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1406
Commissioned
In 1406 the Forbidden city was commissioned by the Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty. He wanted to move the Capitol from Nanjing to Beijing. It took 14 years to build, but renovations have been done since. 230,000 artisans and over one million workers built and designed it. The Emporers lived in the forbidden city, and the majority of the government was stationed in the Forbidden City. It was forbidden from the Public up until 1925. -
Period: 1406 to
The Forbidden City (click for more info)
The Forbidden City has more than 90 palace compounds which are composed of 98 buildings and it is surrounded by a moat that is 52 meters wide. Each building is built to symbolize a different amount of power depending on what things would occur there in accordance with the Treatise on Architectural Methods. 24 emporers over the course of over 500 years and two dynasties lived there. It is the oldest and largest Imperial palace in the world. -
1420
Construction finished and occupied by the court
In 1420, the court officially moved into the Forbidden City as it became the new capital of the dynasty. It was off-limits to the general population and people only had access to certain parts of the city, although, the Emporer could go wherever he wanted in the forbidden city, which is 178 acres in total. Zhu Di became the first Emporer to live in the Forbidden City. It became the political and ritual center of China for the next 500 Years. -
Fire burns three halls in the outer court and three halls in the inner court.
6 important halls burned down in a fire and it was a long costly repair. The repairs lasted 30 years, up until 1627. -
Rebel army attacks
In 1644 a rebel army attacked Beijing and backed up the last emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Youjian, who was forced to kill himself. They took over Beijing for a short period of time before the Manchu army composed of the remaining Ming supporters marched in and took it back. They had to rebuild lots of Beijing and part of the Forbidden City. It reformed the government and led to the Qing Dynasty, which was the last Chinese Imperial Empire, ending in 1912. -
Emperor Qianlong gets to the throne
he expands and improves the city throughout his reign -
Last resident leaves
The last resident of the Forbidden City left in 1925 as it was turned into the Palace Museum. It is still one of the most important cultural structures in the Peoples Republic of China. Over 80,000 people visit it daily. This was one of the first times that the Forbidden City was opened to the general public -
Forbidden city is Declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO
A World Cultural Heritage Site is a "World Heritage is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy." according to UNESCO
