In the heart of Beijing and to the north of Tiananmen Square the portrait of Chairman Mao looks out from above the entrance to the Forbidden City. Called Gu Gong in Mandarin Chinese, this was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Covering an astounding 74 hectares this is the world’s biggest palace complex and is surrounded by a 6m-deep moat and a 10m-high wall; inside are 9,999 buildings.
The massive wall has a gate on each side and opposite Tiananmen Gate to the north is the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen), facing Jingshan Park. The distance between these 2 gates is 960 meters, whilst the width 750 meters. Four towers guard the corners.
Inside the palace is divided into two distinct parts. The Outer Court was where the emperor was the seat of government; the northern Inner Court were the royal apartments. Construction the palace began in 1407, the 5th year of the Yongle reign of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty and it was completed in 1420 – an astounding feat of building. Vast quantities of timber and other materials were brought from faraway.
The dominant yellow, symbol of the royal family, is everywhere: roofs are built with yellow glazed tiles and much other building material is yellow. Symbolism is everywhere and a good guide is needed to appreciate all the details and nuances.
Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the palace holds as you would expect treasures that date back 500 years and a visit is a highlight of a Beijing city visit.
