Beijing - Imperial Palace / Forbidden City

(Local Name: Gugong) The Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City is China's largest and most significant building. Its origins date from the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Emperor Yongle of the Ming dynasty had the palace enlarged to its present day size between 1406 and 1420, after he had transferred the capital from Nanking to Beijing. The palace was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing emperors. Ordinary mortals were forbidden to enter the palace.

The official old name for the palace, 'purple forbidden city', indicates the predominant color of the walls. The purple-red coloring is an embodiment of the Pole Star, the heavenly equivalent of the emperor. The main buildings meanwhile are roofed with yellow-glazed tiles. Yellow, a color restricted to the emperor, embodies his representation of Earth in the face of Heaven. The Imperial Palace also reflects the cosmic order in terms of the orientation of the rectangular structure and the positioning of the buildings in the four directions. The main halls are on a central north-south axis of the capital which is identical with that of the palace. The complex extends over an area of 720,000 sq.m/861,120 sq.yd and is surrounded by a 10m/32ft high wall with towers in the four corners and by a 50m/164ft wide moat. The complex is divided into two areas: the outer southern area, used for ceremonial and administrative purposes, and the smaller northern area, the private residence of the emperor and his concubines as well as of the eunuchs.

Today, the palace can be entered by visitors at two different points: through the Meridian Gate in the south, which forms the main entrance, and in the north through the Gate of Spiritual Valour (Shenwu Men). There are also in the east the Flowering Gate of the East (Donghua Men), and in the west the Flowering Gate of the West (Xihua Men).