China Imperial Palace - The Forbidden City

1600x1200   1024x768   200x150

Imperial Palace - The Forbidden City

 

Also called the Imperial Palace, the Forbidden City is situated in the heart of Beijing.

It was the residence of twenty four emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1368 to 1911.

The Chinese Imperial Palace was constructed from 1406 to 1420. Known also as the Palace Museum, the Imperial Palace is one of Beijing’s most sought after attraction in the city by tourists.

For almost five hundred years, the place known as the Forbidden City has sparked rumors and

hushed conversations among the country’s locals since ordinary folk were not allowed to enter it.

The intrigue and mystery surrounding the Imperial Palace is mostly based on the rituals and ceremonies that only those surrounding the Emperor and his family knew about.

Several of the most intriguing secrets of the Palace were revealed through the stunning craftsmanship

of the artisans who worked and served within the Imperial Court. The precious gifts and ornaments left behind also provide a clue on how life inside the Palace was, especially when the Qing Dynasty ruled the land from the seventeenth to the twentieth century.

The dynasty of the Qing was China’s last ruling family and their reign ended with the last emperor, Xuantong Puyi, in 1911. Puyi’s life was re-enacted in the Academy award winning movie, The Last Emperor, which was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.