The Forbidden City

Lore & Background

Construction lasted 14 years and required more than a million workers. Materials included whole logs of precious Phoebe zhennan wood from southwestern China, large marble blocks from quarries near Beijing, and specially baked 'golden bricks' from Suzhou. By October, the Manchus proclaimed the young Shunzhi Emperor as ruler under the Qing dynasty, who renamed some buildings to emphasize 'harmony' and added bilingual nameplates in Chinese and Manchu. During the Cultural Revolution, Premier Zhou Enlai sent an army battalion to guard it.

Reader's Guide

It exemplifies the opulence of the residences of the Chinese emperor and traditional Chinese palatial architecture, influencing cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. It is enclosed by a 7.9 m high city wall and a 6 m deep, 52 m wide moat. The central north–south axis of the Forbidden City remains the central axis of Beijing, extending through Tiananmen Gate to Tiananmen Square and north through Jingshan Park to the Drum and Bell Towers. The palace is extremely important to the Chinese public and nation, who often view it as a cultural and heavenly link to their ancestors.

Did You Know?

• It was the residence of 24 emperors—14 from the Ming dynasty and 10 from the Qing dynasty.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

Some people mistakenly believe the Forbidden City was built quickly, but construction actually lasted 14 years and required more than a million workers. Another common misconception is that it only housed Ming dynasty emperors; in fact, it was the residence of 24 emperors—14 from the Ming dynasty and 10 from the Qing dynasty.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

The Forbidden City endures as a tangible link to China’s imperial past, a monument to both the immense labor and artistry of its creation and the political upheavals that reshaped its history. Its survival through the Cultural Revolution, guarded by order of Premier Zhou Enlai, underscores the complex role it plays as a symbol of national heritage that transcends dynastic change.