The Forbidden City is centrally located in Beijing, China. It was an imperial palace used during both the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The palace is located near the Tiananmen Square. Total it is 24 emperors who ruled the land from the Forbidden City, the first emperor was 1421 and the palace was active until 1911 when the Qing Dynasty was overthrown.
To the area the palace is today the world’s largest and it is alleged to have 9999 ½ rooms, but the correct number of rooms is actually 9371.
Today, the forbidden city is one of China’s and the world’s most visited tourist destinations, so it’s important to be there early in the morning to avoid the extreme queues of both Chinese, Asian and Western tourists. It is possible to get away from the largest crowds by going a little more on the side of the buildings/squares. Walk through the palace, watch, photograph and admire the well-built buildings. Do not miss the palace museum with some beautiful art works and statues. Get up on the hill behind the main palace to get a view of the Forbidden City and the rest of Beijing from above. The palace is big and there are many open spaces, if you visit Beijing during spring/summer when it’s hot outside do not forget water bottle, sun cream and something to have on your head.
The first time I were in Beijing the queues were to long so we just visited the first part (free space) and didn´t enter the part that you have to pay for. Even then I thought it was a really interesting place. Therefore I returned back to the Forbidden City the next time I visited Beijin, this time with a better luck of the queues. If you are interested in Chinas history or if you just want to see one of the largest tourist attractions in the world or if you want to have some photos from old, chineese culture I would really recommend you to visit The Forbidden City.
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