Forbidden City
The palace embodies the spatial expression of imperial authority and court ritual. Its architecture and collections are important sources for the political, craft and artistic history of late imperial China.
Photo: Pixelflake · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Facts
- Place
- Beijing, China
- Civilisation / patron
- Ming and Qing dynasties
- Built
- 1406 – 1420
- Status
- Still standing
- UNESCO World Heritage since
- 1987
- UNESCO World Heritage
History
The Yongle Emperor had a walled palace complex built in Beijing, with successive gates, courtyards and timber halls. A strict north–south axis and hierarchies of colour and roof design distinguished administrative, ceremonial and private spaces. Qing emperors also used the complex after the Ming, and several buildings were rebuilt following fires. Since the twentieth century much of it has been open as the Palace Museum, while the historic timber structures require continual maintenance.
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Sources: Wikipedia — Verboden Stad