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Culture
Like a fortress enclosed by a 10-meter-high wall and a wide moat, the 960-meter-long rectangular complex of the Forbidden City is located in the center of Beijing. There are a total of 890 palaces with 8,886 rooms on the site. According to a legend, there are actually 9,999½ rooms. The half room is symbolic in nature. According to it, only heaven was allowed to have a palace with 10,000 rooms. Built from 1406 to 1420, the Imperial Palace forms the largest ensemble of classical Chinese buildings. It is called the "Forbidden City" because no one but the emperor was allowed to enter on his own authority. With principal and concubines, children and eunuchs, up to 3,000 people lived here.
Structure and symbolism The ceremonial and functional buildings in the south of the Forbidden City occupy the larger part of the area; they were off-limits to women. Apart from eunuchs, high officials also worked there or envoys appeared for audience. In the north, the residential courtyards of the emperor and his harem are crowded. In both parts, the main buildings line up along Beijing's great north-south axis. Almost all are covered with yellow glazed tiles, the emperor's symbolic color, representing the empire founded on the yellow loess soil of northern China to the heavens. The cloud dragon is omnipresent in the Forbidden City's building decoration as the emperor's symbolic animal bringing blessings; in the rear halls it is joined by the phoenix, symbolic animal of the empress.
Unesco World Heritage since 1987
Chinese name: Gùgong 故宫
According to legend, there are 9,999 1/2 rooms
Allow at least three hours for sightseeing
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