The Palace Museum, historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive in China, was established on the foundation of a palace of two dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, and their collection of treasures. Designated by the State Council as being among China's foremost protected monuments in 1961, the Palace Museum was also named as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Situated at the heart of Beijing, the Palace Museum is approached through Tiananmen; immediately behind it is Prospect Hill, while on the east and west are Wangfujing and Zhongnanhai. It is a location endowed with cosmic significance by ancient China's astronomers. Correlating the emperor's abode, which they considered the pivot of the terrestrial world, with the Pole Star (Ziweiyuan), which they believed to be at the centre of the heavens, they called the palace Zijincheng.Zijincheng was built in 1420 by the third Ming emperor Yongle who, upon usurping the throne, had decided to move his capital north to Beijing. In 1911 the last feudal dynasty, the Qing, fell to the republican revolutionaries. The last emperor, Puyi, continued to live in the palace after his abdication until expelled in 1924. Twenty-four emperors lived and ruled from this palace during this 500-year span.

The Forbidden City is surrounded by 10-metre high walls and a 52-metre wide moat. Measuring 961 metres from north to south and 753 metres from east to west, it covers an area of 720,000 square metres. Each of the four sides is pierced by a gate, the Meridian Gate on the south and the Gate of Spiritual Valour on the north being used as the entrance and exit by tourists today. Once inside, visitors will see the layers of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of an invisible central axis. It is a magnificent sight, the buildings' glowing yellow roofs against vermilion walls, not to mention their painted ridges and carved beams, all contributing to the sumptuous effect.

Known as the Outer Court, the southern portion of the Forbidden City centres on the halls of Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony and Preserving Harmony. These are flanked by the halls of Literary Glory and Military Eminence. It was here that the emperor held court and conducted his grand audiences.

Mirroring this arrangement is the Inner Court at the northern end of the Forbidden City, with the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union and the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity straddling the central axis, surrounded by the Six Palaces of the East and West and the Imperial Garden to the north. Other major buildings include the halls for Worshipping Ancestors and of Imperial Splendour on the east, and the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers and the Palace of Benevolent Tranquillity on the west. These contain not only the residences of the emperor and his empress, consorts and concubines but also the venues for religious rites and administrative activities.

Noon Gate (click for large)

The Noon Gate is a combined fortress, palace, and gateway. Everything before it is the "outside"; beyond it, actually and symbolically, lies the "inside." To emphasize this point, architects made it not only the largest but also the tallest building in the entire Forbidden City. With a height of 125 feet from the ground to the ridge of the central superstructure, it is nearly 10 feet higher than the throne hall. Its plan is that of a U, with two wings stretching forward, not unlike the forearms of the Sphinx. Three arched doorways with square door frames are flanked by two inconspicuous doors tucked away in the armpits. Normally, only the emperor could use the central doorway. As a special honor, the empress was escorted through it when entering the palace on her wedding day, and the three highest ranking scholars were allowed to use it when leaving the palace after the imperial examination. Ordinarily, officials were to use the east doorway and members of the royal family the west doorway. The two "armpit" doors were closed except on the days of Great Audience, when civil officials would enter by the east door and military officers by the west; again, during the imperial examination, successful candidates who had survived the qualifying examination before this final test would file in through the side entrances according to their rank.

	Great Harmony (click for large)

The hall was first built in 1406 and repaired many times later. As the heart of the Forbidden City, the so-called Golden Carriage Palace, used to be the place where emperors received high officials and practiced their rule over the nation. Also grand ceremonies would be held to celebrate new emperor's ascending to the throne, emperors' birthdays and wedding ceremonies and other important occasions such as Winter Solstice, the Chinese New Year and dispatching generals into war fields.

Along the three-tier terrace stairs, there are 18 bronze Dings, a kind of ancient Chinese vessel, to represent 18 provinces of the nation then. On the terrace, which was luxuriously balustraded, a bronze crane and a bronze tortoise can be seen. They were put there to expect everlasting rule and longevity. The marble Rigui, an ancient timer in the east and the Jialiang, an ancient measuring vessel in the west were put there to show that emperors were just and fair. In front of the hall, there are a couple of gilded bronze vats, which were used to hold water in case of fire. Behind, the hall stands.

Since the Hall of Supreme Harmony was symbol of the imperial power, it was the highest structure in the Ming and Qing dynasty in the nation, no other buildings allowed higher than it. The heavily glazed hall is 35.02 meters high and 37.44 if rooftop decoration counted, and 63.96 meters in width and 37.2 meters in length respectively. There are totally 72 pillars standing in six rows to support the roof. Gates and windows were embossed with clouds and dragons.

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