Studio-replica remained one of the only alternatives to legally do so, as it would raise concern that filmography work within the palace-proper in Beijing would risk damage to the historical site itself.<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qldxpJ5oyxo |title=Inside China’s Largest Film Studio|via=YouTube|publisher=South China Morning Post|date=1 January 2019}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Forbidden City cats]]
* [[Imperial City of Huế]]
* [[Topkapı Palace]] - Imperial [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] palace complex-equivalent (1478–1924).
{{-}}

== Notes ==
{{Noteslist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite book |last=Aisin-Gioro |first=Puyi |author-link=Puyi |title=From Emperor to citizen : the autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi |year=1964 |publisher=Foreign Language Press |location=Beijing |isbn=0-19-282099-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/fromemperortocit00puyi_0}}
*{{cite book |last=Huang |first=Ray |author-link=Ray Huang |title=1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline |year=1981 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven |isbn=0-300-02518-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/1587yearofnosign00huan}}
*{{cite book |last=Yang |first=Xiagui |others=Li, Shaobai (photography); Chen, Huang (translation) |title=The Invisible Palace |year=2003 |publisher=Foreign Language Press |location=Beijing |isbn=7-119-03432-4}}
*{{cite book |last=Yu |first=Zhuoyun |title=Palaces of the Forbidden City |year=1984 |publisher=Viking |location=New York |isbn=0-670-53721-7}}
*{{cite book |last=Barmé |first=Geremie R |author-link1=Geremie Barmé |title=The Forbidden City |publisher=Harvard University Press. 251 pages |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-674-02779-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/forbiddencity00barm}}
*{{cite book |last=Cotterell |first=Arthur |title=The Imperial Capitals of China – An Inside View of the Celestial Empire |location=London |publisher=Pimlico. 304 pages |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84595-009-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Ho |author2=Bronson |title=Splendors of China's Forbidden City |year=2004 |publisher=Merrell Publishers |location=London |isbn=1-85894-258-6}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage}}

*[https://www.dpm.org.cn/ Palace Museum official site (Digital Palace Museum)]
*[https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.916613,116.391006&spn=0.010793,0.015235&t=k&hl=en Satellite photograph of the Forbidden City]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080505220550/https://www.world-heritage-tour.org/asia/china/ming-qing/map.html UNESCO World Heritage Centre – panographies (360 degree imaging)] (archived 5 May 2008)
*[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/secrets-of-the-forbidden-city Nova: Secrets of the Forbidden City]
*{{Osmway|25109772}}

{{Palace Museum}}
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{{World Heritage Sites in China}}
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{{Ming dynasty topics}}
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