The Palace Museum, formerly known as the Forbidden City, is the imperial palace of China's Ming and Qing dynasties, located at the center of Beijing's central axis.
The Palace Museum in Beijing, with three main halls as the center, covers an area of about 720,000 square meters, with a building area of about 150,000 square meters.
The Construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing began in the fourth year of Yongle (1406) and was completed in the 18th year of Yongle (1420).
The Imperial Palace is arranged along a north-south axis, along which the three main halls, the latter three palaces and the imperial garden are located. And spread out to both sides, north and south straight, left and right symmetry.
The Palace city is surrounded by 12 meters high and 3400 meters long palace wall, in the form of a rectangular city, surrounded by 52 meters wide moat outside the wall, forming a fortified castle.
The Palace Museum has four gates. The main gate is called the Meridian Gate. Behind the meridian Gate are five marble arch Bridges leading to the Gate of Supreme Harmony. East gate name Donghuamen, west gate name Xihuamen, north gate name Shenwu Gate.
The Imperial Palace in Beijing is one of the largest and best preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
The Imperial Palace in Beijing is a national AAAAA tourist attraction.
In 1961, the Imperial Palace in Beijing was listed as one of the first national key cultural relics protection sites.
The Forbidden City in Beijing was listed as a World cultural Heritage in 1987.
北京故宮是中國明清兩代的皇家宮殿，舊稱紫禁城，位於北京中軸線的中心。
北京故宮以三大殿為中心，占地面積約72萬平方米，建築面積約15萬平方米。
北京故宮於明成祖永樂四年（1406年）開始建設，到永樂十八年（1420年）建成。
故宮宮殿是沿著壹條南北向中軸線排列，三大殿、後三宮、禦花園都位於這條中軸線上。並向兩旁展開，南北取直，左右對稱。
故宮宮城周圍環繞著高12米，長3400米的宮墻，形式為壹長方形城池，墻外有52米寬的護城河環繞，形成壹個森嚴壁壘的城堡。
故宮有四個大門，正門名為午門，午門後有五座漢白玉拱橋通往太和門。東門名東華門，西門名西華門，北門名神武門。
北京故宮是世界上現存規模最大、保存最為完整的木質結構古建築之壹。
北京故宮是國家AAAAA級旅遊景區。
1961年北京故宮被列為第壹批全國重點文物保護單位。
1987年北京故宮被列為世界文化遺產。
故宮價值
故宮成為世界文化遺產，使人們對故宮古建築價值的認識有了深化。故宮所代表的是已經成為歷史的文化，而且有著宮廷文化的外殼，同時它卻代表了當時的主流文化。
經過了長時期的歷史篩選和積累，當然不能簡單用“封建落後”來概括。故宮和博物院不是毫不相幹或對立的，而是有機的統壹，相得益彰。