China

Imperial Palace

WHS Score 4.18
rate
Votes 127 Average 4.3
Show votes
Votes for Imperial Palace

2.0

  • Adrian Turtschi
  • Julio Moreno
  • kelseyyurek

3.0

  • AGuzzo
  • Alexander Lehmann
  • Alex Marcean
  • Col
  • George Gdanski
  • Ian Cade
  • Tourb
  • VLabhard

3.5

  • alygeddon
  • CalvinLoh
  • Chalamphol Therakul
  • Csaba Nováczky
  • DL
  • JobStopar
  • JR's HERITAGE SITES
  • merveil
  • Mikko
  • Rodinia
  • Stanimir
  • Timonator
  • Zoë Sheng

4.0

  • 50pagesofshawn
  • Alikander99
  • Carlo Sarion
  • Clyde
  • cutecid
  • Dennis Nicklaus
  • Dorejd
  • Els Slots
  • Everett
  • Federico P.
  • GerhardM
  • Gordon Mitchell
  • J_neveryes
  • Kasper
  • KeithBailey
  • Kevin McFarland
  • KoenigMarke
  • Lucio Gorla
  • mauralin13
  • nan
  • Palimpsesto
  • Peter Alleblas
  • Peter Lööv
  • Randi Thomsen
  • Richardleesa
  • Richard Stone
  • Shandos Cleaver
  • shwabb1
  • Svein Elias
  • Velvetlapis
  • Xiquinho Silva
  • xtopher33

4.5

  • Antonio J.
  • CeeCeeSR
  • Christravelblog
  • Dwight Zehuan Xiao
  • Fmaiolo@yahoo.com
  • Frederik Dawson
  • Hanming
  • inomusay
  • Jan Zimmermann
  • JoStof
  • Juropa
  • Kbtwhs
  • Kyle Magnuson
  • ljowers
  • Oscar Wu
  • Pchxiao
  • Philipp Leu
  • Philipp Peterer
  • ReallyDeepThoughts
  • Stanislaw Warwas
  • Thibault Magnien
  • Tikhon Puliaev
  • tingmelvin
  • Tony H.
  • trekkie900

5.0

  • Alejandro Lau
  • Alexander Barabanov
  • Alexander Parsons
  • Allnamesused
  • amitlchoudhuryjbp
  • AT8
  • awestix
  • BH
  • Bluewonder310
  • chenboada
  • Collisions
  • Craig Harder
  • DAB
  • dejulis@hotmail.com
  • HaraldOest
  • Ivan Rucek
  • Javier
  • Jeffrey Chai Ran
  • Jon Bauer
  • Khuft
  • KngAlaric
  • Laurine
  • Luke LOU
  • Maciej Gil
  • Marinemajor
  • Michael anak Kenyalang
  • Mihai Dascalu
  • Mo-han Je
  • nathan
  • NonDuality
  • Ovalarezo
  • Panacci
  • Priyaranjan Mohapatra
  • Ralf Regele
  • rogerding
  • Sachin
  • Solivagant
  • Ssong.x
  • StaziG
  • Travelure
  • Violeta
  • Walter
  • YAO WEI
  • Yinming Zhang
  • Yiqun Jin
  • Zhenjun Liu

The Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang with their grand palatial architecture represent State power in late feudal China

The Imperial Palace of the Ming Dynasty, commonly known as the Forbidden City, lies in Beijing and has been the residence of the Ming emperors since 1421. It represents the ritual and court culture of that period. The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty was the secondary capital; the palace dates from the 17th century and its plan and architecture show the Manchu culture of this dynasty, including sacrificial places to practice Shamanism.

Community Perspective: The Forbidden City in Beijing stands out for its enormous scale, and takes hours to explore if you stray off the main path. The palace in Shenyang shows the intricate design of Manchu architecture.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (ID: 439)
Country
China
Status
Inscribed 1987 Site history
History of Imperial Palace
1987: Inscribed
Inscribed
2004: Extended
To include the Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shenyang
2004: Name change
From "Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, China" to "Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang"
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • i
  • ii
  • iii
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Forum Discussion
Related Resources
News Article
  • June 9, 2016 scmp.com — Chinese archaeologists find evidence of the fabled imperial home of Kublai Khan’s Yuan dynasty
  • March 11, 2014 livescience.com — Posh Dog Outfit from 'Forbidden City' Revealed
  • Jan. 17, 2014 news.xinhuanet.com — China's Forbidden City implements Monday closure
  • Oct. 26, 2013 tribune.com.pk — Double murder at Beijing's Forbidden City
  • May 1, 2012 chinadaily.com.cn — The Forbidden City is set to welcome visitors to another of its secluded zones: the secluded residence of empresses and imperial concubines

