Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is a place of pure imperial grandeur—one of the most impressive palace complexes in the world! History & Scale: Walking through this massive imperial palace, it’s easy to see why it was home to emperors for over 500 years. The architecture, intricate wood carvings, and golden rooftops make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. What to Expect: The complex is huge—be ready to walk a lot! Every section has historical significance, from the Gate of Supreme Harmony to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The details in the palaces, gardens, and throne rooms are absolutely stunning. Location & Accessibility: It’s right in the heart of Beijing, making it easy to reach on foot or via metro. Definitely worth getting a guided tour or an audio guide to fully appreciate the deep history behind each building. Overall: A once-in-a-lifetime experience—walking through the Forbidden City feels like stepping into a different era. Absolutely a must-visit when in Beijing!

The Forbidden City is a breathtaking testament to China's imperial history and architectural grandeur. Walking through its vast courtyards and ornate halls feels like stepping back in time. The intricate carvings, vibrant colors, and sheer scale of the palace complex are awe-inspiring. Highlights include the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Imperial Garden. Tip: Arrive early to avoid crowds and wear comfortable shoes, as the grounds are extensive.

Such a big place but very clean and full of interesting history! My husband and I enjoyed walking, taking photos and reading the important facts which are displayed all over the place. This is definitely not to be missed in Beijing. You will enjoy seeing different women dressed in pretty costumes and having their photos taken. Very lovely and highly recommended to see!

Splendid place and piece of Chinese history. A very well preserved piece of history. It is on a huge piece of land but the whole area is so clean and beautiful. You will see huge crowds but don’t feel crowded. Lines move very fast in China and people are very civilized. Totally enjoyed my visit to this great place.

This place is VAST… you can’t imagine the scale, it would take a whole day to walk around properly and you still probably wouldn’t see everything. In order to get in you have to book online in advance to get tickets, or have a guided tour which would have sorted that for you, and be sure to take your passport or you won’t be allowed in. The buildings within are huge, as are the walls encasing them, all very well maintained with eye catching colour, especially the traditional red, as to be expected. Be sure to check the roofs, walls and floors for all the intricate details, our guide, Jimmy, gave us all the info and meaning behind everything and explained the history to us. There a SO many relics, artefacts, items of furniture, paintings etc. in the rooms, it’s outstanding how much there really is. From certain points within the city you can see the Beijing skyline which is such a juxtaposition. Despite there being a limit on the number of tickets available each day it’s still incredibly crowded and there are secret police taking a good look to make sure you are behaving as well. Toward the exit of the city there are gorgeous gardens with natural stone / rock, carvings, plenty of trees and vegetation, unfortunately our group was rushed through this part as we had other places to be, which is a shame as we would have liked to see more here.

Located at 4 Jingshan Front Street, Beijing, China 🇨🇳. Forbidden City is the Imperial Palace Complex in the centre of the Imperial City in Beijing. It was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing dynasty Emperor’s and the centre of political power in China 🇨🇳 for over 500 years from 1420 to 1924. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. The Forbidden City was constructed from 1406 to 1420 and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The Forbidden City is a rectangle measuring 961m from north to south and 753m from east to west. It consists of 980 surviving buildings. The city is surrounded by a 7.9m high city wall and a 6m deep by 52m wide moat. The walls are 8.62m wide at the base tapering to 6.66m wide at the top. There are towers at each of the four corners of the city. It’s very crowded in the Forbidden City as it’s Beijing’s most popular attraction with both locals and tourists. So be prepared. The buildings and gardens are breathtaking. You could easily spend hours just exploring the many beautiful buildings. Walking through the courtyards and the stunning halls is like you are stepping back in time. To avoid the crowds more, I would suggest arriving early and there’s a lot of walking so wear comfortable shoes. There’s gift shops if you want buy a souvenir. You can come in a tour group or come by yourself and go at your own pace. Forbidden City is a MUST when visiting Beijing. I loved it and would recommend absolutely. Thumbs Up!!! 👍👍👍

The feeling is amazing the moment you step into this home of past emperors. You must visit this wonderful place at least once in your lifetime. With a guide you can understand how life is as an emperor living in the past. Getting a ticket is never easy and especially during the summer or major holidays in China.

A must see - words can’t describe the grandeur of this palace. You have to be there yourself to feel the size of this magnificent palace. Truly, it is one of the best preserved palace in the world with long history dating back to Ming dynasty in 1300.