Address:4JingshanQianjie,Dongchengdistrict,BeijingWebsites:en.dpm.org.cn(En)dpm.org.cn(Cn)Hours:8:30-17:00(1April-31October,noentryafter16:10),8:30-16:30(1November-31March,noentryafter15:40)ClosedMondays(exceptfornationalholidays)E-mail:gugong@dpm.org.cnGeneraladmission:60yuan(1April-31October),40yuan(1November-31March)Onlineticketbooking:gugong.228.com.cn
PerhapsthemostpopulartouristdestinationofBeijing,thePalaceMuseumreceivestensofmillionsofvisitorsayear.Establishedin1925,itisinstalledintheformerimperialpalaceoftheMing(1368-1644)andQing(1644-1911)dynasties–popularlyknownastheForbiddenCity.In1987itwaslistedasaUNESCOWorldHeritagesite.
SeatedinthecenterofBeijing,itcoversaconsiderablylargeareaof1,120,000squaremeters,andconsistsofnumerousarchitecturallysignificantbuildingsdatingbacktoasearlyasthe15thcentury.Ithasbeenhometotwenty-fourChineseemperors:twelveoftheMingandtenoftheQingdynasties,andwitnessedmanyhistoricmomentsinChinesehistory,includingtheannouncementoftheabdicationofthelastemperorPuyi(r.1909-1911)andthesurrenderoftheJapaneseinvasionarmyofWorldWarII.
ThePalaceMuseumhouses1.8millionpieces(sets)ofartworksandartifactsthatembodythesplendorsofChinesetraditionalculture,thebulkofwhicharelegaciesoftheQingimperialhouseholdcollection.Theyreflecttheimperialtasteofartineveryaspectoflife.Eversincethefoundingofthemuseum,hallsorotherinteriorspaceshavebeenconvertedintogalleriesdisplayingtheimperialcollections,whileothersarewellpreservedtomaintaintheirinteriordecorfromthelateimperialtimes.Thecollectioncoversawiderangeofforms,includingpainting,calligraphy,ceramics,sculpture,textiles,rarebooks,historicalarchives,jadecarvings,anddecorativecraftsofvariousmaterialsfrompre-historictimestothe19thcentury.
Permanentexhibitionsfeaturingbronzes,ceramics,architecture,andarchiveoftheQingDynastyCouncilofStateareavailableallyear;whileexhibitionsofpaintingsandcalligraphicworksarebasicallymountedinSpringandSummerduetostrictrequirementsforpropertemperatureandhumiditytoprotectthefragilemedia.Thenorthernandsouthernsectionsofthepalacewallareaccessible;awalkontopoftheten-meterhighwallcanbethebestwaytostartorendatouroftheMuseumasonecanenjoyapanoramicviewoftheentireForbiddenCity.
ThePalaceMuseumhashistoricalconnectionswiththeTaipei"National"PalaceMuseum.Attheendofthecivilwar(1945-1949),withtheimminentvictoryoftheCommunistarmysouthoftheYangtzeRiver,theKuomintangbegantheirretreattoTaiwan.Fromtheendof1948to1949,theKuomintangselected2,972cratesfromthe13,427cratesandsixty-fourbundlesofthecollection,whichhadbeenpackedforevacuationfromthethreateningwarfareinnorthChina,tobeshippedacrosstheStraitforstorageinTaichung.ThecontentsofthesecratesformedthecollectionoftheTaipeiPalaceMuseum,whichopenedtothepublicin1965.