The Forbidden City

#26 - Beijing, China

#25

#27

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Do You Dream?

There are 9,999 palace rooms. If you're lucky you might find a free one.

Nine is a Chinese lucky number, so it's no surprise that every architectural feature and ornament has a significance in the palace. Everything is symbolic in nature! It's called the Forbidden City because no one could enter or leave without the emperor's permission. Today, the rules are a bit more relaxed, but once you step into this enchanting palace, you might not want to leave, that's why it's #26 on our list.

Slide 1: Inside The Forbidden City

#1 Forbidden City Photo - Brad Harbach
Slide 2: A View From Outside The City

#2 Forbidden City Photo - Brad Harbach
Slide 1: Forbidden City temple East Glorious Gate

by Francisco Diez
Slide 2: Forbidden City temple Gate of Divine Mig

by DoNotLick
Slide 3: Forbidden City temple Gate of Supreme Ha

by DoNotLick

Overview

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Quick Facts & History

The Forbidden City in Beijing China was named so because it was forbidden for any commoner to enter. Any commoner who laid eyes on the Emperor was killed, whether he was within the Forbidden City or not.
The palace guards sounded alarms to warn people whenever the Emperor was leaving the City: bells if he turned left, drums if he turned right, and both if he went straight.
All of the soldiers chosen to guard the Forbidden City must be exactly the same size so that they are perfectly uniform when marching.
Nine is a lucky number in Chinese culture (it represents heaven) and it was definitely put to good use in the construction of the Forbidden Temple. There are 9,999 rooms within the palaces of the Forbidden City, and 9 gates surrounding the emperors inner palace.
Another thing not to be overlooked is the immense size of the Forbidden City, covering an area of 720,000 square meters (2,362,205 ft!), which pales in comparison to the 440,000 square meters (1,443,570 ft) of the Vatican.

Where is The Forbidden City?

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Inside The Forbidden City
Ranked #1 by Brad Harbach

A View From Outside The City
Ranked #2 by Brad Harbach

Top Blog Posts

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The Forbidden City and Beijing

Blog: Quit and Travel

Our first stop was the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is a humongous area consisting of 980 buildings constructed between 1406 and 1420. The complex is full of traditional Chinese architecture and was the Imperial Palace from the Ming Dynasty through the Qing Dynasty. The Forbidden City is an amazing place primarily due to its size. Although I would say that the buildings themselves become quite repetitive over the course of touring the grounds, the sheer size of the complex is astounding. Coupled with the age of the buildings, The Forbidden City is an incredibly unique sight. ... read more

Submitted By: Brad Harbach

Submitted On: Apr 30, 2012

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