Forbidden City

What is the Forbidden City, China?

The Forbidden City (The Palace Museum) is situated in Dongcheng District, Beijing, north of Tiananmen Square, adjacent to Wangfujing Street to the east and bordering Zhongnanhai to the west. Its majestic architecture radiates grandeur with resplendent golden hues, earning its place among the "World's Five Great Palaces" alongside Versailles, Buckingham Palace, the White House, and the Kremlin.

Spanning 780,000 square meters, the complex is encircled by 10-meter-high walls and a 52-meter-wide moat. Its rectangular layout measures 753 meters east-west and 961 meters north-south, featuring four gates—with Shenwumen (Gate of Divine Might) to the north and Wumen (Meridian Gate) to the south serving as primary visitor entrances.

As the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City evolved into a comprehensive museum housing priceless historical artifacts. Originally an exclusive imperial domain forbidden to commoners—hence its name—construction began in 1406 AD under Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty and completed in 1420. Over five centuries, 24 emperors resided here, governing China and making pivotal state decisions.

Forbidden City Tickets: Prices & Booking Tips

Booking Tips

• Tickets are limited to 40,000 per day to protect the site and ensure a better visitor experience.
• You must book tickets at least 1 day in advance through the official website or authorized platforms like Trip.com.
• Bring your passport or ID for entry, as it will be checked against your ticket reservation.

Forbidden City Opening Hours

General Information​​

• ​​Year-Round Operation​​: Open daily except Mondays
  (Closed Mondays unless it falls on a national holiday)
• ​​Dynamic Scheduling​​:
  Hours may extend/shorten during ​​national holidays​​ or due to ​​special events​​
• ​​Real-Time Updates​​:
  Verify changes via official website announcements

​​Seasonal Schedule​​

How to Get to Forbidden City

​​Take Subway to Fobidden City​

• ​​Route:​​ Take ​​Line 1​​ (red line) or ​​Line 8​​ (green line) to ​​Tian'anmen East Station​​.
• ​​Exit:​​ Use ​​Exit B​​ (closest to the Forbidden City's southern entrance).
• ​​Walk:​​ Follow signs to the palace entrance (5-minute walk).
• ​​Tip:​​ Avoid rush hours (7:00–9:00 AM / 5:00–7:00 PM).

Take Bus​ to Fobidden City​

• ​​Routes:​​ Buses ​​1, 2, 52, 82, 120, or Sightseeing Bus 2​​ stop near Tian'anmen Square.
• ​​Key Stop:​​ ​​Tian'anmen East or ​​Tian'anmen West​​.
• ​​Note:​​ Align Google Maps/Maps.me with your destination.

Take Taxi or Didi to Fobidden City​

• ​​Drop-off Point:​​ Ask for "​​Forbidden City South Gate​​".
• ​​Alternative:​​ If roads are closed, get off at ​​East or West Hua Gate​​ and walk 10 minutes.
• ​​App Tips:​​ Use ​​Didi​​ (China’s Uber); enter “故宫博物院” as destination.

​​From Major Transport Hubs​ to Fobidden City​

• ​​Beijing Capital Airport (PEK):​​
• • Subway: Airport Express Line → Dongzhimen → Transfer to ​​Line 2​​ → ​​Jianguomen Station​​ → Transfer to ​​Line 1​​ → ​​Tian'anmen East​​.
  • Taxi: ~1 hour; cost ¥120–150 (use official queue).
• ​​Beijing West/Beijing South Railway Station:​​
• • Take ​​Line 7/14​​ → Transfer to ​​Line 1/8​​ at ​​Wangfujing​​ or ​​Military Museum Station​​.

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Forbidden City Entry & Exit Guide

🚪 ​​Entry Points​

• Entrance to the Meridian Gate: The Meridian Gate is the main entrance of the Palace Museum, located on the south side of the Forbidden City. This door is also one of the most frequently chosen entrances by tourists.
• Donghua Gate Entrance: Donghua Gate is located on the east side of the Forbidden City and is a relatively quiet entrance. By choosing to enter through the Donghua Gate, you can avoid the busy crowds at the Meridian Gate and enjoy a more relaxed tour of the Forbidden City.
• Xihua Gate Entrance: Xihua Gate is located on the west side of the Forbidden City and is also an entrance that is less chosen by tourists. By choosing to enter through the Xihua Gate, you can enjoy another side of the Forbidden City and explore its western area.
• Entrance to Shenwu Gate: Shenwu Gate is the north gate of the Palace Museum, located opposite Jingshan Park. This entrance is rather secluded and has relatively few tourists.

🚶 ​​Exit Points​

1. ​​NORTH GATE​
2. • ​​Main exit.​​ Leads to ​​Jingshan Park​​ (best view over Forbidden City).
   • ​​Bus/Taxi:​​ Walk 300m west to bus stops; Didi pickup zone 500m east.
2. ​​EAST GLORY GATE​
3. • ​​Best for:​​
   • • Visiting Wangfujing or National Art Museum.
     • Less crowded exit (often faster).
   • ​​Taxi/Didi:​​ Easier pickup than North Gate.
3. ​​WEST GLORY GATE​
4. • ​​Use if:​​ Heading to Zhongnanhai area or Beihai Park.
   • Scenic riverside walk along moat.

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Forbidden City Map & Route

Source from china highlights

The Forbidden City is divided into two main areas – the grand Outer Court and the private Inner Court. Here's your simple route through 600 years of imperial history!

