The total area of the Forbidden City  is 183 acres, so it takes quite a while to walk through, especially if you want to have a close look at everything. All together there are over 8000 rooms in the Museum, not all of which can be visited.

The Forbidden City is rectangle architecture. It is 961 meters long from south to north and 753 meters wide. There is city wall with 10 meters height around and the moat outside of city wall is 52 meters wide. The Forbidden City has 4 gates. The Gate of Divine Prowess(Shenwumen) on the north, Median Gate(Wumen) on the south, the Eastern Flowery Gate (Donghuamen) on the east, and the Western Flowery Gate (Xihuamen) on the south, the Eestem Folwery Gate (Donghuamen) on the east, and the Western Flowery Gate (xinhuamen) on the west. There are 4 corner towers at the 4 coners of city wall and the whole area is 724.250 square meters.

the forbidden city

On the whole, the Forbidden City is divided into two parts: front court and back chamber. Not only in the Forbidden City, the monarch bed chamber of Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty is divided like so. Front court of the Forbidden City mainly includes the 3 palaces of mid-way and the Hall of Lierary Glory (Wenhuadian), the Pailion of the Source of Lierature(Wenyuange), Shang Si Court, Arrow tower, Imperial Hospital, Imerial Teahouse. Qing Embassy and Cabinet Warehouse of east way. And also Yu Ying Palace. Yan An Palace. Intermal Affairs Mansion , Building Office and Nan Xun Palace of west way. Back bedchamber includes Back Three Palaces of mid way the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqinggong), the Palace of Union and Peace (Jiaotaidian) and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunninggong).

East Six Palaces, Feng Xian Palace, Ning Shou Palace and the Palace of Abstinence(Zhaigong) of east way, West Six Palace, the Hall of Mental Cultivalion (Yangxindian), Ci Ning Palace, Ning Shou Palace kang Palace and Shou An Palace of west way. So you can choose on route or two routes among mid you can choose one route or two routes among mid way (outside court, internal court travel route), west way (internal court west travel route) and east way (internal court east and external east travel route). If you are non-group tourist, suggest you rent multi lingual guide record at Menidian Gate (Wumen) and return when you get the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen). After you visit the Imperial Palace , you go out of the Gate of Dvine Prowess(Shenwumen), enter into Jingshan Park and overlook the panorama of the Imperial Palace. In addition, suggest you visit front-street of Jingshan Park by manpower pedi-cab at cool night of summer. Shining lights are bright and Forbidden City is brilliant. Colored lights from all directions lighten Meridian Gate (Wumen), the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen) turret, palace wall and other main palaces.

The following is the list of the Forbidden City’ architecture:

Area for Grand Audience and Ceremony
Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihe men)
Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe dian)
Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghe dian)

Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness (Hongyi ge)
Gate of Glorious Harmony (Xihe men)
Belvedere of Embodying Benevolence (Tiren ge)
Gate of Blending Harmony (Xiehe men)
Hall of Martial Valor (Wuying dian)
Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe dian)
Hall for Cultivating Virtues (Yude tang)

Imperial Residential Area
Palace of Celestial Favour (Chengqian gong)
Palace of Great Benvolence (Jingren gong)
Gate of Thriving Imperial Clan (Longzong men)
Gate of Heavely Purity (Qianqing men)
Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong)
Palace of Eternal Spring (Changchun gong)
Hall of Union (Jiaotai dian)
Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunning gong)
Gate of Good Fortune (Jingyun men)
Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin dian)
Hall for Abstinence (Zhai gong)
Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong)
Palace of Eternal Harmony (Yonghe gong)
Palace of Accumulated Purity (Zhongcui gong)
Palace of Great Brilliance (Jingyang gong)
Gate of Earthly Tranquility (Kunning men)
Palace of Eternal Longevity (Yongshou gong)
Hall of the Supreme Principle (Taiji dian)
Palace of Earthly Honor (Yikun gong)
Hall of Harmonious Conduct (Tihe dian)
Hall of Manifest Origin (Tiyuan dian)
Palace of Gathered Elegance (Chuxiu gong)
Bower of Enchanting Scenery (Lijing xuan)
Palace of Universal Happiness (Xianfu gong)
Hall of Alignment with the Dao (Tongdao tang)
Rear Palace of the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin dian)

Palace Area for Retired Emperor
Belvedere of Pleasant Sounds (Changyin ge)
Bower of the Ancient Catalpa (Guhua xuan)
Hall of Spiritual Cultivation (Yangxing dian)
Hall of Imperial Supremacy (Huangji dian)
Nine-dragon Screen (Jiulong bi)
Palace of Tranquil Longevity (Ningshou gong)
Hall of Joyful Longevity (Leshou tang)
Gate of Imperial Supremacy (Huangji men)
Gate of Conferring Blessings (Xiqing men)
Gate of Tranquil Longevity (Ningshou men)
Pavilion of the Purification Ceremony (Xishang ting)
Bower of Well-nourished Harmony (Yihe xuan)
Hall for Viewing Opera (Yueshi lou)
Well of Concubine Zhen (Zhenfei jing)

Area of Gardens and Temples
Pavilion of One Thousand Autumns (Qianqiu ting)
Pavilion of Auspicious Clarity (Chengrui ting)
Pavilion of Floating Jade (Fubi ting)
Hall for Ancestral Worship (Fengxian dian)
Gate of Heaven’s Primacy (Tianyi men)
Hall of Imperial Peace (Qin’an dian)
Bower of Crimson Snow (Jiangxue xuan)
Lodge of Spiritual Cultivation (Yangxing zhai)
Shrine to The Four Deities (Sishen ci)
Pavilion of Myriad Springtimes (Wanchun ting)
Hall of Spreading Grace (Chizao tang)
Mountain of Accumulated Elegance (Duixiu shan)
Imperial Prospect Pavilion (Yujing ting
Belvedere of Prolonging Splendor (Yanhui ge)
Gate of Loyal Obedience (Shunzhen men)
Studio of Establishing Teachings (Weiyu zhai)

Palace Area for Crown Prince
Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian)
Pavilion of Literary Profundity (Wenyuan ge)

Area of Wall, Moat, and Guard
Meridian Gate (Wu men)
Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men)
East Prosperity Gate (Donghua men)
West Prosperity Gate (Xihua men)
Moat

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