subject: Forbidden City- The Home Of Emperors Past [print this page] The Chinese Imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the Forbidden City is one of the most historic tourist attractions in the city of Beijing. Along with the mystique and the intimidating nature of its name itself, this political focal point of ancient China has a rich history behind it which is worth sneaking a peak in to. This attraction covers approximately 720,000sqm and is consistent of 980 buildings which was once the home of the ruling emperor of China for over five centuries. The Forbidden City is said to have been constructed from scratch in the early 1400s. Construction of this site began as a result of orders given by Hongwu Emperors son Zhu Di. More than a million laborers were called upon to offer their services in order to complete this project which lasted approximately 15 years.
The southern part of the Forbidden City is thought to have been used for matters of the state. This is where the Emperor is known to have addressed his loyal servants and discussed various issues regarding the state of his empire. The northern part of this site is known to have been where all the members of the royal family resided. Here the Emperor and his family had the chance to relax while remaining within the confines of the Forbidden City.
The entire site is surrounded by a massive wall which is 7.9m tall. The defensive features of this site are further reinforced by a moat which reaches a depth of 52m. To ensure the safety of the royal family four towers keep a watchful eye out for intruders. Located in the northern part of the site are the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Hall of Union which are some of the must-visit buildings within the Forbidden City. The Palace Museum, located in this site is home to a collection of 340,000 ceramic and porcelain artifacts and approximately 50,000 ancient paintings along with several other selections of bronze ware and timepieces.
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