​​Classic Central Axis Route (3–3.5 hours)​​

Start at the ​​Meridian Gate (Wǔ Mén)​​ and walk straight north through the ​​Outer Court​​, pausing at the ​​Hall of Supreme Harmony​​, ​​Hall of Central Harmony​​, and ​​Hall of Preserving Harmony​​ to admire imperial ceremonial spaces. Continue to the ​​Inner Court​​, exploring the emperor’s residence (​​Palace of Heavenly Purity​​) and empress’s quarters (​​Palace of Earthly Tranquility​​), then unwind in the ​​Imperial Garden​​’s ancient pavilions before exiting via the ​​North Gate (Shénwǔ Mén)​​. For iconic views, cross the street to ​​Jingshan Park​​ afterward.

​​Deep Dive Route + Western/Eastern Palaces (5 hours)​​

After following the Central Axis to the ​​Palace of Earthly Tranquility​​, detour west to the ​​Six Western Palaces​​—highlighting the ​​Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yǎng Xīn Diàn)​​, where Qing emperors governed daily. Then head east to the ​​Six Eastern Palaces​​, immersing yourself in royal treasures at the ​​Treasure Gallery​​ and uncovering history at ​​Concubine Zhen’s Well​​. Exit via the ​​East Glory Gate (Dōnghuá Mén)​​ for quicker taxi access or a stroll along the moat to Wangfujing.

​​Express Route (2–2.5 hours)​​

Enter through the ​​Meridian Gate​​ and proceed directly to the ​​Hall of Supreme Harmony​​, bypassing minor halls. Move briskly to the Inner Court’s highlights: the ​​Palace of Heavenly Purity​​ and the ​​Palace of Earthly Tranquility​​, where Qing weddings were held. Cross the ​​Imperial Garden​​ and exit via the ​​North Gate​​, capturing essential imperial grandeur efficiently—ideal for limited time or late arrivals.

What to See Inside the Forbidden City

1. The throne of the Hall of Supreme Harmony

Source from Google Arts and Culture

The decoration of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is extremely luxurious. Inside the hall, the floor is paved with gold bricks. In the bright room, there is a throne. On both sides of the throne, there are six huge pillars with a diameter of 1.00 meters, each coated with powder and decorated with a pattern of golden clouds and dragons. The gold foil pasted on them is in two shades, making the pattern stand out and be distinct. The building and interior of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, as well as the platforms of the three main halls, are adorned with over 10,000 dragon-patterned decorations.

2. More than 1,000 chi heads

Source from Google Arts and Culture

The Chi Shou is good at draining water, so it was placed on the base of the Sumeru pedestal on the third floor of the Hall of Supreme Harmony to drain the accumulated water in the hall area. When the heavy rain comes, over 1,000 chi heads can present a spectacular scene of a thousand dragons spouting water.

3. Chonglou

Source from Google Arts and Culture

The four corners of the area in the front three halls where the Hall of Supreme Harmony is located are equipped with memorial towers. Only in the courtyards of buildings of very high grades can memorial towers be set up.

4. The Dawen in the Hall of Supreme Harmony

Source from Google Arts and Culture

The Dawen of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest among the existing ancient buildings, standing 3.4 meters tall and weighing 4.3 tons. It is composed of 13 pieces of glazed components.

5. Five pairs of lions

Source from Google Arts and Culture

The largest bronze lions in the Forbidden City are located in front of the Taihe Gate. This pair of bronze lions, one male and one female, have bells hanging around their necks, well-developed muscles and a majestic appearance. It symbolizes the majesty of an emperor and also has sacred and auspicious meanings.

Best Time to Visit the Forbidden City

Source from Unsplash​​

Optimal Months: Mid-September to Late October & April​​

• ​​September–October​​ has Mild temperatures (15°C–25°C), low humidity, and golden autumn foliage in the Imperial Garden. In addition, post-summer crowds thin after ​​September 15​​. This time is very Ideal to visit.
• ​​Spring in Beijing usually lasts from mid-March to early May, with temperatures gradually warming up. In spring, Beijing is windy and sometimes sandstorms occur. The air is relatively dry and there is less precipitation. Overall, spring in Beijing is a great time to explore the charm of the ancient capital and enjoy outdoor activities. It is suitable for strolling through the old city alleys or enjoying the spring scenery and flowers.

⚠️ ​​Avoid​​:

• ​​July–August​​: Peak tourism + sweltering heat (often >35°C), with frequent thunderstorms.
• ​​October 1–7​​: ​​National Day Golden Week​​ – massive crowds (tickets sell out instantly).
• ​​Winter weekdays​​ (Nov–Feb): Short opening hours + biting wind, though snowy scenes are magical.

⏰ ​​Best Days & Times of Day​​

• ​​Weekdays > Weekends​​: Tuesdays–Thursdays are least crowded. Mondays are CLOSED.
• ​​Open at 8:30 AM​​: ​​Arrive by 8:00 AM​​ to queue – you’ll enter near-empty courtyards.
• ​​Late Entry​​: Enter ​​after 3:00 PM​​ (Apr–Oct) or ​​2:30 PM​​ (Nov–Mar) – 60% of crowds leave by then. Last admission is ​​40 mins before closing​​.

🚶 ​​Route Timing Hacks​​

• ​​Morning Visitors​​: Follow the ​​Classic Central Axis Route​​ first (empty for photos!), then explore quieter Western Palaces after 10:30 AM.
• ​​Afternoon Visitors​​: Start in the ​​Treasure Gallery​​ (East), where crowds disperse, then loop back to the Central Axis.
• ​​Golden Hour​​: Exit via ​​North Gate​​ ~30 mins before sunset for ​​Jingshan Park​​’s panoramic view – the Forbidden City glows in "dragon scale" sunlight.

Hotels Near the Forbidden City