The former Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty.
The Forbidden City is one of three ancient palaces still standing in modern China and is the largest ancient palace in the world. Just think about it , it is twice the size of the Vatican and thrice the kremlin’s size.
Largest and best-preserved palace complex in the world: Measuring 823 yards (753 meters) from east to west, and 1,051 yards (961 meters) from north to south, it covers an area 178 acres (72 hectares) and the living quarters inside are well preserve
It houses nearly 1 million cultural relics.
UNESCO World Heritage since 1987
Located in the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City (also named Palace Museum, Chinese Name: Gugong),
For almost five centuries, it served as the home of 24 Emperors and their households, and the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese imperial government.
The Forbidden City (Gugong) is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court, is home to the official buildings where the emperor carried out national affairs and publicly ruled. The northern section, or the Inner Court, was where he lived with his royal family
Quick Facts:
Location: in the center of Beijing
Opening hours Closed on Mondays
April to October 8:30 -5 PM
November to March 8:30 - 4:30 PM
Ticket price :
Entrance Ticket
April to October: CNY 60 November to March: CNY 40
Treasure Gallery
CNY 10 (in Palace of Tranquil Longevity, including the Opera Museum and Stone Drum Museum)
Clock and Watch Gallery CNY 10 (in Hall for Ancestry Worship)
1. Free for children under 1.2 meters (3.9 feet), each accompanied by an adult. 2. For minors between 6 and 18 years old, the admission ticket price is CNY 20 and the ticket for Treasure Gallery and Clock and Watch Gallery each is CNY 5. 3. Seniors elder than 60 can enjoy half price by showing a valid ID or passport. 4. The Annual Ticket (CNY 300 for 10 entries a year) is only applied to Chinese citizens.
How to get there: you can get ther by bus or subway. We opt for the subway
Subway: a. Take Subway Line 1, get off at Tiananmen East Station (Exit A) or Tiananmen West Station (Exit B), find the Tiananmen Tower, and then walk north to the Meridian Gate; b. Take Subway Line 2, get off at Qianmen Station (Exit A), walk north through the Tiananmen Square, pass the Tiananmen Tower, and then find the Meridian Gate further north.
Best time to visit: Spring and Fall
Tips:
The Forbidden City limits the daily number of visitors to 80,000, and we recommend individual visitors book tickets in advance online
Foreign visitors are required to provide passport numbers and full names when book tickets online.
However English service is not ready yet on the official booking website, so foreigners need to buy tickets through travel agencies or Chinese friends.
We didn't have any issue buying the tickets once we got there. Just be prepared to see huge crowd. We arrived very early and lined up and got our tickets in no time as we were prepared.