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Secular structure: Palace
Travel Information
One million visitors or more
One million visitors or more
Forbidden City (Palace Museum) (Beijing, China). Visitors (2023): ~9.3 million (daily-capped) // Forbidden City: …
Beijing hotspot
Recent Connections
View all (57) .
Connections of Imperial Palace
Individual People
  • Matteo Ricci
    1601 First Westerner in Forbidden city, stayed until his death in 1610
  • Mao was here
    Mao visited the Imperial Palace, at least in 1954 that he took the famous photo while sitting on the wall of the palace compound in front of the corner tower
  • Lord George Macartney
    Thurs 3rd Oct 1793. Was called to the Imperial Palace and was shown the Emperor's reply to King George III's letter delivered earlier at Jehol (though he couldn't actually take it away and it was delievered to his accommodation in another ceremony)
  • Zheng He
    He served the emperor who built the Forbidden City in Beijing. He would have appeared at the palace more than a few times
  • Elias Burton Holmes

    See britishphotohistory.ning.com

  • Jean-Michel Jarre
    In 2004, Jarre opens the "Year of France in China" with a concert in the Forbidden City and on Tiananmen Square. (Wikipedia)
  • Ella Maillart
    For the book ‘Forbidden Journey’ (1937)

    See hpcbristol.net

Geography
Trivia
History
  • Famous suicides
    Empress Zhuang Lie Min who hanged herself at the Hall of Earthly Tranquility inside the palace
  • Coronation Locations
    Beijing Imperial palace for Ming and Qing Emperors
  • Drifting Across the Sea: A Record of Ming China
    20th Day, Fourth Month. Acknowledging Graciousness in the Palace. This day was cloudy. "The outer gates of the Imperial City had already been unlocked, and the ministers of daily attendance were entering in order. Compelled by the circumstances, I put on festive dress and entered the palace. Troops were drawn up smartly, lights burned brightly. Li Hsiang seated me in the central courtyard. Soon, drums were beaten at the left end of Wu Gate and bells struck at the right end. Three arched gates opened, and at each gate two big elephants stood on guard, their forms spectacular. Just before daylight, the officials of the Court lined up by ranks in front of the gate. Li Hsiang led me to my place in the Court ranks and then led Chong Po and the others to form a separate group. After the five genuflections with three kowtows each, we went through Tuan Gate and passed through the Gate of Cheng-tian, which was inside Ta-ming Gate. We went to the east, passing out though Chang-an Gate again, and I put back on my mourning clothes. We passed Chang-an Street and returned to Jade River House."
  • Cold War
    The Great Wall and the Forbidden City (see the Nixon Foundation records) were both visited by US President Nixon in 1972 during his landmark trip to China, in which the US restored relations with Communist China after years of disengagement. Nixon's unexpected overture to China during the Cold War opened up China to the West, and drove a wedge into Sino-Soviet relations.

    See www.nixonfoundation.org

  • Eunuchs
    Beijing
  • Forbidden City
    "Forbidden" (in Beijing's Forbidden City or Imperial Palace), referred to the fact that no-one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor's permission.
  • Oldest continuously inhabited cities
    Beijing, c. 1045 BC
Architecture
World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
  • Phoenix
    one of the small statues decorating the roof to protect evils is Phoenix and a large Phoenix statue in front of Empress Hall
  • Shamanism
    The Kunning Palace was used for Shaman rituals during the Qing Dynasty.

