How to Visit the Forbidden City - An Insider’s Guide
What You Must See in the Forbidden City: 6 Halls + 2 Galleries
The six most popular halls line along the central axis from south to north, respectively:
Hall of Supreme Harmony - The place where the emperor ascended his throne and granted audience to visiting officials and where other important ceremonies were celebrated.
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| Click to enlarge it; More Forbidden City Maps |
Hall of Central Harmony - The place where the emperor rested on his way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and interviewed ministers or officials from the Ministry of Rites; rehearsals for ceremonies were also held here. Hall of Preserved Harmony - Imperial banquets were often held here to entertain high officials. Emperors presided the final national examinations to select officials from intellectuals all over the country in this hall. Palace of Heavenly Purity - The bedroom and office of emperors. They also gave banquets here. Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union - Empresses received greetings from other concubines here. It was used to store the emperor and empress's imperial seals. Palace of Earthly Tranquility - The empress' bedroom. Besides the halls, the Treasure Gallery in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity and the Clock and Watch Gallery in the Hall for Ancestry Worship should not be missed.
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Below is a list of more exhibitions which may arouse your interest:
Painting and Calligraphy Gallery: Hall of Literary Glory
Ceramics Gallery: Hall of Martial Valor
Stone Drum Gallery: Eastern Corridor Rooms of the Hall of Imperial Supremacy
Gold and Silver Gallery: Palace of Great Brilliance
Jade Gallery: Palace of Accumulated Purity
Bronze Gallery: Palace of Celestial Favor, Palace of Eternal Harmony
Opera Gallery: Pavilion of Pleasant Sounds, Hall for Viewing Opera
Now, with the help of Forbidden City map, start your tour from the Meridian Gate - the only entrance to the Forbidden City!
Classic Tour Route: Tour along the Central Axis - 2 Hours
Meridian Gate → Gate of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Spreading Righteousness → Hall of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Central Harmony → Hall of Preserved Harmony → Gate of Heavenly Purity → Palace of Heavenly Purity → Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union → Palace of Earthly Tranquility → Imperial Garden → Gate of Divine Prowess
For tourists with a tight schedule, this is the most ideal visiting itinerary as it assembles the most magnificent imperial buildings in the Forbidden City.
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Half-day Tour Route: Tour along the Central Axis + West Wing
Meridian Gate → Hall of Literary Glory (Painting & Calligraphy Gallery) → Gate of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Central Harmony → Hall of Preserved Harmony → Hall for Ancestry Worship (Clock and Watch Gallery) → Palace of Heavenly Purity → Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union → Palace of Earthly Tranquility → Hall of Mental Cultivation → Six Western Palaces → Imperial Garden → Gate of Divine Prowess
Half-day Tour Route: Tour along the Central Axis + East Wing
Meridian Gate → Hall of Martial Valor (Ceramics Gallery) → Gate of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Central Harmony → Hall of Preserved Harmony → Palace of Heavenly Purity → Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union → Palace of Earthly Tranquility → Six Eastern Palaces → Hall of Abstinence → Palace of Tranquil Longevity (Treasure Gallery) → Gate of Divine Prowess
The two half-day routes are similar, with slight differences in the selected galleries. Tourists can choose either according to personal interest.
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One-day In-depth Tour Route
Meridian Gate → Hall of Martial Valor (Ceramics Gallery) → Hall of Literary Glory (Painting Gallery) → Gate of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Supreme Harmony → Hall of Central Harmony → Hall of Preserved Harmony → Palace of Heavenly Purity → Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union → Palace of Earthly Tranquility → Hall of Mental Cultivation → Six Western Palaces → Imperial Garden → Six Eastern Palaces → Hall for Ancestry Worship (Clock and Watch Gallery) → Palace of Tranquil Longevity (Treasure Gallery) → Gate of Divine Prowess
This itinerary gathers all highlights in the Forbidden City. It requires physical strength as you need to take a long walk. You need to take some food for the one-day visit because there are few restaurants inside the Forbidden City and the food is costly.
Visiting Tips
1. Consider booking a guided tour for a better travel experience. It saves you the trouble of booking tickets online and queuing to collect tickets on the spot and helps to make your trip more organized. A knowledgeable Forbidden City guide can ensure you a fun trip even if you do not know much about Chinese history.
2. Tourists are advised to bring their own food and water when visiting the Forbidden City, as options there are expensive and limited, and the queues can be long during peak dining hours.
