Follow the 600-year chronological history of the world's largest palace complex, spanning the heights of imperial power to its modern preservation as a global heritage museum.
The Ming Dynasty Emperor Yongle officially decrees the construction of a grand imperial palace, shifting China's political core away from Nanjing to the north.
Read the Emperor Yongle Profile →After 14 years of grueling engineering involving over one million manual laborers and specialized artisans, construction finishes. The complex officially becomes the administrative and spiritual seat of the empire.
Rebel military forces capture Beijing, ending the Ming era. Shortly after, Manchu forces march through the gates, establishing the Qing Dynasty, which would continue to rule from within the palace walls for another 268 years.
Following the strategic Xinyou Coup, Empress Dowager Cixi takes absolute control of imperial decisions from behind the throne curtains, dominating late-stage Qing international and domestic policy.
Read the Empress Cixi Profile →Following the momentum of the Xinhai Revolution, the child sovereign Puyi signs his formal political abdication, marking the definitive collapse of dynastic rule across China.
Read the Puyi Profile →One year after Puyi is completely expelled from the compound by military forces, the mysterious palace walls open to the general public for the first time, converting a restricted domain into a museum housing imperial history treasures.
UNESCO officially designates the Forbidden City as a World Heritage Site, validating it globally as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures standing in the world.