The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is the biggest palace in the world. It sits in the middle of Beijing, China. Chinese emperors lived there for almost 500 years. It was called forbidden because common people were not allowed inside. Today, it is a famous museum that anyone can visit.

A Huge Palace

The Forbidden City has 980 buildings and almost 9,000 rooms. It was built starting in 1406 and took 14 years to finish. About a million workers helped build it. The walls around it are very tall and thick. A wide moat full of water goes all the way around.

Life Inside

Emperors, their families, and servants lived in the Forbidden City. The emperor held important meetings in big golden halls. The buildings have bright red walls and yellow roofs. Yellow was the emperor's special color. Dragons and other designs decorate the roofs and doors.

Fun Facts

• The Forbidden City has more than 9,000 rooms.
• 24 different emperors lived there over the years.
• It became a museum in 1925 and is called the Palace Museum.

Did You Know?

The Forbidden City is so big that if you spent one minute in each room, it would take you six days to see them all.