Imperial City Exhibition

Lonely Planet review

Substantial portions of Běijīng survive solely in a twilight world of fading nostalgia. This fascinating museum is devoted to one of the city's most splendid creations: the Imperial City (皇城; Huáng Chéng), which - beyond its fragments - exists in name alone. The museum is the centrepiece of the only extant chunk of the Imperial City Wall, which once encompassed a chunk of Běijīng nearly seven times the size of the Forbidden City.

In its heyday, 28 large temples could be found in the Imperial City alone, along with many smaller shrines. Many of these can be observed on a diorama in the museum, including a large temple in the northwest of the Imperial City with a double-eaved hall similar to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven Park. Period photos of the old gates of Běijīng and images of the halls and pavilions in Zhongnanhai are hung on the walls.

Further galleries have exhibits of imperial ornaments such as ruyi (sceptres), porcelain and enamelware, and the weapons and armour of the imperial guards. There are also small exhibitions on Běijīng's hútòng and, downstairs, a bookshop and a rotating exhibition of paintings.