THE FORBIDDEN CITY

The Forbidden City is a palace complex in central Beijing, China. The former Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty, it now houses the Palace Museum. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. It is called The Forbidden City as no "ordinary" people were allowed in without permission.

This City was used as a Palace from 1420 to 1912, and served as the home of Emperors and their households as well being the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for almost 500 years. Having been constructed from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers over 180 acres.

After being the home of 24 Emperors --- 14 of the Ming dynasty and 10 of the Qing dynasty --- the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of China.

Religion was an important part of life for the Imperial Court. In the Qing dynasty, the Palace of Earthly Harmony became a place of Manchu Shamanist ceremony. At the same time, the native Chinese Taoist religion continued to have an important role throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. There were two Taoist shrines, on in the imperial garden and another in the central area of the inner court. Another prevalent form of religion in the Qing dynasty palace was Buddhism. A number of temples and shrines were scattered throughout the inner court, including that of Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism. Buddhist iconography also proliferated in the interior decorations of many buildings. Of these, the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers is one of the most important. It housed a large number of Buddhist statues, icons, and mandalas, placed in ritualistic arrangements.

The Symbolism within the actual building itself was meticulously planned to reflect philosophical and religious principles, and above all to symbolize the majesty of imperial power. Two examples are =
YELLOW is the colour of the Emperor. Almost all roofs within the Forbidden City bear yellow glazed tiles.
The main halls of the Outer and Inner Courts are all arranged in groups of three --- the shape of the Qing triagram, representing Heaven.

Being the largest Imperial Palace in the world, it has over 8,728 rooms and is the world's largest collection of well-preserved medieval wooden structures.