The Palace Museum ,known as the Forbidden City, was the home to 24 Ming and Qing emperors, off-limits for 500 years. It stands in the center of Beijing ,covering 720,000 m2 ,owning 800 buildings and 9999 rooms, constituting a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The Forbidden City is one of the architectural wonders of the world. The construction took 14 years and was finished in 1420. The former Palace’s outer court with its halls of Supreme, Central and Preserved Harmony and side buildings ,was where the emperor palaces handled the state affairs and held grand ceremonies. The 3 main and 6 eastern and western palaces form the inner court, where the emperor dealt with daily government affairs, and where the imperial family lived. The last dynasty fell in 1911, but Emperor Puyi still lived in the inner court .In 1925, it was converted into a museum and opened to the public. In 1987, the Palace was inscribed on the UNESCO[the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization] World Cultural Heritage List.