I. General Information About the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was built in the 15th century, beginning in 1406 and completed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty. It served as the residence of the emperor and the imperial family. This site was the most important political center of two Chinese feudal dynasties: the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

For over 500 years, the Forbidden City witnessed the enthronement and reign of 24 emperors, including 14 from the Ming Dynasty and 10 from the Qing Dynasty.

The complex covers an area of 720,000 square meters and consists of 9,999 rooms. Nowadays, the Forbidden City has 980 surviving buildings with 8,886 rooms.