Forbidden City

page two

More
Forbidden City
insights

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Mammoth

The Forbidden City in Beijing is huge by any standard:

Size
It measures 960 meters (3200 feet) by 750 meters (2500 feet). That's equivalent to over 20 football fields.

Walls
The palace is surrounded by a thick, 10 meter (33 foot) high defensive wall that is in turn surrounded by a moat as wide as a river. 

Rooms
The rooms in the Forbidden City once numbered 9,999 (nine is a lucky digit).

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Largest &
most famous structure

The Hall of Supreme Harmony (see photo) wins that honor. Imperial ceremonies were held here.

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Population

In its heyday, some six-thousand people lived in the Forbidden City. This included the emperor and his royal family, and his concubines, servants and eunuchs (who were prolific instigators of royal intrigue).

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Final emperor resident

He was Puyi, the young male depicted in Bertolucci's 1987 epic, "The Last Emperor." Puyi was permanently evicted in 1924.

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Suggested
length of visit

The Forbidden City is so expansive that I recommend you reserve a minimum of a half day on your first visit just to become acquainted with it. Then return to absorb the details.

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Click

Forbidden City - Page one

for more pointers

Wonders of China

Wonders of China - Locator map

World's Top 100 Wonders

World's Top 1000 Wonders

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CNTO

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