The Mysteries of the Forbidden City

The Mysteries of the Forbidden City

With the Olympics having taken place this year in Beijing, one of the many sites that no doubt tourists will flock to is the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is a masterpiece that was built in the city of Gu Gong (now the city of Beijing). It operates today as a museum and palace, however, it was only 30 years ago that this incredible landmark was open to tourists from outside of China and less than one hundred years ago that it served as the seat of the emperor.

Built nearby Tiananmen Square and shaped like a rectangle, the Forbidden City stands. Considered to be the largest palace in the world, it is said to have an astounding 9,999 rooms. In addition it has incredibly beautiful gardens and is enclosed- hence the name the Forbidden City due to the fact that you can only enter or leave with the permission from the emperor.

The Forbidden City was built by the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the year 1407. Incredibly it took over one million laborers (about 100,000 were artisans) and 14 years to build.
For those interested in this amazing palace and museum, the Smithsonian Magazine has an intriguing article on the Forbidden City. To read more, please visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

National Archives, Forbidden City, Diane Arbus, Daredevil, Quincy Jones, Parthenon

Enter China’s Forbidden City

China has been growing at an incredible rate for the last several decades and today with the focus of the Olympics and their huge economy and manufacturing sector many Westerners are once again focused on this world giant. China offers to many Westerners exotic culture and architecture. In fact, one of its landmarks- the Forbidden City is now becoming one of China’s most popular tourist attractions.

The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City has always been surrounded with mystery and intrigue. In fact, it is called the Forbidden City because no person could either leave or enter this palace without the permission from the emperor. And while it was well known throughout the world, many have always been fascinated at what is exactly inside and just what goes on in this magnificent palace.

The Largest Palace in the World
The Forbidden City is known as the largest palace in the world. Located on 178 acres in Beijing the Forbidden City was built during the 15th century with the labor of more than a million men along with about 100,000 artisans. It took less than 15 years to build this masterpiece and one of the most incredible facts about this palace is that it reportedly has 9,999 rooms and an astonishing one million pieces of precious art. The Forbidden City served as the seat for the Ming Dynasty, upon its completion in 1420, a total of 24 emperors have called the Forbidden City home. The last emperor ruled from this palace up until 1912.

The Forbidden City is Now Open to All
The Forbidden City, once a great palace later became a museum that was closed off to all foreigners. However, over the last 30 years foreigners have been invited and welcomed to enter the great walls of the Forbidden City to see all that this incredible landmark now a World Heritage Site has to offer. Since being open to all, millions have flocked to see this great architectural and cultural achievement.

For those that are interested in either visiting the Forbidden City or finding out about all the amazing art and architectural delights found inside, the Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article on the subject. To read more about this incredible landmark, please visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

Quincy Jones, Forbidden City, Glacier National Park, Wrigley Field