Forbidden City
Good for: History Lovers, chinese history, admiring architecture, architecture
Not good for: resting, staying warm
- Address
- Dongchang'an Jie
- Transport
- Website
- Phone
- 010 6513 2255
- Price
- admission Nov-Mar Y40, Apr-Oct Y60
- Hours
- 8.30am-4pm May-Sep, 8.30am-3.30pm Oct-Apr
Lonely Planet review for Forbidden City
The Forbidden City, so-called because it was off-limits to most of the world for 500 years, is the best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China. The old world of beautiful concubines and priapic emperors, ball-breaking (and broken) eunuchs and conspicuous wealth still hovers over the lush gardens, courtyards, pavilions and great halls of the palace.
Traveller reviews for Forbidden City (7)
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Awesome
shanghaied2011 recommends this,
I thought it was amazing. We planned to just spend the morning there but stayed most of the day and still didn't see everything. The audio tour was pretty informative. I didn't like that you couldn't start and stop it when you wanted or play it more than once. The buildings are beautiful but all the things that were kept inside them are in the national museum in Taiwan. You are outside almost all the time so it was pretty cold when we went in December.
Good for: chinese history, admiring architecture
Not good for: resting, staying warm
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I'm glad I went but it wasn't my favorite.
alh728 does not recommend this,
The Forbidden City is huge and you basically walk through different sections. Large open areas surrounded by typical Chinese buildings. It goes on forever, there's always one more part behind. It's tiring. It's cool to see, mainly for the significance of the place, but each part looks more or less the same (and pretty similar to a lot of other sites around Beijing). It's not very well maintained. You can get headphones for an audio tour. In short, it's something you should see because it's important, but you won't be dazzled.
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engine room of government for a thousand years
melyuan recommends this,
China's 20th century social and political turmoil hasn't been kind to the Forbidden City. The luxurious restorations you find in war-ravaged sites in Europe, for example, are sadly missing. It's a history that hasn't lived for over a hundred years but it doesn't take much imagination to propel yourself back into the times of the Emperors. Watch Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" beforehand if you can.
Good for: History Lovers
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Awe inspiring - see the home of the last emperor in person
jayvee recommends this,
I loved the movie The Last Emperor and was determined to visit the Forbidden City to see it in person during my visit to Beijing. I was concerned it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but despite the crowds, it surpassed them. I really felt I was transported back in time, I was little Puyi playing with my only friend, running through the great halls and up the streets of this fully enclosed mini city.
I recommend spending at least half a day there, if not more. The audio tour provides a useful insight into the amazing politics and personalities of this place, and make sure you just stop now and then to take in the grandeur of it all.
Good for: architecture, History Lovers
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visit it several times
jenny1008 recommends this,
i have visited several times ,the first time was with my hubby and also a guide from HahaTravel(agency's name if correctly), the second time with my parents. it's great each time when i saw the buildings there. it's usually quite crowd to get entrance tickets if do it yourselves without guide's help from the south gate, hundreds queue there long long a line. wow! the 2nd time i entered into from the east gate, you can easily get there if you are staying at a hotel locates on wangfujing street. I took photos for my parents, that was the first time they went there, they were so exciting.
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