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Taoism
    There are Taoist shrines in the Forbidden City.
  • Tibetan Buddhism
    Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers, the imperial Tibetan Buddhism temple inside the inner court in Beijing's Imperial Palace
Human Activity
  • Gilded Lacquer or Urushi
    six gilded lacquer columns in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing
  • Crown Jewels
    Beijing: The most important item for the assumption of the throne were the Imperial Seals, which gave the emperor the mandate of heaven authority. These are kept either in the Forbidden City or the National Palace Museum. Numerous crowns, robes, jewels and headwear made especially for coronations and other official events. They usually contain very large Manchurian pearls and most date from the Qing Dynasty (wiki)
Constructions
  • Bixi
    Beijing Imperial Palace

    See commons.wikimedia.org

  • Harem
  • Sundial
    Forbidden City, Beijing: equatorial sundial
  • Thrones
    "The Dragon Throne is the throne of the Emperor of China. (...) The term can refer to very specific seating, as in the special seating in various structures in the Forbidden City of Beijing or in the palaces of the Old Summer Palace." "In Chinese history, the Dragon Throne of the Emperor of China (...) was erected at the center of the Forbidden City, which was itself regarded as the centre of the world."

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Theatres and Opera Houses
    "Belvedere of Melodious Music" (Changyinge)
WHS on Other Lists
  • Memory of the World
    Records of the Qing's Grand Secretariat (First Historical Archives of China, Palace Museum, Beijing)
Timeline
  • Built in the 15th century
    In 1406 the Ming dynasty Emperor Zhu Di ordered the construction of an imperial palace: its construction began in 1407 and was completed in 1420 (Beijing; Shenyang dates from 1625-1636)
WHS Hotspots
Science and Technology
18
  • Location for a classic movie
    The Last Emperor (1987, Best Picture at Academy Awards, Best film at BAFTA, Best foreign film at César Awards)
  • In Disney and Pixar Animation Classics
    Mulan
  • History of the World in 100 objects
    No 90. Jade Bi . Originally 1200 BC but inscribed in 1790 AD with a poem of the Qianlong Emperor

    See www.bbc.co.uk

  • Famous Love Stories
    The story of Emperor Qianlong and Xiang Fei, the fragrant concubine, took place in Beijing Imperial Palace. Another one happened during the Ming Dynasty between Emperor Chenghua and one of his concubines, Imperial Noble Consort Wan. The lady was almost 20 years older than the emperor but he apparently loved her till the end of her life. He was so distraught by her death that he died soon after. A third one happened during the Qing Dynasty between Emperor Shunzhi and Consort Donggo. After the lady died the emperor wanted to commit suicide
  • Featured in the Go Jetters
    Series 1: Episode 21: The Forbidden City
News
scmp.com 06/09/2016
Chinese archaeologists find eviden…
livescience.com 03/11/2014
Posh Dog Outfit from 'Forbidden Ci…
news.xinhuanet.com 01/17/2014
China's Forbidden City implements …
Recent Visitors
View all (484)
Visitors of Imperial Palace
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 18/11/24.

Tony H.

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Tony H.

I visited the Forbidden City in June 2024. You need to buy the tickets for the palace beforehand online. I did it through the official site and had no problems with it. Tickets become available 7 days in advance and if you plan to visit on weekend, on public holiday or during the morning slot you need to be on the website right when new batch of tickets become available. I found the afternoon tickets to be available even for next day on some weekdays but I scored for myself morning ticket during a weekday.

This site will be busy no matter when you visit and it becomes apparent already at the Tiananmen East metro station as you might need to queue even to exit the station. After exiting the Tiananmen East metro station the info signs will guide you towards eastern entrance to Forbidden City but I followed the masses to the Tiananmen Square. From there you walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace with Mao looking at you peacefully from his iconic giant portrait. After multiple ticket and security checks you finally arrive to the Meridian Gate where the actual Forbidden City palace complex starts.

After walking through the Meridian Gate you are already stunned by the view of the Gate of Supreme Harmony and the Golden Stream that flows through the courtyard. Through west side of the courtyard you can visit Hall of Martial Valour that housed ceramics exhibition at the time of my visit, …

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 27/10/13.

Clyde

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Clyde

I visited this WHS in October 2013. First I visited Tiananmen Tower, then I proceeded to the Forbidden City proper. The different halls are beautiful and the whole place is amazingly huge. Crowds of tourists and locals visit, yet if you walk just a few steps from the centre path of this site you can still enjoy it at your own pace. The seven bridges are intricately carved and the palace reflecting in the water was the highlight of my visit. I also liked the colorful pavilions in the park just opposite the exit of the imperial palace.

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 28/12/11.

