FC05: 2-Hour Visit to Forbidden City along the Central Axis

Covering an area of 720,000 square meters (178 acers) with over 70 palaces and more than 9,000 rooms, Forbidden City is honored as the largest and the most complex royal palace in the world. It is hard to visit it all during just one visit. The most classic and popular sightseeing route is along the 960 meters (1,050 yards) long central axis, where groups of solemnly halls and palaces spread out. Requiring only 2 hours’ visit time, it is recommended to tourists with tight schedule to soak up the overshadowing grandness and hidden charms of the royal palace.

By subway: You may take subway line 1 to Tian’anmen East or Tian’anmen West Station. Get out from the exits B in the north and walk northward through the Tian’anmen Tower to reach the Forbidden City.

By city bus: City buses 1, 2, 5, 52, 59, 82, 120, and Sightseeing Bus Lines 1 and 2 with a stop at Tian’anmen East or Tian’anmen West are available for your choice.

The admission tickets can only be bought online at most 10 days in advance. As the Forbidden City receives a limited number of visitors each day, you are highly advised to reserve a ticket in advance, in case that they are sold out. You may book one directly from the official website of the royal palace.  

Ticket fee: April - October: CNY60; November - March: CNY40; 
Treasure Gallery: CNY10; Clocks and Watches Gallery: CNY10

Opening Time: April - October: 8:30 - 17:00; November - March: 8:30 - 16:30; it does not open on Mondays except public holidays.

At present, tourists are only allowed to enter from the Meridian Gate, the southern gate, also the main gate of the Forbidden City. Enter through the gateway in the middle, which was exclusively used by the Emperors. 

Just inside the Meridian Gate along the central axis, you will find five parallel marble bridges, with a bow-shape river flowing beneath them. They are called the Inner Golden Water Bridges and Inner Golden Water River. It is a nice photography site to take some great pictures with the Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen) to its north as the background. 

Cross over Inner Golden Water Bridges, and you will get to the main entrance of the Outer Court of the Forbidden City, the Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen). It is the grandest palace gate in the Forbidden City. You can see two vivid bronze lions symbolizing "dignity" and "authority" standing majestically outside of the gate. Continuing the tour, you will find yourself at a stately square after going through the Gate of Supreme Harmony. You will feel more surprised when you get closer to the architecture on the Central Axis at the north end of the square. At more than 8 meters high white marble terrace with three tiers, the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), the Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghedian) and Hall of Preserved Harmony (Baohedian), stand on the central axis from south to north. They are the three main halls in the Outer Court of the Forbidden City. 

As China's largest existing wooden building, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is also the highest and grandest structure at the key position in Forbidden City. It was dedicated to important ceremonies and momentous imperial decrees, such as the enthronement of new emperor, the emperor's wedding, birthday, as well as banquets on every Winter Solstice, Chinese New Year, etc. As the smallest one among the three main halls, the Hall of Central Harmony was mainly a hall for the emperor to take a rest on his way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony when there was a ceremony. The Hall of Preserved Harmony was the place where the emperors gave banquets to high court officials on New Year's Eve and the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. 

So far you have finished the visit to the most important sites of the Outer Court. Then, you could get to the Inner Court via the Gate of Heavenly Purity (Qianqingmen). 

A few minutes' walk after entering the Gate of Heavenly Purity unfolds the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqinggong), Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union (Jiaotaidian), and Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunninggong) from south to north. They are the three main halls in the Inner Court. The Palace of Heavenly Purity was designed as the residence of the emperor, while the Palace of Earthly Tranquility of the empress. Symbolizing that the emperor and empress should be deeply attached to each other and live in harmony as it has been called in Chinese, the Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union was located between the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. 

After marveling at the grand palaces, halls and the splendid treasures, you are advised to go further north along the central axis to the Imperial Garden (Yuhuayuan). It was a place for the emperor, empress and concubines to relax and enjoy the beautiful views.

To the north of the Imperial Garden, is the Gate of Diving Prowess (Shenwumen), the northern gate, also the exit for tourists. 

Outside the northern Gate of Diving Prowess (Shenwumen), there are city buses 58, 101, 103, 109, 124, 128, Wangfujing Tourism Line, Xidan Tourism Line, and Sightseeing Line 1/2/3 taking you to other parts of the city.