3. Jingshan Park opposite to the Gate of Divine Prowess is the best place to have a panoramic view of the imperial palace. Visitors are highly advised to combine your Forbidden City trip with Jingshan Park.
4. After getting out from Gate of Divine Prowess, you can go to the northwest or northeast Corner Towers to take some amazing photos.
5. Wear comfortable shoes for the long walk.
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Additional Services Offered by the Forbidden City
| Service Items | Note |
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| Audio Guide Device | Languages: Available for 40 languages, such as Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, etc. Rental & Return Sites: Meridian Gate, two side gates of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, Gate of West Prosperity, Gate of Heavenly Purity, Gate of Devine Prowess. Price: CNY 20 for Chinese and Chinese dialects, CNY 40 for other languages, with no time limit on usage. |
| English Tour Guide Service (For Groups of 1~5 People) | 1-Hour Tour Guide Service Route: Central Axis Price: CNY 600 Extra Charge: CNY 120 per additional person 1.5-Hour Tour Guide Service Routes (Choose one): ① Central Axis, Six Western Palaces; ② Three Main Halls of the Outer Court, Treasure Gallery; ③ Three Main Halls of the Outer Court, Palace of Compassion and Tranquility Area. Price: CNY 900 Extra Charge: CNY 180 per additional person 2-Hour Tour Guide Service Routes (Choose one): ① Central Axis, The Treasure Gallery; ② Central Axis, Palace of Compassion and Tranquility Area. Price: CNY 1,200 Extra Charge: CNY 240 per additional person 2.5-Hour Tour Guide Service Routes (Choose one): ① Central Axis, Six Western Palaces, Treasure Gallery; ② Central Axis, Clock and Watch Gallery, Treasure Gallery; ③ Central Axis, Six Western Palaces, Palace of Compassion and Tranquility Area. Price: CNY 1,500 Extra Charge: CNY 300 per additional person |
| Dining & Shoppig | Restaurants/Cafés (CNY 30~80 per person) - Central Axis: Surrounding areas outside Meridian Gate, behind Palace of Earthly Tranquility, south of Great Fortune Gate, and west of Divine Prowess Gate. - West Wing: South of Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, near Mental Cultivation Gate. - East Wing: Arrow Pavilion. Shops: - Primarily located near Outer Court, Imperial Garden, Meridian Gate, Hall of Martial Valor, Hall of Literary Glory, Hall of Imperial Supremacy, and Palace of Tranquil Longevity. - Souvenirs start at CNY 10, water at CNY 4, and snacks at CNY 5. Bookstores: - Mainly on the East Wing buildings, such as the Hall of Literary Glory and Six Eastern Palaces. - Books start at CNY 20 |
| Free Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi Account: PalaceMuseum-WiFi Coverage: All places within the Forbidden City. |
| Broadcast | It is to the southwest of Good Fortune Gate. |
| Luggage Storage & Retrieval | Step 1: Store bags outside the Meridian Gate ticket booth. Step 2: Fill in details & choose pickup spot (Gate of East Prosperity or Gate of Divine Prowess) for a claim ticket. Step 3: Retrieve bags after at least 2 hours; latest by 17:00. |
| Baby Care Room | Gate of Great Ancestors |
| Tourist Service Center | On the west side outside the Meridian Gate. |
Nearby Restaurants Outside the Forbidden City
Quanjude Roast Duck (Qianmen) – Quanjude, almost the byword for Peking Roast Duck is a time-honored restaurant with more than one hundred years old. After leaving from Tiananmen Gate via the Meridian Gate, tourists can go through the Tiananmen Square to find the way leading to Qianmen Pedestrian Street. Donglaishun Muslim Restaurant (Qianmen) – Deriving from the cooking method of mutton when Kublai Khan went out for a battle, the sliced mutton rinsed in chafing dish served in Donglaishun is a feature food. Dasanyuan Restaurant (Jingshan) – Dasanyuan is a Cantonese restaurant originated in 1919. Its Jingshan branch restaurant is located in Jingshan Xijie, at the center of Jingshan Park, Beihai Park and the Gate of Divine Prowess. Roast Suckling Pig and Buddha Jumping over the Wall are the signature dishes. Donghuamen Snack Night Market - Compared with Wangfujing Snack Street, Donghuamen outside the East Flowery Gate (Donghuamen) has more snacks. Food price here is not cheap, like other well-known snack streets on this point. Donghuamen Snack Street is alive with people at night.
