The Emperor's Forbidden City

For those that are fascinated by the Far East, one city that many found exotic and formidable was the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is located in Beijing, it is actually a palace compound- perhaps the biggest and grandest in the world. Closed off from the West for close to 500 years, the Forbidden City is now a museum and one of the biggest tourist attractions in China. For those that have always wondered what is inside the Forbidden City, now is the time to find out.

The Forbidden City received its name because the only way one can enter or leave the palace compound was with approval of the emperor. The Forbidden City was completed in 1420 and was the seat of the Ming Dynasty. With a labor force of one million including 100K artisans, this city took only a few years to build. During its 500 years, the palace was home to 24 emperors, the last ruling until 1912. The palace has an unbelievable 9,999 rooms and thousands upon thousands of pieces of priceless art.

With the Forbidden City now open to the public, millions have flocked to see this incredible landmark. To learn more about this palace and its grounds, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an interesting article on the subject. To read it, please visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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China's Formidable Forbidden City

The Chinese culture is quite different from the West. Throughout millennia, the Chinese have beat to a different drummer and created incredible beauties both in art, culture, philosophy, etc that have inspired, yet continue to be an enigma to many in the West. For those that are fascinated by the people, architecture and culture of China, one landmark that continues to evoke inspiration and amazement is the Forbidden City.

The Enigma of the Forbidden City
For centuries, the Forbidden City was a mystery. In fact, while many have heard of the city, only few ever entered inside it. The Forbidden City is actually a palace compound built for the Chinese emperors. It got its name because no one could enter or leave the compound without the Emperors consent. The Forbidden City walled exterior is extremely formidable and for centuries it was a very guarded secret what was actually inside the City’s walls.

The Largest Palace in the World
The Forbidden City is not only one of the most mysterious landmarks ever constructed, but also the largest palace in the world. Incredibly, the Forbidden City offers 9,999 rooms and an inconceivable one million pieces of fine art- many priceless. The Forbidden City was built during the 15th century with a labor force that rivaled one million laborers including about 100,000 skilled artisans. It was constructed to be the seat for the Ming Dynasty and completed in 1420. During the centuries, the Forbidden City was home for a total of 24 emperors, the last being in 1912.

The Forbidden City Opens her Gates
The Forbidden City while closed off to the world for about 500 years has now opened her gates for tourists to view. No longer is the Forbidden City a highly guarded secret. In fact just 30 years ago, the palace now a museum and garden is open for all to see. In addition, the Forbidden City has been designated a World Heritage Site and since opening her gates to both Chinese citizens and world toursits, millions have visited this incredible landmark.

Read More About the Forbidden City
If you are intrigued by the Forbidden City and the mystery it holds, you will definitely want to read the Smithsonian Magazine’s article on the subject. You can visit our main website and learn more about this masterpiece today, simply follow the link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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The Palace in the Forbidden City

China has definitely awakened. Over the last few centuries the Chinese Empire seemed quiet and withdrawn; however China is definitely making a comeback and for the last several decades has grown at a breakneck speed economically and politically. The Chinese have an incredibly rich history dating back to the beginning of human civilization. For thousands of years the Chinese culture, philosophy and history have been a great resource to the rest of the world. One of these great historical achievements that are pretty much still a mystery to those in the West is China’s Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City might sound like a formidable fortress, which it does have aspects of, but it is also includes one of the largest and most beautiful palaces the world has ever seen. The name the Forbidden City is supposed to stoke intrigue and mystery. It was called the Forbidden City due to the fact that no person could either leave the city or enter it without the consent of the emperor. Amazingly, for centuries, this structure has stood and the interior was a closely guarded secret until just a few decades ago.

The Forbidden City is the Largest Palace in the World
While the Forbidden City still contains many mysteries, the impression it made around the world was that of the largest palace to ever stand. The Forbidden City, built during the 15th century with a labor force rivaling one million strong (including over 100,000 artisans) has an incredible 9,999 rooms and an astonishing one million pieces of art- many of them priceless.

The Forbidden City originally served as the seat for the Ming Dynasty and it was completed in 1420. However, throughout the years over 24 emperors have called it home- the last emperor ruled from the Forbidden City up until 1912.

The Once Forbidden City is Now Open for All to See
The interior of the Forbidden City is no longer a closely guarded secret. In fact, it recently became a museum and about 30 years ago, it was opened for all to see- including foreigners. Now opened, this historic palace has been designated a World Heritage Site. Millions have visited her and as it is located in Beijing it was a huge attraction during the 2008 Olympics. For those that are fascinated by this palace, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an incredibly insightful article. Please visit the following link to read it. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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