LyingatthecenterofBeijing，theForbiddenCity，calledGuGong，inChinese，wastheimperialpalaceduringtheMingandQingdynasties.NowknownasthePalaceMuseum，itistothenorthofTiananmenSquare.Rectangularinshape，itistheworld‘slargestpalacecomplexandcovers74hectares.Surroundedbyasixmeterdeepmoatandatenmeterhighwallare9，999buildings.Thewallhasagateoneachside.OppositetheTiananmenGate，tothenorthistheGateofDevineMight(Shenwumen)，whichfacesJingshanPark.Thedistancebetweenthesetwogatesis960meters，whilethedistancebetweenthegatesintheeastandwestwallsis750meters.Thereareuniqueanddelicatelystructuredtowersoneachofthefourcornersofthecurtainwall.Theseaffordviewsoverboththepalaceandthecityoutside.TheForbiddenCityisdividedintotwoparts.Thesouthernsection，ortheOuterCourtwaswheretheemperorexercisedhissupremepoweroverthenation.Thenorthernsection，ortheInnerCourtwaswherehelivedwithhisroyalfamily.Until1924whenthelastemperorofChinawasdrivenfromtheInnerCourt，fourteenemperorsoftheMingdynastyandtenemperorsoftheQingdynastyhadreignedhere.Havingbeentheimperialpalaceforsomefivecenturies，ithousesnumerousraretreasuresandcuriosities.ListedbyUNESCOasaWorldCulturalHeritageSitein1987，thePalaceMuseumisnowoneofthemostpopulartouristattractionsworldwide.
Constructionofthepalacecomplexbeganin1407，the5thyearoftheYonglereignofthethirdemperoroftheMingdynasty.Itwascompletedfourteenyearslaterin1420.Itwassaidthatamillionworkersincludingonehundredthousandartisansweredrivenintothelong-termhardlabor.StoneneededwasquarriedfromFangshan，asuburbofBeijing.Itwassaidawellwasdugeveryfiftymetersalongtheroadinordertopourwaterontotheroadinwintertoslidehugestonesoniceintothecity.Hugeamountsoftimberandothermaterialswerefreightedfromfarawayprovinces.AncientChinesepeopledisplayedtheirveryconsiderableskillsinbuildingtheForbiddenCity.Takethegrandredcitywallforexample.Ithasan8.6meterswidebasereducingto6.66meterswideatthetop.Theangularshapeofthewalltotallyfrustratesattemptstoclimbit.Thebricksweremadefromwhitelimeandglutinousricewhilethecementismadefromglutinousriceandeggwhites.Theseincrediblematerialsmakethewallextraordinarilystrong.
Sinceyellowisthesymboloftheroyalfamily，itisthedominantcolorintheForbiddenCity.Roofsarebuiltwithyellowglazedtiles;decorationsinthepalacearepaintedyellow;eventhebricksonthegroundaremadeyellowbyaspecialprocess.However，thereisoneexception.Wenyuange，theroyallibrary，hasablackroof.Thereasonisthatitwasbelievedblackrepresentedwaterthenandcouldextinguishfire.
Nowadays，theForbiddenCity，orthePalaceMuseumisopentotouristsfromhomeandabroad.Splendidpainteddecorationontheseroyalarchitecturalwonders，thegrandanddeluxehalls，withtheirsurprisinglymagnificenttreasureswillcertainlysatisfy"moderncivilians".