Beijing Forbidden City

Located in the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). For almost five hundred years, it served as the home for emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Now housing the Palace Museum, the complex consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Admission fee: 40 yuan (Nov. 1 to Mar. 31); 60 yuan (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31)

Opening hours: 08:30 to 16:20 (Oct. 16-Apr.15); tickets not available after 15:30

08:30 to 17:00 (Apr. 16-Oct.15); tickets not available after 16:00