The Forbidden City of China

For those that are interested in travel, culture and architecture, one of the most beautiful structures are found in Asia. China has long been a fairly closed society and a complete mystery to the West. In recent decades travel between East and West has grown substantially showcasing many of China’s beautiful landmarks- one of them is the infamous Forbidden City. The Forbidden City sounds ominous and for many years it was a complete enigma, however with the awakening of China, the Forbidden City has opened its gates to the world and tourists from all over have descended onto this incredible architectural achievement. If you are interested in the Forbidden City, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an interesting article on this incredible masterpiece.

The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is actually a palace and grounds located in the heart of Beijing. It was the seat of the Ming Dynasty and home to 24 emperors over 5 centuries. This incredible palace receives its name due to the fact that no one could enter the city or leave the city without consent from the emperor. Because only aristocrats and servants were allowed within the confines of the city, it has always stirred mystery and intrigue. Today the Forbidden City is a museum and opened for all to see. As China hosted the 2008 summer Olympics millions have flocked to China hoping to see many of the landmarks including this palace which is one of the most popular attraction in all of Asia.

The Forbidden City is Enormous
The Forbidden City is perhaps the world’s largest palace. In fact, it is stated that the palace offers an incredible 9,999 rooms. The palace resides on a phenomenal 74 hectares of land. It is surrounded by walls that are 30 feet high and in addition to these tall walls is a moat. Construction of the Forbidden City started in 1407 and ended in 1420. The palace continued to be the home of Chinese Emperors until 1924. It is said that it took a labor force of 1,000,000 Chinese to build this great palace and included upwards of 100K artisans. Inside the Forbidden City there are incredible pieces of artwork and paintings- many of them priceless.

Read More About the Forbidden City
For those interested in the Forbidden City, please visit the Smithsonian Magazine’s website to read the wonderful article on this architectural masterpiece. You can visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

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Enter China's Forbidden City

China has definitely awakened after years of sleep and although the Chinese culture is one of the oldest and now wealthiest countries, many people that live in Europe and North America are not aware of just how beautiful and rich China’s history has been. China has received plenty of publicity over the last few years as they hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and more and more tourists have been heading over to China to see the many magnificent cultural landmarks and achievements. One cultural landmark that is absolutely breathtaking is China’s Forbidden City.

The Mystery of China’s Forbidden City
China’s Forbidden City is actually a huge walled palace that includes a variety of buildings and landscapes. For centuries the Forbidden City was a mystery and few people entered inside it. Being the seat of the Chinese Emperor, no one could enter or leave the city without his permission. As such, over the years the Forbidden City has become perhaps the most mysterious palaces in the world.

The Forbidden City was Completed in 1420
The Forbidden City was constructed and completed in 1420 by the Ming Dynasty and from this time to 1912, the Forbidden City was the seat of 24 emperors. The Forbidden City was built in Beijing (called Gung Gong at the time) and is on a parcel of land that spreads across 180 acres. The palace itself has an incredible 9,999 rooms and it took a labor force of 200,000 Chinese to build the palace in just a few short years from 1407-1420.

The Palace Grounds
The Forbidden City is surrounded by 32 feet high walls and there is another form of defense- a moat that is 165 feet wide. Inside the Forbidden City there are beautiful gardens and wonderful buildings. Inside this wonderful palace are thousands of priceless artifacts and works of arts. The entire palace is built from wood and since this poses a huge fire risk in addition, you can spot bronze cauldrons placed around the palace grounds that are filled with water- to put out any fires that may ignite. Being so beautiful and so unique the Forbidden City is now designated as a World Heritage Site.

Read More About the Forbidden City
For those that have always been fascinated with Chinese culture or if the Forbidden City intrigues you, the Smithsonian Magazine has put together a phenomenal article on the beauty and mystery of this Palace. You can read it today by visiting our main website located at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

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Visit the Forbidden City in China

If you are looking for exotic locations to visit, one place that tourists have been flocking to for many years is the beautiful city of Beijing, China. Beijing, China just recently hosted the 2008 Olympics and offers a wide variety of Chinese culture and landmarks to visit. One of the landmarks that is incredibly beautiful, but holds some mystique is the Forbidden City.

The Ming Dynasty in 1407 built the Forbidden City in the city of Gu Gong which is now Beijing. The Forbidden City gets its name from the fact that no one was allowed to leave or enter without the permission of the emperor. The Forbidden City is incredibly beautiful and staggering in its size. It is said to have 9,999 rooms and over 1 million pieces of art- many of which are priceless. It was built with the labor of 1 million men including about 100,000 skilled artisans.

For those that are interested in visiting the Forbidden City, you should know that from 1407 till 1912, the Forbidden City was the seat of emperors, after this time, it was opened to the citizens of China and only about 30 years ago was it finally opened to all citizens of the world. If you are interested in this remarkable palace, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an excellent article on the subject. Please read it today at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Enter the Forbidden City of China

For those that find Asia mysterious, one of the biggest mysteries that has recently been revealed to the world is the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City built about 600 years ago is now open not only to Chinese citizen but foreigners as well. This incredible palace and garden is one of the gems of China and for a long period of time housed incredible secrets which are now only being revealed slowly.

The Incredible Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was built in 1407 by the Ming Dynasty in the city of Gu Gong, which now is the city of Beijing. Close to Tiananmen Square and shaped like a rectangle, the Forbidden City stands today as the largest palace in the world and includes enclosed gardens. The palace and grounds received their name the Forbidden City due to the fact that no one could leave or enter without the emperors permission. The palace is said to have a staggering 9,999 rooms and was built using the labor of 1,000,000 men of which about 100K were skilled artisans.

Read More at Smithsonian Magazine
For those interested in learning more about the Forbidden City, the Smithsonian Magazine is offering an interesting article on the subject. You can read the article today, by visiting our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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