The Forbidden City, also known as the Imperial Palace or Palace Museum, situated in central Beijing, was the power center of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties from 1420 to 1912.

The vast palace was called "forbidden" because commoners could not enter the complex without special permission during that period. Only courtiers were allowed to seek an audience with the emperor.

Today, however, the palace welcomes crowds of commoners instead of courtiers as it has become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Beijing.

Statistics available show that the Palace Museum attracts over 7 million visitors annually with its magnificent architecture and precious collections of cultural and art objects.

Starting March 1, 2004, the museum administration has permitted free visits by primary and middle school students and college students majoring in history, architecture and arts on Tuesdays.

Visits are already booked into 2006, according to Jin Hongkui, vice president of the Palace Museum.

Jin said the great pleasure in visiting the Imperial Palace is to enjoy the colorful architectural arts and rare relics displayed there.

The Forbidden City was first constructed in 1406 and completed in 1420. Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled the country from here. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the palace caught fire several times but was reconstructed and expanded later.

The entire palace area, rectangular in shape and 720,000 square meters in size, takes up one-third of the eight kilometer-long central axis of Beijing's old city proper, from the city gate of Yongdingmen on the south to the Drum and Bell Towers on the north.

The harmonious assemblage of buildings displays the best characteristics of Chinese architecture -- majestic style, flawless construction, and fine coordination of the whole and the parts, said Jin.

Having over 9,000 rooms, the palace is the largest and best preserved remaining ancient architecture in China, built on a cosmically mandated north-south axis, and surrounded by a 52-meter-wide city moat and a ten-meter high wall.

The size and space of the palace is exquisitely calculated according to different functions and importance. It is mainly divided into the Outer Court and Inner Court. The most impressive buildings on the palace ground are Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Dian), Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghe Dian) and Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe Dian).

Viewed from afar, these palaces built on eight-meter-high white marble foundations take on a grandeur that is almost mythological.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the most elegant of the three, also known as "Hall of the Golden Throne", is the place where grand ceremonies were held. It is 30.05 meters high, 13.96 meters wide from east to west and 37.2 meters from north to south and its roof is supported with 84 huge pillars, each a meter in diameter.

Six of these pillars, decorated with gold dragons, surround the throne which rests on a two-meter-high platform. Sculptures of divine cranes, incense burners and tripods stand in front and a meticulously carved screen behind. The hall is filled with priceless gold art and jewelry on display.

The Hall of Central Harmony is where emperors rehearsed for ceremonies and took short rests before going into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Behind it, the Hall of Preserving Harmony is where on Lunar New Year's Eve the emperor feasted the noble of ethnic groups.

The last two halls, built entirely of wood, have eaves covered with paintings.

Beyond the Hall of Preserving Harmony is the inner palace, where the Hall of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing Gong), Hall of Union (Jiaotai Dian) and Hall of Earthly Tranquillity (Kunning Gong) stand on the central axis and are flanked by six eastern and six western courtyards.

The inner palace is the area where emperors conducted daily routine work and lived with their empresses and concubines.

Following the Republican Revolution of 1911, the new provisional government at Nanjing struck an agreement with the Manchus, guaranteeing that after the last emperor, Aisin Giorro Pu Yi, abdicated, he and his huge family could continue to live in the Forbidden City on a stipend equivalent to four million US dollars a year. In addition, the family would be granted ownership of the great art treasures that had been collected by previous emperors.

Pu Yi continued to live in the palace until 1924, when a warlord evicted him and forced him to escape to Tianjin. In 1925 the Forbidden City became a public cultural and historical museum.

At present, the Imperial Palace has become a major tourist attraction. Visitors can stroll freely through the Imperial Garden and enter many palace buildings, including the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Outer Court and the Hall of Heavenly Purity in the Inner Court.

They can also view displays of printings, calligraphy, bronze, jade, and other items from the vast imperial art collection which, despite pillaging by eunuchs, fire damage, and the loss of many items during the Chinese civil war from 1945-49, still numbers over one million items, accounting for one-sixth of the China's total relic items.

Combining all the classical patterns of the ancient Chinese architecture, the Forbidden City represents the highest achievements of the ancient Chinese architecture and engineering, said Jin, the vice-president.

Such as it is, the Forbidden City was put under state protection in 1961 and listed as part of the world's cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1987.

Currently, a large-scale repair project, said to be the largest of its kind since 1911, is proceeding smoothly in the Forbidden City.

The repair project, designated to restore and face-lift the original look of the imperial palace, began in 2002 and is expected to be completed before the convening of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Jin said the repair project is expected to bring a "big change" to the Forbidden City, presenting visitors from around the world an ancient and magnificent architectural complex.

Useful information:

1. Photographing is forbidden.
2. At Meridian Gate, visitors can rent a guide tape in different languages with a player, which introduces the history and architecture of the palace. The tape and player can be returned at the north gate of the Palace Museum.
3. Don't forget to visit the Jingshan (Coal Hill) Park, on the opposite of the palace's north gate, from where you can see the splendid layout of the palace.

Opening time: 8:00-16:00 (May-September); 8:30-15:30 (October-April);

Entry ticket: 60 yuan/person (busy season), 40 yuan/person (slow season);

Some of the museums have additional charges.

Transport:
--Subways: Line 1: get down at Tian'anmen East;  Line 3: get down at Qianmen;

--Buses: No. 1, 4, 5, 10, 20, 22, 52, 57, 802; 

It is within walking distance from Wangfujing, Xidan or Qianmen.

Tel: 8610-65132255.

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(Xinhua News Agency & China.org.cn June 23, 2004)