On this day in 1925, the Forbidden City opened to the public for the first time. A grand opening ceremony of the museum was held in front of the Qianqing Palace. It is said that as many as 50,000 people participated. The mysterious Forbidden City in the past has since opened its doors and has become the Palace Museum for the people of China and the world.
Time flies, the 600-year-old Forbidden City is everlasting. It is not an isolated historical relic, but is closely related to our lives. It carries the changes of the seasons and enriches our memory with emotion.
Although you may have been to the Forbidden City more than once, today’s in-depth tour guide of the Forbidden City is still worth collecting! The hidden palace, the highlights of the four seasons, the surrounding food, let’s get to know the Forbidden City together, and feel the bricks and tiles, the grass and the trees 600 years ago!
Forbidden City
The Palace Museum implements one-way visits from south to north
Except for statutory holidays, the Palace Museum is closed on Mondays throughout the year
The swords, lights, swords and shadows and anecdotes and secrets in the court drama are just small footnotes in the legendary history. The more essence is these magnificent palaces and the ingenious and well-preserved cultural relics in the palaces.
This is the largest existing palace complex in the world, from Ming Chengzu Zhu Di to the last emperor Puyi, 24 emperors have staged stories of love, hate, sorrow and joy, strategizing and changing thrones here in the past 500 years.
Behind the deep imperial gate was once the imagination of the common people, but now you can walk among the golden tiles and red walls and explore every legend. Or roam in the temples with countless treasures, and take a cultural journey through time and space.
You can’t see all the secrets in the palace by looking at the flowers. With an attitude of curiosity and exploration, to touch the glory and decline of the empire, you may be able to truly discover the entrance to the Forbidden City.
Advanced VR technology has already allowed you to spy on every corner of the world, but only when you are in the bricks, tiles, plants and trees that have been touched by history can you truly feel the glory of the prosperous world at that time.
Meridian Gate to the Three Halls of the Outer Dynasty
The central gate of the Meridian Gate Tower is also the “Royal Road Gate” for the emperor to enter and exit. Passing through the Meridian Gate, don’t rush to cross the Neijinshui Bridge where Minister Wen Wu of Taihedian Square walks, you can first go to the Yanji Tower of the Morning Gate, stand on a high place and overlook the whole Forbidden City, or walk along the city wall through the Southeast Corner Tower to Donghua Gate.
Then you might as well spare 1 hour to visit the Wenhua Hall and Wuying Hall on the east and west sides of Taihe Gate. They are set up as the Painting and Calligraphy Museum and the New Ceramics Museum respectively. Feast for the eyes.
Remember not to miss the only Yuan Dynasty relic in the palace – Broken Rainbow Bridge. It is located outside the Taihe Gate and east of Wuying Hall. It is a single-arch stone coupon across the Neijinshui River. The bridge deck is paved with white marble boulders, and the stone railings on both sides are carved with patterns of flowers and dragons.
The majestic three halls are the place where major national ceremonies are held. Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is the largest and most regulated in the Forbidden City, you can see the golden lacquer cloud-dragon-patterned throne and the screen inside the hall shining brightly. Before leaving, don’t forget to count the running beasts on the ridge of the main hall, the highest level of ten is the only example in history.
Passing through the Hall of Central Harmony and Hall of Preserving Harmony on the north side of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, in addition to thinking of the solemnity of the emperor when he accepted the worship of the deacon officials and presided over the hall examination, remember to pay attention to the golden dragon and seal paintings on the beams of the palace and the Yunlong Great Hall on the north side of the Hall of Preserving Harmony. Stone carving, every detail shows the ingenuity of royal craftsmanship.
The Three Palaces of the Inner Court
The inner court and the outer court are bounded by Qianqingmen. Before starting the tour of the inner court, you might as well find a place to eat something to replenish your physical strength. The Ice Cellar Restaurant on the southeast side of the Cining Palace offers set menus, roast duck and ridge animal popsicles.
The latter three palaces are the place where the emperor governs the government and lives. The “Zhengda Guangming” plaque hanging in the Qianqing Palace is the imperial pen of Shunzhi, and Yongzheng once hid the secret storage box behind it. On the stone chambers on the east and west sides of the palace, there are two small halls with gilt bronze, namely Jiangshan Hall and Sheji Hall.
In the Jiaotai Hall, which celebrates the Queen’s birthday, there is a “Wuwei” plaque in which Qianlong respectfully copied Kangxi’s handwriting. On the Liang Fang of the gates on the east and west sides of the hall, there is a painted painting of the golden phoenix above the golden dragon.
The Kunning Palace in the north was the queen’s residence in the Ming Dynasty, and was rebuilt into a shamanistic worship place during the Shunzhi period. It is also the marriage room of three Qing emperors.
