The Forbidden City (referred to in Chinese, as the "Purple Forbidden City") is actually the Chinese imperial palace that was used by the mid-Ming dynasties. This palace is in the center of Beijing, and no visitor to this Chinese city misses it. The City is currently popularly referred as the Palace Museum. The Forbidden City occupies 720,000 square meters or 7,747,200 sq ft or roughly 180 immense acres. This amazing palace is thus bigger than the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, the Vatican and also the Kremlin.
There are 9,999 rooms inside the palace. All the rooms have beautifully painted wood. Strangely, the inner sanctum rooms were forbidden to women, barring the Empress only on her wedding day. Although no longer occupied by the royalty (nevertheless, there is no royalty in modern Peoples republic of China), the Forbidden City remains a symbol of the country’s imperial past.
The UNESCO lists the Forbidden City for its huge collection of preserved ancient wooden structures – it became a World Heritage Site in 1987 as the ‘Imperial Palace of the Ming and Quing Dynasites.’
There are two major parts in the Forbidden City. The Outer Court and the Inner Court.
Outer Court – It has three halls that were used for Coronations, Investitures, Weddings and other ceremonial events. The incredible Hall of Supreme Harmony belongs to the Outer Court. The imperial library, archives, and the lantern storage area were also a part of the Outer Court.
Inner Court – northern, eastern and western parts of the palace form the Inner Court. It includes three other halls that were used more often, on a daily basis actually for administration and other purposes. The Palace of Heavenly Purity was a part of these courts. This is where the Emperor lived, accompanied by the immediate family, maidservants and eunuchs.
There are royal gardens all around the Forbidden City. Zhongnanhai is a building complex that has two lakes around it. Incidentally, it is now the Headquarters for the Communist Party of China. There is also the Beihai Park that is also at the center of a lake – it has now become a park. The Ming Emperor hanged himself when a rebel army attacked, and the place where it happened is Jingshan Park, which is also referred to as Jing Shan or Coal Hill.
When Yuan Dynasty ruled China, Forbidden City was a part of the bigger Imperial City. Yuan Dynasty was succeeded by the Ming Dynasty, and the first Hongwu Emperor went to Nanjing and made it the capital. By royal order, Mongol Palace was razed.
The Forbidden City has gates on each side. It is surrounded by walls that were made thick so that it could bear cannon attacks.
Most international tourists to China come to Beijing. If you are planning a trip to Beijing, do not miss out on the Forbidden City. There is much more to China than just the Chinese wall.