LocatedinthecenterofBeijing,thePalaceMuseum(故宫博物院),historicallyandartisticallyoneofthemostcomprehensivemuseuminChina,wasestablishedonthebasisoftheForbiddenCity,apalaceoftheMingandQingdynasties(1368-1840),andtheircollectionoftreasures.
TheForbiddenCityusedtobetheimperialpalaceoftheMingandQingdynasties.Itisnearly600yearsold,withconstructionstartedin1406andcompletedin1420.TheprinciplesofFengShui,theancientChinesesystemofgeomancy,governedthewholeprocess.Therectangularpalacecoversanareaofsome720,000sq.km--961minlengthand760minwidth.Ithasatotalof9999.5roomspaces(anareaenclosedbyfourpoles).In1924,theimperialfamilyoftheQingDynasty(1644-1840)wasremovedfromtheForbiddenCity,andin1925thePalace_Museumwasestablishedhere.
EmperorsoftheMingandQingdynastiesfrom1420to1911heldcourtandlivedwithinthewallsoftheForbiddenCity.Aftertherepublicanrevolution,thispalaceasawholewouldhavebeensequesteredbytheNationalistgovernmentwereitnotforthe"ArticlesofFavorableTreatmentoftheQingHouse"whichallowedPuyitoliveonintheInnerCourtafterhisabdication.In1924,duringacouplaunchedbythewarlordFengYuxiang,PuyiwasexpelledfromtheForbiddenCityandthemanagementofthepalacefelltothechargeofacommitteesetuptodealwiththeconcernsofthedeposedimperialfamily.
Andin1938,thetreasuresweremovedagain,thistimebythreeroutestoSichuan,wheretheyweresecretedinthreelocations,Baxian,EmeiandLeshan.OnlyattheendofthewarweretheyconsolidatedinChongqing,whencetheywerereturnedtoNanjingin1947.
Betweentheendof1948andthedawnof1949,theNationalistspickedrelicstofill2,972cratesforshippingacrosstheStrait.ArivalPalaceMuseumwassetupinTaipeitodisplaytheseantiquities.
TheInnerPalacemainlyincludesthePalaceofHeavenlyPurity(Qianqinggong),theHallofProsperity(Jiaotaidian)andthePalaceofEarthlyTranquility(Kunninggong),whereemperorsandempresseslived.
BehindthemistheImperialGarden.Oneachsideoftheinnerthreegreathallsaresixeasternpalacesandsixwesternpalaces,respectively,whichwereusedasresidencesforconcubines.ThesixeasternpalacesareJingrengong,Yanxigong,Chengqiangong,Yonghegong,ZhongcuigongandJingyanggong.ThesixwesternpalacesareYongshougong,Taijidian,Yunkungong,Changchungong,ChuxiugongandChengfugong.
TherearesomeBuddhistsanctuariestotheeastofthesixeasternpalacesandtothewestofthesixwesternpalaces.Besidestheinnerandoutercourts,therearealsotwomajorbuildingcompounds:theOuterEasternRoad(Waidonglu)andtheOuterWesternRoad(Waixilu).TothesouthoftheOuterEasternRoadaretheSouthernThreeHalls(Nansansuo),residencesforprinces.TothenortharetheHallofSupremeRoyalty(Huangjidian)andtheHallofPeacefulLongevity(Ningshougong).FurthernorthwardtherearetheHallofMentalCultivation(Yangxidian),theHallofHappinessandLongevity(Leshoutang),theHallofHarmony(Yihexuan)andtheGardenoftheHallofPeacefulLongevity.TothesouthoftheOuterWesternRoadistheHallofPeacefulBenignity(Cininggong),andtoitsnortharesomeBuddhistsanctuaries.
Sinceyellowisthesymboloftheroyalfamily,itisthedominantcolorintheForbiddenCity.Roofsarebuiltwithyellowglazedtiles;decorationsinthepalacearepaintedyellow;eventhebricksonthegroundaremadeyellowinspecialprocess.However,thereisoneexception.Wenyuange,theroyallibrary,hasablackroof.Thereasonisthatitwasbelievedblackrepresentedwaterthenandcouldextinguishfire.