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Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang

Beijing · China

Background

World Heritage since
1987
Type of site
Cultural
Seat of the emperors
1416–1911

Seat of supreme power for nearly five centuries, from 1416 to 1911, the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its landscaped gardens and many buildings whose nearly 10,000 rooms hold furniture and works of art, is, in UNESCO's words, a priceless testimony to Chinese civilisation under the Ming and Qing. The Imperial Palace of the Qing in Shenyang, 114 buildings of 1625 to 1783, records the foundation of the last dynasty before it moved its capital to Beijing.

Wikivoyage explains that the name comes from the rule that no one entered without the emperor's permission, and that in China the complex is simply the Gugong, the Old Palace. It is a rectangle of 72 hectares inside a moat, with the Outer Court of ceremonial halls to the south and the Inner Palace, the emperor's home, to the north; daily visitors are capped at 40,000 and entry is only through the Meridian Gate.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1416The Yongle Emperor's palace rises in Beijing
  2. 1625–1626The Qing build their palace at Shenyang
  3. 1644The Qing take Beijing and the Forbidden City
  4. 1911The last emperor's rule ends
  5. 1987Inscribed as World Heritage; Shenyang added in 2004

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Meridian Gate
    The only entrance, facing Tiananmen Square.
  2. 2
    Hall of Supreme Harmony
    The throne room on its three-tiered marble terrace, seen from the doorway.
  3. 3
    Inner Palace
    The emperor's private courts and the Imperial Garden.
  4. 4
    Clocks Gallery
    Imperial mechanical clocks wound up at 11:00 and 14:00.
  5. 5
    Paintings and Ceramics Galleries
    In the Halls of Military Eminence and Literary Glory.
  6. 6
    Jingshan Park
    The hill behind the north gate with the view over the golden roofs.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Book Seven Days Ahead
Wikivoyage: tickets are sold online seven days in advance, tied to a passport, and the 40,000 daily places sell out; the GoGo guide says to bring your passport.
South to North
Enter by the Meridian Gate and walk the central axis out of the north gate to Jingshan.
Three Hours Inside
The GoGo guide allows three hours after Tiananmen Square.
Souvenir Stalls
Many stalls inside are overpriced tourist traps; the Palace Museum's own reproductions are the exception.

Square, Palace and Hill

From the GoGo Beijing guide · Open the Beijing Guide ›

  1. 08:30
    Tiananmen Square30 min
    The great square.
  2. 09:15
    The Forbidden City3 hrs
    South gate to north.
  3. 13:30
    Jingshan Park View Over the Forbidden City45 min
    The hill behind the palace.
  4. 14:45
    Beihai Park and the White Dagoba90 min
    The imperial lake.
  5. 19:00
    Peking Duck Dinner90 min
    Duck carved at the table.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Apr, Sep–Oct. Freezing days in Dec–Feb. Rainy season Jul.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jul (151 mm), driest Jan (2 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
The Central Axis runs through the palace, the Temple of Heaven is 4 km away and the Summer Palace 14 km; the Ming Tombs are a day trip.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 439 · Wikipedia: Forbidden City · Wikivoyage: Beijing/Forbidden City (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Beijing guide · UNESCO listing