The Palace's buildings contain over 8700 rooms and halls. The Palace has been an ongoing work. One building was restored after catching fire as recently as 1987. Most of the buildings date from the 1700's. The Palace was 500 years old before it was opened to the public; the first tourists were allowed to enter it during the 1920's. Nationalist Chinese removed many of the Palace's treasures in 1937 to keep the out of the hands of the Japanese area; in 1949 those treasures were taken to Taiwan. The Forbidden City's main area is surrounded first by a moat and then by a 35ft high wall. There are four main gates into the walled compound: The Meridan Gate faces south and is the largest of the gates, it accesses the Outer Courtyard; The Gate of the Divine Warrior faces north; two smaller gates, the East Flowery Gate and the West Flowery Gate, also exist. Once inside the walled city though, there are a number of other gates that lead into the various palaces and halls. A basic map of the walled city is available online. A few of the more interesting places within the walled city: - Halls of Harmony: Built on a raised marble foundation, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was the tallest building in Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties and the biggest of the three Harmony halls. Two bronze tortoises in front of the hall represent longevity. Inside is the Dragon Throne, from where the emperor exercised his authority. The Hall of Middle Harmony was the smallest of the three Harmony halls and was used mostly as a place wher the emperor could prepare to enter the large halls. The Hall of Preserving Harmony was used for New Year's banquets.
- Palace of Heavenly Purity: Ming emperors used this building as their sleeping quarters. Qing emperors used it as an audience hall and a state banquet facility. Originally built in 1420, it burnt down several times and the current building goes back to 1798.
- Imperial Flower Garden: One of the few pieces of greenery inside the walled compound. The gardenis about 12,000 square meters.The Hall of Imperial Peace stands in the middle of the garden and is guarded by golden unicorns. The garden also contains a pavillion named for each season of the year. And there is a landscaped mountain in the garden with the Pavillion of Imperial View on top of it.
- Hall of Union: Potential concubines passed through here to be "approved." Imperial seals are on display in a glass case.
- Palace of Earthly Tranquility: Ming emperors granted this building to their wives as the residences of the empress. The Qing emperors also used the building for religious ceremonies that included the sacrifice of four pigs each day.
- Hall of Mental Cultivation: China's last emperor, Pu Yi, used this as his personal residence.
- Nine Dragons Screen: One of the city's most symbolic edifices.
- Imperial Treasury: Includes a display of some of the palace treasures.
- Well of the Concubine Zhen: This well is supposed to have become the final resting place of the concubine Zhen Fei in 1898 when Emperoress Cixi had her thrown down it. Cixi and her husband, Guangxu, then fled to Xi'an. How much of this story is history and how much is legend is hard to say...
A few government offices are also housed in the building. There is a 5000 seat banquet hall, a 10,000 seat assembly hall, and some 30 reception rooms named for and styled after a region of China.The Number Four Thing to Do: Visit the Museum of Chinese History Also known as the National Museum of China. The museum dates to before Communism came to power, being founded in 1926. Over 5,500 objects are on display out of a collection of 300,000. Included: the fossilized remains of the Beijing Man, painted pottery and jade wares of the Neolithic Age, 3000-year-old Shang Dynasty bronze ware, and Song Dynasty ceramics. At the time of this writing the Museum was promoting an exhibit on Chinese Tea Wares, an collection from the art works of the Inner Mongolia that included over 200 pieces, and an exhibit from the He Chuangshi Fund for Calligraphy. The Museum of the Chinese Revolution is nearby and focuses on the history of the Communist Party in China. ... The Number Five Thing to Do: Visit Sun Yatsen Park South of the Imperial Palace, the park was originally the site of a temple. Sun Yatsen was a leader of the 1911 revolution that brought an end to the Manchu Dynasty. The park was named for him in 1928. Cypress trees grace the park. A white marble arch in the park was originally used to mark the spot where Germany's ambassador was assassinated during the Boxer rebellion in 1900; it was moved to the park in 1919. ... The Number Six Thing to Do: Visit Jing Shan (Coal Hill) North of the Imperial Palace, this hill gives a good view of the Palace grounds and some of the surrounding area. A great spot to take pictures from...
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