Time Out's ultimate guide to Beijing's Forbidden City

Our step-by-step breakdown of Beijing's most popular attraction

It's the jewel in our city's crown, its geographical centre and historical heart, our poster boy and the cover girl to countless guidebooks. While term 'unmissable' is bandied around fairly lightly, there's no doubt that Beijing's Forbidden City, a Unesco World Heritage Site and the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, is worthy of such a title. Put simply, no trip to Beijing is complete without a visit to the imperial abode.

Construction on this extravagant complex began under the Yongle Emperor of Ming in 1406, following the moving of the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. It is said to have taken over one million workers sixteen years to complete the job, and over the next 500 years it would serve as the imperial abode for 24 rulers of the Ming and Qing dynasties and their entourage. Its 980 different rooms now house the Palace Museum – the world’s most visited museum – which welcomes nearly 15 million curious guests each year.

The sprawling palace has a footprint of around 180 acres and is home to nearly two million cultural relics, including priceless ceramics, bronzewares and jades, not to mention stunning ancient architecture; the scale of the museum is astonishing, so you’ll do well to see everything in one trip.

Whether you've got an hour, two, four or more, you're sure to spot something fresh and fascinating at every turn, so pop on your Chinese history thinking caps and follow us through from front to back, side to side, and everything in between.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace (天安门)

While it’s not actually part of the Forbidden City, the iconic Gate of Heavenly Peace – the Tian'anmen that gives the famous square its name – is the logical starting point for your visit, and probably the hottest tourist photo spot in the whole city.

Note the five arched gates – the central and largest portal was reserved exclusively for the emperor, while his family and subordinate officials would come and go via the side gates, according to their rank. Grab your snap with Mao Zedong’s famous portrait, and proceed through the far right entrance.

Meridian Gate (午门)

Once you’ve passed through the Duanmen (端门) and picked up your tickets (40RMB-60RMB, depending on time of year) from the office, you’ll need to make your way to the Meridian Gate (午门) – the imposing, U-shaped entrance to the Forbidden City, and the tallest gate in the complex. 

Emperors would be seated in the central portion of the tower to receive returning (and hopefully victorious) troops, while his ministers and entourage would watch on from the flanks. Other functions included the judging of criminals and prisoners from up on high, and as a space for banquets and announcements during festivals.

Head up the gate to take in the emperor’s view; the building now houses temporary exhibitions throughout the year.

The first courtyard

You’ve now arrived in the first courtyard before the Forbidden City’s Outer Court. The five pathways for imperial procession continue here, with five ornate marble bridges passing over the bow-shaped Golden Stream and continuing towards the Gate of Supreme Harmony. 

If you’re pressed for time, continue north to this gate and along the Central Axis; if you’re exploring at a more leisurely pace, then take a sidestep to the east, and head up the city’s walls.

City walls

You’ll soon realise that the central route through the Palace Museum that takes in the big name attractions is an extremely well-trodden path, taken by a continuous flow of visitors – as many as 80,000 a day. However, veering off to the side galleries offers some surprisingly peaceful getaways, as well as the chance to see some of the complex’s hidden gems.

Walk along the south eastern section of the Forbidden City’s outer walls to get a lofty view across its sea of yellow rooftops, out over the surrounding moat and a peek into some of the less-restored areas that are still off-limits to visitors. On clearer days, you'll also be able to see as far as the mountains in the west, and towards the skyscrapers of the Central Business District in the east.

The Hall of Literary Brilliance (文化殿)

After descending from the walls, head for the Ceramics Gallery in the darkened Hall of Literary Brilliance, which is home to a careful curation of around 400 of the finest pieces from the collections of Ming and Qing emperors. The exhibits also explain the 10,000-year development of the ceramic art in China.

The Pavilion of Literary Profundity (文渊阁)

Tucked away behind the The Hall of Literary Brilliance and the Ceramics Gallery is one the intriguing anomalies of the Imperial Palace. Built in 1776 during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, the Pavilion of Literary Profundity’s black roof and green paint job are a shift from the usual burgundies and yellows, and the structure looks a little rickety compared to its peers. 

The building served as one of many libraries within the city, housing records and various other literary works for the emperor, his ministers and scholars to enrich themselves with.

The Gate of Supreme Harmony (太和门)

Returning to the first courtyard, it’s now time to delve into the belly of the city, beginning with the Gate of Supreme Harmony. It is here that Ming emperors held morning court sessions with their officials, and where leaders would look out over audiences gathered for special ceremonies, including weddings.

Guardian lions

Like many gates and halls throughout the complex, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, is flanked by two impressive guardian lions – a common feature of important buildings across Asia – though these two are among the most intimidating.

The right-hand, male lion has a paw on a globe, signifying the emperor’s position as the ‘Son of Heaven’ and his supremacy over tianxia (天下) – all beneath heaven. To the left, his female counterpart paws at a lion cub, representing the prosperity and fertility of the imperial family.

The Outer Court (外朝)

Passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you arrive inside the Outer Court, the largest courtyard in the whole complex. Here, you will encounter two of the city’s most prominent architectural features for the first time: the many dragon head-shaped spouts and the large metal water vats that are dotted throughout the complex. 

Water vats

Throughout the Forbidden City’s history as the imperial residence, it was plagued by fires, and many of the structures within its walls were partially or completely destroyed at some point, before being rebuilt, including the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony which lies ahead of you.

Often weighing as much as two tonnes, these vats served as fire extinguishers that would be tipped in the event of fire, though their dousing often proved futile as fires raged.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony (太和殿)

As its raised position upon a three-tiered foundation and its ornate decoration suggest, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was the most important structure in the imperial city, hosting coronation ceremonies and the emperor’s birthday celebrations, among other festivities.

It’s the first of the Three Great Halls, and you’ll need to hustle with the gathering crowd to get a look at its stunning centrepiece – the golden Dragon Throne, where the emperor would sit before his officials and visitors who were required to kneel before him and bow, forehead to the floor.

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