Inner Court East and West Road
The Hall of Mental Cultivation, located on West Nei Ting Road, has been the emperor’s palace since Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, and the Empress Dowager Cixi is also here. The Chuxiu Palace behind the Hall of Mental Cultivation, as the blessed land of Empress Dowager Cixi, is the most luxurious and elegant among the Six West Palaces.
The Cining Palace on the Inner Court Outer West Road is the residence of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuangwen and the concubines of the previous dynasty. It can be called a harem nursing home. Palace cats often appear in quiet corners such as the Imperial Garden and Cining Palace Garden, so “cat slaves” can pay attention.
The Fengxian Hall, where ancestors are worshipped, is located on Neiting East Road and used to be a clock and clock hall. Now the Clock and Watch Museum is located in the bungalow on the south side of Fengxianmen.
Not far to the north is the most legendary Yanxi Palace among the Six Eastern Palaces – an unfinished Western Crystal Palace, which was destroyed before the Qing court was completed.
The Ningshou Palace area on the inner court and outer east road is undoubtedly a condensed version of the Forbidden City, embodying Qianlong’s dream of seclusion.
Starting from the Nine Dragon Wall, go straight to the Huangji Hall, where the “Feast of Thousands of Old Men” was held. The east and west rooms on both sides of the hall are now treasure halls.
The Ningshou Palace behind the Huangji Palace is also the place where the shaman worships the gods. Continue to the north, the hidden secrets of Changyin Pavilion are completely worth stopping.
If you are interested in calligraphy after seeing Yushan, the treasure of the town hall, Dayu Controlling Water, don’t miss the Jingsheng zha Dharma Post on the east and west verandas of Yihexuan.
Forbidden City Architectural Tips
The buildings of the Forbidden City are mainly made of wood, and fire prevention is the top priority. Wenyuan Pavilion has countless books, and is most afraid of water. The black main water means avoiding fire, so black glazed tiles are used for the roof.
Pay attention to the stone fence by the pool in front of Wenyuan Pavilion. The bas-reliefs on it are all patterns such as shells, corals, seahorses, turtles, elephants, etc., which also means to drive away fire. In addition, Wenyuan Pavilion is located on the east side of the Forbidden City. The east belongs to wood in the Five Elements, which represents breeding and growth. Therefore, the whole body of the building is painted in green, which symbolizes vitality.
If you look closely at the doors and windows of the old palace, you will also gain something. Among them, the highest and most beautiful ones are the three-handed and six-bowl Linghua windows, which have the beautiful meaning of the intersection of heaven and earth, and are also a symbol of orthodox imperial power. It can only be used on the highest-level buildings such as the Hall of Harmony and the Hall of Central Harmony. In addition, there is a lower-level double-cross four-bowl style, and friends who are interested can look for it.
Four Seasons Tour of the Forbidden City
Spring flowers, green shades, autumn colors, and the Forbidden City under the silver dress are like dreams and poems every time we meet.
In March, the apricot flowers in the Yucuiting Pavilion, the begonias in the Wenhua Hall, the pear flowers in the Chengqian Palace in April, the lilac in the Wuying Hall in April, the peony and the peony in the Cining Palace in May, and the wisteria flowers in the Imperial Garden are all so beautiful that people can’t be moved. Open your eyes.
There is abundant rain in summer, and if there is a chance, you can see the magnificent scene of Qianlong spitting water in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. To the north of Broken Rainbow Bridge, there is the largest ginkgo forest in the Forbidden City. Yanxi Palace and Cining Palace Garden have the largest and oldest ginkgo trees respectively. The scale of ginkgo trees in Wenhua Palace is not small.
Before noon on the winter solstice and at noon, the “Jianji Suiyou” plaque in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the “Zhengdaguangguang” plaque in the Qianqing Palace will be lit up with golden light, which is a rare spectacle in a year.
- Now go to the Forbidden City, what can you see?
- Viewing the World Heritage – The Macao Museum of Art Collection of the Haojiang Landscape and Architecture Painting Exhibition
- Exhibition location: Sai Palace Exhibition Hall
- Exhibition time: 2022/09/24- 2022/11/06
- The exhibition selects 82 pieces from the collection of the Macao Museum of Art, which are divided into three sections: “A Thousand Sails Welcome Guests from afar”, “One City and One Hundred Kinds of Spring”, focusing on showing the creations of Macao and foreign painters from the 18th to the 21st centuries in the style of Macao. The painting works on the theme present the architectural essence and cultural connotation of Macao’s world cultural heritage.
All Beings and Different Forms – Special Exhibition of Figure Paintings of Past Dynasties Collected by the Palace Museum (Phase 3)
- Venue: Wenhuadian Painting and Calligraphy Museum
Exhibition time: 2022/08/30- 2022/10/30
A total of 96 folklore paintings of figures of past dynasties in the Palace Museum are selected for display in the exhibition. The gestures, frowns and smiles of the characters in the masterpieces all present vivid and colorful images of sentient beings and scenes of ancient life.
