Beijing: Royal Aesthetics in Ancient China
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The Forbidden City
One place you can’t miss in Beijing is the Forbidden City. It was the imperial palace of twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties of China.
The Forbidden City was built in the fourth year of the Yongle reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty (1406) and completed in the 18th year of the Yongle reign (1420). Located in the centre of Beijing’s central axis, the Forbidden City covers an area of 720,000 square metres, with a building area of about 150,000 square metres, and more than seventy palaces of various sizes. There are more than seventy palaces of various sizes and more than nine thousand houses. If you want to see most of the sights, it will take about five or more hours. It is the largest and most complete palace-type building existing in the world.
⚠️Tickets for the Forbidden City and many other attractions in China can be purchased via WeChat, so it is recommended that you download WeChat from the App Store before travelling to China.
How to arrive there?
The only entrance to the Forbidden City is the Noon Gate, so you must arrive at the Noon Gate to get off.
The Wu Gate (the south gate of the Palace Museum)
It can be reached from Donghuamen or Xihuamen by travelling along East or West Tubular River Road.
Route from Tian’anmen Gate via Duanmen Gate to reach Wumen Gate: Access hours Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00-16:00; not accessible all day on Mondays, when the museum is closed. Actual opening is subject to on-site announcements.
Public transport stops around the Wumen: Tiananmen East
Vehicles: 1, 120, 2, 52, 82, Night 1, Sightseeing Line 1, Sightseeing Line 2 buses and Metro Line 1
Public Transportation Stations around Noon Gate: Tiananmen West
Vehicles stopping: 1, 5, 52, Night 1, Sightseeing Line 1, Sightseeing Line 2 buses and Subway Line 1
At the end of the tour, you can leave through the Shenwu Gate or Donghua Gate.
Favourite route for most visitors:
3-4 hour half-day tour
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1. Wu Gate
2. Wuying Gate
3. Taihe Gate
4. Taihe Hall
5. Zhonghe Hall
6. Baohe Hall
7. Qianqing Palace
8. Jiaotai Hall
9. Kunning Palace
10. The area of the six palaces to the east
11. Zhai Palace
12. Ningshougong district front court (treasure museum)
13. Ning Shou Palace area after the bedroom (treasures, theatre two museums and the well of the Princess Zhenfei)
14. Shenwu Gate
This route allows you to see the vast majority of the Forbidden City’s highlights, especially with access to the Treasure Hall to see the fabulous jewellery of ancient Chinese royalty.
To enter the Ningshou Palace area to visit the exhibitions of Treasure Hall, Theatre Hall and Stone Drum Hall, you have to buy a separate ticket: RMB 10 per person.
🎫Ticket office: Ningshou Palace District, outside the southern side of the Xijingmen
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In addition to the most popular Treasure Hall, the Palace also has a number of permanent exhibition halls (see the official website for opening hours), including the Clock and Watch Hall, the Painting and Calligraphy Hall, the Sculpture Hall, the Ceramics Hall, and the Theatre and Opera Hall.There are also occasional thematic exhibits such as poetry, architectural art and historical materials.
Interested visitors can learn more about the Palace Museum on its official website.