Kyle Magnuson

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Kyle Magnuson

I visited the Imperial Palace in Beijing twice. Once in 2006 and once in 2007. A true exploration of the site runs about half a day. It is worthwile to explore the side sections of the palace. Each side passage or courtyard reveals something new and is quite interesting to search in depth. Moreover, large restored sections of the palace are being opened every couple years. Suprisingly, vast sections of the palace are still closed and are scheduled to be revealed to the public in the not too distant future. Try not to visit the palace in the summer or weekend if possible as it gets clogged with people (literally).

The tile panels are certainly a highlight, and side alleys have a more personal atmosphere that you don't find walking near or around the central axis. I prefer weekday mornings, if you are lucky with the smog, the pictures can be incredible.

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 02/11/11.

Ian Cade

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Ian Cade

I must admit I wasn't especially looking forward to this visit; it had more of a feeling of something I should do rather than wanted to do. However after a few hours of strolling around the Forbidden City I was happy that I had seen it and ducking off to the sides could make it a surprisingly quiet experience even on a weekend afternoon.

The sheer size of the first part of the palace is what really grabs you, as Ben has stated below it takes a massive site to be able to swallow these large crowds and it certainly did that, it would be odd to see such large spaces with only a small amount of people in them. The main temples and pavilions really were impressive and I spent a fair bit of time just taking in their wonderful architecture and paintings.

After the grand ceremonial buildings at the front the rear of the palace is a series of interlocking courtyards and private palace quarters which were reasonably interesting, however the crowds felt a little denser here and I started to wane a little so decided to head on out before palace fatigue really set in.

I enjoyed my visit here more than I thought I would and the grand ceremonial parts of the complex allow you to get a sense of the awesome scale of the place as well as a chance to escape the crowds.

[Site 7: Experience 7]

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 16/11/10.

Anonymous

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Anonymous WHS Traveller

The Shenyang Imperial Palace may not be as grand as its Beijing counterpart; however, what makes up for its size is the intricate design of the buildings. The Manchu style of architecture is not like any other seen in most temples or buildings in China.

I stayed in Shenyang for two days and got to visit the other two Qing dynasty tombs in the city - Zhaoling and Fuling.

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 21/10/05.

Anonymous

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Nan

I took an entire day to visit the Imperial Palace in Beijing, popularly known as The Forbidden City. It is a central enclave facing Tiananmen Square. I first walked the South - North axis, and then returned to see the Seven Dragons Wall, Archery Pavilion, East Palaces and West Palaces in the Imperial Gardens. The scale and the artistry, as well as the strange names of the pavilions, halls, gardens and monuments were fascinating.

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 01/10/05.

Anonymous

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Nan

I went this Palace in a tour group. Due to time constraints, we were made to walk from the "Wu Men" (front) all the way to the back. One straight path passing all the main palaces. Do not forget to visit some of the palaces at sides. These are hidden treasures with less tourists and more intrigue. Certain smaller palaces even house artefacts etc. Also, do not forget to climb the hill "Jing Shan" (create from the earth excavated from the construction of the palace) at the back of the palace compounds. This will offer you a breathtaking view of the whole palace compound. Definitely worthwhile spending more time exploring the entire compound!!!

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 07/06/05.

Ben Pastore

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Ben Pastore

Only the Forbidden City could host so many throngs of tourists and still seem huge. The open areas are truly impressive and the famous landmarks are even better in real life. It is another one of those "If I'm here, I have to see it" places and a worthy entrant on the World Heritage List

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 01/05/05.

Rob Wilson

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Nan

The Forbidden City is possibly the most packed tourist attraction I've ever visited. Thankfully, it is still well worth the visit.

The sheer scale and opulence of the place it quite astonishing.

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Nan

The Forbidden City may be the largest palace in East Asia. However, many treasury are stored in the Imperial Palace Museum in Taiwan. The former government moved the treasury to Taiwan before turnover to Communists in 1949. Therefore, tourists visit the architechture of the palace mainly.

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 29/03/04.

Els Slots

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace (Inscribed)

Imperial Palace by Els Slots

The Forbidden City is a huge complex at the center of Beijing (behind the Tiananmen gate), that nowadays attracts thousands of visitors every day. I entered from the North, so I was met with innumerable (mainly Chinese) groups that had started from the main entrance in the South.

The funny thing is that everybody clings to the main path (the North-South axis) and that 10 meters to the right or left you're almost on your own.

The complex is surely meant to impress: everything is just huge. You have to take your time to find and look at the details. What I liked most were its simple but effective colours: bright red walls, with green and yellow accents in the tiles.

Keep reading 0 comments