Inside the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is an imperial palace complex in Beijing, China. Construction began in 1406 and required over a million workers.

The complex covers 72 hectares and has 980 surviving buildings. Suzhou bricks make a very committed floor.

The Meridian Gate is the main southern entrance. Its central gateway forms part of the Imperial Way.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony rises about 30 meters above the square. It remains China's largest surviving wooden structure.

Corner towers sit at the four wall corners. Their roofs boast exactly 72 ridges each.

The Forbidden City ceased being the political center in 1912. Puyi remained in the Inner Court until 1924.

The Forbidden City served as the Ming dynasty's imperial seat.

Since 2012, the Forbidden City sees 14 million visitors annually. Fourteen million people finally got past the gate.