.jpg?width=1600)
The Palace Museum (Forbidden City)
故宫 · Dongcheng, Beijing, China
The largest palace complex in the world, whose central axis distils six centuries of imperial ritual and craftsmanship.
Know before you go
- Smoking is banned throughout the complex
- don't touch door studs, bronze cranes or other relics
- the interiors of the main halls are generally closed, so look in from the doorway.
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
The Yongle Emperor moves the capital
Zhu Di, Prince of Yan, originally guarded Beiping. After seizing the throne in 1402 through the 'Jingnan campaign', he decided to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing to defend the turbulent northern frontier at close quarters. Construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406 and was completed in 1420; afterwards twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived and governed here, until the last emperor, Puyi, was expelled from the palace in 1924. The Palace Museum was founded in 1925.
Source: Wikipedia: Yongle Emperor; Wikipedia: Forbidden City
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Palace Museum is the Forbidden City, begun in 1406, the 4th year of the Ming Yongle reign, and completed in 1420; it was the palace of 24 Ming and Qing emperors. It is 961 m from north to south, covers 720,000 m² and has more than 8,700 rooms — the largest and most complete surviving wooden palace complex in the world. The three great halls of Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony and Preserving Harmony sit on the central axis, and yellow glazed tiles, white marble terraces and painted brackets everywhere express the ritual idea of 'the Son of Heaven at the centre'. It became a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Local customs
- Beijingers call a visit 'entering the palace', and the 'Spring Festival in the Forbidden City' exhibition has become a new New Year custom
- since the Beijing Central Axis was inscribed on the World Heritage List, 'checking in along the axis' has become a new pastime
- Palace Museum creative products are popular souvenirs with young people.
Religion & beliefs
- A secular imperial palace. The Hall of Imperial Peace is a Taoist building and the Rain Flower Pavilion a Tibetan Buddhist hall, both historic remains
- keep quiet and don't touch.
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: don't get physical in a dispute
- Walk away from an argument and call the police if needed
- Pushing, shoving or fighting
Whoever starts it, taking part in a fight can bring a fine or detention, and the injured party usually demands compensation.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
China: carry your original passport
- Foreign visitors should carry their original passport
- Carrying only a copy or photo of your passport
Police make random ID checks and do not accept printouts; if you cannot show your passport, you may be fined or detained.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
Don’t DON'T
- Smoking is banned throughout the complex
- don't touch door studs, bronze cranes or other relics
- the interiors of the main halls are generally closed, so look in from the doorway.
Locals appreciate DO
- Old Beijingers love going up Jingshan Hill at dawn for a panorama of the palace
- the Forbidden City after snow is the top post on Beijingers' social media — red walls and golden tiles under white snow never get old.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- You must book in advance on the official website, with daily visitor caps
- closed on Mondays (except public holidays). Enter through the Meridian Gate before noon and walk north along the axis, about 4 hours in all
- leave plenty of time for the corner towers, the Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery. Check tickets and opening hours on the official website.
Eat nearby
What to eat nearby
Must-try
- Peking duck
- Zhajiang noodles
- Lüdagun (rolling donkey: sticky-rice rolls in soybean flour)
Peking duck (sliced roast duck with lotus-leaf pancakes), zhajiang noodles (with diced-pork bean sauce and vegetable toppings), lü da gun (soybean-flour-coated glutinous rolls), pea-flour cake, candied hawthorn skewers
| Where to eat | The Palace Museum's Bingjiao restaurant / Jiaolou café (simple meals inside); outside the palace, Wangfujing, Qianmen Street, Siji Minfu / Bianyifang (roast duck) |
|---|---|
| Typical price per person | Simple meals CNY 50–90, roast duck CNY 150–250 |
| Tips | Queues are long for food inside the palace, so book a roast-duck restaurant first; bring water, and have lunch off-peak before 11 a.m. |
Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.
Mr Wabu · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photos
Photos
.jpg?width=640)
Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China · CC0
Charlie fong · Public domain
.jpg?width=640)
N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & verification notes
More in China
Also nearby
The Li River, Guilin
'The river is a blue silk ribbon, the hills are jade hairpins': fishing lights are the last memory of fishing life on the Li River.
Jiuzhaigou
A 'fairy-tale world' of emerald lakes and terraced waterfalls, a highland paradise of Tibetan and Qiang culture.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
3,000 stone peaks rising from the ground — the model for Avatar's floating mountains.