Forbidden City Photography Tour

At the time set with you the day before, your private guide will meet you in the lobby of your own booked hotel, and then accompany you to take the public transport, a popular low-cost and eco-friendly travel method, to the UNESCO site Forbidden City. Depending on the specific location of your hotel, the guide will choose the most convenient and fastest mode of transportation by subway or city bus.

As the world’s largest and most intact wooden imperial palace complex, the Forbidden City’s peerless architecture and 600-plus-year rich history will jointly form a space-time dialogue with you modern visitors. Whether it is the overall grandeur of palaces and halls, the detailed elegance of the decorations, or the moments of interaction between you and those ancient buildings, they can all endow the photos with unique emotional tension. Now, with your professional guide, embark on a wondrous photography journey with cultural exploration in the Forbidden City.► Know Before You Go:
1. The tour is not available on Mondays when the Forbidden City is closed. Also, book the tour at least 8 days in advance, as we need to book your ticket to the Forbidden City with your accurate passport information (required by the scenic area) 7 days before as soon as it goes on sale. 
2. It’s better to plan your trip on sunny days with clear blue sky, and further, in the morning with softer and warmer light, when the brighter colors of buildings are highlighted, making it easier for you to take good shots. Besides, the white after snow also gives you a chance to capture some solemn pictures. 
3. To make your portrait photos stand out more, it is suggested that you prepare clothes in white, black, green, or blue that form a strong color contrast with the structures mainly in red and yellow. Or buy or rent a set of traditional Chinese imperial costumes at your own expense near the scenic area in advance to better integrate into the imperial palace.
4. Tripods over 1.3 meters (4 feet) in length, drones, and commercial photography activities are strictly prohibited in the Forbidden City. For the protection of historical relics, do not place your phones or cameras on railings or pedestals, nor use flashing light, when taking photos inside.

Let’s officially start the photography tour from the Meridian Gate, the only entrance to the Forbidden City. Here, standing right in the middle of the square before it, use a wide-angle lens to capture a grand and classic opening shot of the entire Meridian Gate and its surrounding courtyards. Getting closer to the arched door and using this natural frame to get a three-dimensional and layered photo is also a popular practice for photographers. 

Upon entering, cross the Inner Golden Water Bridge, and you’ll be greeted by the splendid Gate of Supreme Harmony, which leads to the three main halls of the Outer Court. Hold up your camera to snap the intricate details and refined textures of the pair of the largest existing bronze lions standing majestically before the gate as the guide explains to you their symbolic meanings - the one on the west indicates the unification of imperial power, while the east one implies the prosperity of the offspring. When reaching the most spectacular Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the emperor handled state affairs and held massive ceremonies, take a close-up with a telephoto lens of the 10 lifelike ridge beasts on the eaves, which are the most numerous in the Forbidden City and have the functions of warding off evil spirits, beautifying, and fixing. You can also take photos at a 45° angle to its east or west to avoid the central crowd.Further inside, we will arrive at the Inner Court with three major palaces, mainly featuring the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where the emperors slept at night, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the empresses’ bedchamber. It is said that in 1723 AD, an emperor established a system for secretly determining the heir to the throne to prevent conflicts among his sons, that is, the imperial edict of succession was sealed in a box and hidden behind the plaque hanging in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and it was not opened by the minister to announce the new emperor until his death. Apart from recording this memorable plaque, you can also go to the red-walled corridor on the west side of the palace, which has excellent light and shadow effects, to picture your beautiful figure.

After visiting those main palaces along the central axis, let’s move to witness the less crowded ones on the east and west wings, where the imperial concubines were housed, and explore the carved beams, painted rafters, and white marble foundations in more detail. Among them, the Palace of Gathered Elegance is particularly famous for its close association with Empress Dowager Cixi (1835 - 1908 AD), and is still displayed as it was on her 50th birthday. Catch as many elements related to longevity as possible with your camera under the guide’s commentary. What’s more, on the east wing, there is also the ‘Crystal Palace’ in the Palace of Prolonging Happiness, a unique reinforced concrete structure in the Forbidden City designed by a German architect, allowing you to easily get some industrial-style photography masterpieces.

★ Satisfy Your Photography Passion in Treasure Gallery & Gallery of Timepieces 

The two most famous galleries on the east wing are also included in your tour. At the entrance of the Treasure Gallery, you’ll be amazed by the exquisite glazed Nine-Dragon Wall, on which a dragon's belly is said to have been carved from a piece of wood. See if you can find that unusual dragon under your telephoto lens. Then enter the Gallery, especially focus your camera on a luxurious phoenix crown, the top hat worn by the empress at the grand ceremonies, decorated with kingfisher feathers, gold, as well as countless pearls and gemstones. When in the Gallery of Timepieces, feast your eyes on those elaborately made and functionally complex watches and clocks that were presented by officials, foreign missions, or independently manufactured by the factory in the palace.

After that, make our way to the Imperial Garden, the place for the royal members to relax and enjoy the scenery. This peaceful garden perfectly integrates nature and architecture, ideal for you to take landscape pictures of rockeries, ancient trees, stone carvings, and pavilions. We won't let you miss the caisson ceiling in the Qianqiu Pavilion, where there are magnificent golden carvings of coiled dragons, leaving you in awe a lot. Try to keep your lens parallel to the ceiling and frame the entire design to create a symmetrical beauty. Or you can zoom in and take a close-up of the dragon’s delicate and vivid texture.

As we exit the Gate of Divine Prowess, you’ll be surprised to find that the calm moat reflects the blue sky, green trees, as well as golden tiles and red walls of the Forbidden City all at once, forming a richly colored picture and creating a unique and hazy effect. Moreover, the corner towers in the northeast and northwest, which are also a symbol of the imperial palace, provide you with excellent opportunities for photography. We'll leave you some time here as well to get the most novel composition from different angles and apertures.

After that, continue on a short walk north to Jingshan Park, where you can climb the Jingshan Hill, the highest point on Beijing's central axis, and be bathed in the vibrant sunset, experiencing the magic of the panoramic silhouette of the Forbidden City through the lens.

At the end of the private guided Forbidden City photography tour, your guide will escort you back to your hotel by public transport. Hope you have gained myriad satisfactory photo memories during this trip. If you also want to include other iconic attractions in Beijing in one go, such as the Great Wall or Hutong alleys, consider our other popular themed Forbidden City tours. You are always welcome to contact us for inquiries.

► Lunch Suggestion: 
Lunch today is not included. You can have a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel this morning and then prepare some energy-boosting snacks by yourself, such as bread, biscuits, or sandwiches. In the Forbidden City, you can also find the Imperial Icehouse and the Palace Museum Restaurant, with an average cost of CNY 70 – 100 (USD 10 - 14). But be aware that if you’re interested, you’d better have meals at staggered times, especially during the peak season.