🏖️ Destination: The Forbidden City, Beijing
🕐 Suggested Travel Time: Start early in the morning and enter at 8am.
💰 Budget Range: $60 for admission, $20 for a docent rental, and $100 for possible meals.
🌟 Route Highlights: Covering the main buildings and attractions of the Forbidden City, this tour offers an in-depth look at the grandeur and historical and cultural heritage of the Ming and Qing royal palaces. You can enjoy the exquisite ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, as well as the scenes of the emperor's office, residence and life in the harem, and stroll through the Imperial Gardens to enjoy the beauty of the gardens.
📋 Itinerary.
Entering the Forbidden City through the Noon Gate, you will first visit the Hall of Wu Ying. Wuying Hall is a group of palace buildings built in the early Ming Dynasty, once served as the Emperor's temple, later opened a bookstore, published many books, and now is a ceramics museum, displaying ceramic masterpieces of successive dynasties.
Then go to Wenhua Hall. Wenhua Hall was built in the early Ming Dynasty, and Wuying Hall eastwest opposite, initially was the main hall of the princes, later changed to the emperor's room, but also used to be the place of the feast, the Ming Dynasty, with the “Wenhua Hall, the university scholar” position to counsel the crown prince to read, the Qing Dynasty, its duties into the management of the emperor's government to assist. Nowadays, it is a painting and calligraphy museum.
Then came to the Taihe Gate, it is the largest palace gate in the Forbidden City, is also the main gate of the outer palace. It was built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty and has been rebuilt many times. In front of the gate are a pair of bronze lions and four bronze tripods. This place was the place for the Imperial Gate to listen to the government in the Ming Dynasty, where the emperor received pilgrimages and sang his praises.
Walked through the Taihe Gate, will arrive at the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is one of the key attractions of the Forbidden City, where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held their great ceremonies, with superb architectural structure and grandeur.
After that is the Hall of Central Harmony, located between the Hall of Taihe and the Hall of Baohe. It was built in the 18th year of the Yongle of Ming Dynasty, and was called the Hall of Huagai in the beginning of Ming Dynasty, then it was renamed as the Hall of Zhongji, and then it was changed to the Hall of Zhonghe in the second year of the Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty, and the name of the hall was taken from the Book of Rites・Medium of the People. Before going to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to participate in large-scale celebrations, the emperor would take a rest here and accept the worship of deacon officials, and also read the blessings and so on here.
Then to the Bohol Hall, where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held important ceremonies such as the Imperial Examinations. Then to the Ning Shou Palace area, where you can enjoy the unique architecture and landscaping such as the Qianlong Garden. Afterwards, go to Fengxian Hall, which used to be a family temple for the Ming and Qing imperial families to worship their ancestors.
Then visit the East Six Palaces area, including Jingyang Palace, Chengqian Palace and Zhongzi Palace, where you can learn about the life scenes of the concubines in the harem. Pass by Kunning Palace, which was the bedchamber of the empresses of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Then to Jiaotai Hall, which keeps many precious relics. Then to Kunqing Palace, which was once the Empress's main palace. After that, go to the Palace of Nourishing Heart, which became the main residence and office of the Qing emperors from the Yongzheng Emperor onwards. Then visit the Western Six Palaces area, such as Yongshou Palace and Yikun Palace.
Finally came to the Imperial Garden, enjoy the beauty of the garden, after leaving from the
Shenwu Gate. The entire line basically covers the main buildings and attractions of the Forbidden City, allowing you to deeply appreciate the charm of the Forbidden City and the historical and cultural heritage, remember to book tickets in advance, wearing comfortable shoes in order to walk for a long time to visit.