The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), a World Heritage site since 1987, imparts a sense of grandeur and wealth, an aura of pomp and majesty that has passed down the ages. This secret city was closed off from the world for 500 years but now its 720,000 square meters of courtyards, pavilions, great halls, gardens and nearly 10,000 rooms are open to all and it has become one of the most popular historical sites in the world.[China.org.cn/Photo by Mei Sheng]