The Forbidden City is the former Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty (the years 1420 to 1912). Located in Beijing, it now houses the Palace Museum. The Forbidden City served as the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for almost 500 years.
Constructed from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers over 180 acres. UNESCO declared The Forbidden City a World Heritage Site in 1987, and it is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
