Forotheruses,seeForbiddenCity(disambiguation).
"Gugong"redirectshere.Forotheruses,seeGugong(disambiguation).
Coordinates:[showlocationonaninteractivemap]39°54′53〃N116°23′26〃E/39.91472°N116.39056°E/39.91472;116.39056
ImperialPalacesoftheMingandQingDynastiesinBeijingandShenyang*
UNESCOWorldHeritageSite
TheHallofSupremeHarmony(太和殿)atthecentreoftheForbiddenCity
StatePartyChina
TypeCultural
Criteriai,ii,iii,iv
Reference439
Region**Asia-Pacific
Inscriptionhistory
Inscription1987(11thSession)
Extensions2004
*NameasinscribedonWorldHeritageList.
**RegionasclassifiedbyUNESCO.
ThisarticlecontainsChinesetext.Withoutproperrenderingsupport,youmayseequestionmarks,boxes,orothersymbolsinsteadofChinesecharacters.
TheForbiddenCitywastheChineseimperialpalacefromtheMingDynastytotheendoftheQingDynasty.ItislocatedinthemiddleofBeijing,China,andnowhousesthePalaceMuseum.Foralmostfivecenturies,itservedasthehomeoftheEmperorandhishousehold,aswellastheceremonialandpoliticalcentreofChinesegovernment.
Builtfrom1406to1420,thecomplexconsistsof980survivingbuildingswith8,707baysofrooms[1]andcovers720,000squaremetres(7,800,000squarefeet).ThepalacecomplexexemplifiestraditionalChinesepalatialarchitecture,[2]andhasinfluencedculturalandarchitecturaldevelopmentsinEastAsiaandelsewhere.TheForbiddenCitywasdeclaredaWorldHeritageSitein1987,[2]andislistedbyUNESCOasthelargestcollectionofpreservedancientwoodenstructuresintheworld.
Since1925,theForbiddenCityhasbeenunderthechargeofthePalaceMuseum,whoseextensivecollectionofartworkandartifactswerebuiltupontheimperialcollectionsoftheMingandQingdynasties.Partofthemuseum'sformercollectionisnowlocatedintheNationalPalaceMuseuminTaipei.Bothmuseumsdescendfromthesameinstitution,butweresplitaftertheChineseCivilWar.
Name
TheGateofDivineMight,thenortherngate.Thelowertabletreads"ThePalaceMuseum"(故宫博物院)
ThecommonEnglishname,"theForbiddenCity,"isatranslationoftheChinesenameZijinCheng(Chinese:紫禁城;pinyin:Zǐjinchéng;literally"PurpleForbiddenCity").AnotherEnglishnameofsimilaroriginis"ForbiddenPalace".[3]
Thename"ZijinCheng"isanamewithsignificanceonmanylevels.Zi,or"Purple",referstotheNorthStar,whichinancientChinawascalledtheZiweiStar,andintraditionalChineseastrologywastheabodeoftheCelestialEmperor.Thesurroundingcelestialregion,theZiweiEnclosure(Chinese:紫微垣;pinyin:Zǐwēiyuán),wastherealmoftheCelestialEmperorandhisfamily.TheForbiddenCity,astheresidenceoftheterrestrialemperor,wasitsearthlycounterpart.Jin,or"Forbidden",referredtothefactthatno-onecouldenterorleavethepalacewithouttheemperor'spermission.Chengmeansawalledcity.[4]
Today,thesiteismostcommonlyknowninChineseasGùgōng(故宫),whichmeansthe"FormerPalace."[5]Themuseumwhichisbasedinthesebuildingsisknownasthe"PalaceMuseum"(Chinese:故宫博物院;pinyin:GùgōngBówùyùan).
[edit]History