Forbidden City

Forbidden City is a palace complex standing in the center of Beijing. In Chinese it is called Purple Forbidden City. "Purple" is a symbolic color in the Chinese mythology. It is believed that the palaces of Emperor of Heaven are in purple. Therefore, where the temporal emperors live should have the same color. The palace was inaccessible to the common people. Even the highest civil and military officers could not enter it without permission. This is how Purple Forbidden City came to be known. The Forbidden City was built in 1406 and completed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty. It was the home of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Covering an area of 720,000 square meters, the Forbidden City consists of two parts, the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court standing 8 meters above the ground on three-tiered terrace of white marble is formed with the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Midway Hall of Harmony and the Hall of Preserved Harmony. On their east side stands the Hall of Literary Glory; on the west side is the Hall of Military Prowess. The layout is orderly and symmetrical. The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the highest of the halls in the Forbidden City, is where the important ceremonies like enthronement, the emperor's birthday or initiation of military expeditions were held. The Inner Court is where the emperor and his family - empress, concubines and dowagers lived.