“Seeing the Heart of Heaven and Earth – The Meaning and Image of the Chinese Study”
- The exhibition aims to explore and explain the cultural core of the Chinese study room and how to give the image of “study room” the spirit of the times. The exhibition is divided into 3 units, “Wai Huai Qin Shu”, “Zhengyi Ming Dao” and “Deed Frost Snow”.
Forbidden City, what else can I see?
Jingshan Park
Climbing to the Wanchun Pavilion at the highest point of Jingshan and looking at the layout of the Forbidden City, the trip to the Forbidden City is considered a complete success. When the weather is good, almost all the landmark buildings in the city can be seen, such as the Bell and Drum Tower on the north side, the White Pagoda on the west side, and the CCTV Building on the east side.
The best time to visit Jingshan Park is before sunset, when the Forbidden City and Beihai White Pagoda are particularly charming in the afterglow. At the turn of spring and summer, the tulips and peonies in full bloom at the foot of Jingshan are also scenic spots. In addition, don’t forget to pay attention to the circular signs that may appear under your feet, which is also the center of Beijing City.
When the Yuan Dynasty was in the capital, it was turned into a back garden for the royal family to visit and a place for the emperor to cultivate himself. The reason why it got the name “Jingshan”, in addition to being the place of the emperor’s “royal scenery”, also takes the meaning of “Zhibei Jingshan, Songbai Maru” in the “Book of Songs”. After the “Gengzi Incident”, it became the headquarters of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, and since then it has also served as the “Red Guards Park” and the Children’s Palace.
Going down the stone steps on the east side, a low old locust tree with a crooked neck is the place where Chongzhen hanged himself. Unfortunately, the original old locust tree was cut down as the “Four Olds”, and the existing locust tree was transplanted from Jianguomen. There is an obvious typo on the monument “Ming Sizong died for the country” on the side of the locust tree. In order to express his contempt for the Japanese invaders, the inscription on the inscription at that time deliberately wrote “Ming” on the left side of the word “Ming” to show that he was in the eye. No day.
Continuing north, the Guande Hall behind the Peony Garden used to be a royal archery range. Passing through lush Berlin, the building complex of Shouhuang Palace (free of charge), which has been opened to the public, is a place for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to suspend their spirits, enshrine imperial statues and worship ancestors. The pair of stone lions in front of the hall are relics of the Yuan Dynasty. The three arches at the entrance of the hall are built according to the highest grade of royal buildings, and the beams and columns are all golden nanmu.
Zhongshan Park
In addition to the well-preserved Ming and Qing historical sites, Zhongshan Park, which is separated by a wall from the Forbidden City, is also a rare “big flower garden” in the city. Whether it’s viewing flowers or exploring ancient times, the price of tickets will make you feel good. When Emperor Chengzu of Ming Dynasty built the Forbidden City, according to the system of “Zuozu Youshe”, the Xingguo Temple on the west side of the Liao and Jin Dynasties was rebuilt into the altar of rice and grain, which became the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the god of land and the god of grain. After Mr. Sun Yat-sen passed away in 1925, his body was placed here, so it was renamed Zhongshan Park.
If you want to go rafting on the river, pedal boats and battery boats can be rented at the cruise pier in the northwest corner of the park. You can also find an excellent angle for shooting the southwest corner of the Forbidden City.
In addition, in the Zhongshan Park Concert Hall on the southeast side of the Sheji Temple, performances by the China Philharmonic Orchestra and top Western orchestras are often held. Park tickets need to log in to the WeChat public account “Changyou Park” to make real-name reservations.
Eating and drinking bases inside and outside the palace
Forbidden City Corner Cafe
It is no longer difficult to find a place to have a drink around the Forbidden City. The appearance of the Cafe in the Corner Tower of the Forbidden City makes people no longer have a sense of distance from this once serious imperial city. However, in the face of the endless stream of tourists who come to check in, there are better options to go east and west.
The regeneration plan of Longfu Temple and Baita Temple has spawned many distinctive and tasteful bars and cafes, which have taken root in the hutongs for you to choose.
Four Seasons Minfu (Forbidden City)
Not far from the Donghua Gate of the Forbidden City is this old Beijing roast duck restaurant with a good reputation and popularity. As a representative of the new style of roast duck, it is more friendly to the people and has better taste than some old restaurants. In addition to the crispy and tender roast duck, traditional dishes such as dry-fried small balls, yellow altar incense, mustard duck palms, mixed bean sprouts, and palace almond tofu can also make you feast.
The Forbidden City store has a very inconspicuous front, but there is something special inside. Line up at least 2 hours before the meal starts to have a chance to sit on the view seat by the window.
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