Forbidden City Beijing (Gugong): Where China's Emperors Lived
- Arron Goh
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
If you're visiting Beijing for the first time, the Forbidden City (故宫 / Gugong) is one place you absolutely shouldn't skip.
This wasn't simply a palace built for tourists to look at today.
This was where China's emperors actually lived and ruled.
For more than 500 years, the Forbidden City was the centre of imperial government and royal life during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
And when you're standing inside it, the scale of the place really makes you understand just how powerful the emperor once was.
What Is the Forbidden City?
The Forbidden City is located right in the centre of Beijing, directly beside Tiananmen Square.
Construction began in 1406 and was completed in 1420 under the Ming emperor Yongle.
Over the following centuries, it became the imperial palace for 24 emperors — 14 from the Ming dynasty and 10 from the Qing dynasty.
Today, the complex is officially known as the Palace Museum (故宫博物院) and has been a museum since 1925. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
But most people in China simply call it:
故宫 — Gùgōng.
This Is Where the Emperor Lived
This was probably the part I found most interesting.
When you visit the Forbidden City, you're not simply walking through reconstructed historical buildings.
You're walking through the actual imperial palace complex where emperors governed the country, held ceremonies and lived with the imperial family.
The Forbidden City was designed around both imperial governance and private family life, with different halls serving very specific purposes.
The further you walk into the palace, the more you start imagining what daily life here must have been like hundreds of years ago.
We Randomly Met a Guy Livestreaming the Forbidden City 😂
One of my favourite memories from our visit actually happened completely by accident.
While we were walking around the Forbidden City, we came across this guy who was livestreaming and telling stories about the palace.
And his storytelling was so interesting.
Instead of simply saying:
"This building was constructed in this year..."
He explained the stories behind the palace, the emperors and what actually happened inside these spaces.
Suddenly the buildings weren't just beautiful buildings anymore.
You could actually imagine the people who once lived here.
We ended up listening to him while exploring, and it genuinely made the Forbidden City much more interesting.
I included more of this part in our Beijing vlog, so if you're planning to visit Gugong, you can check that out too.
What to See Inside the Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is enormous, so don't feel like you need to understand every single building.
For a first visit, you'll naturally pass through many of the major areas as you walk from south to north.
Hall of Supreme Harmony
The Hall of Supreme Harmony (太和殿) is probably one of the most recognisable buildings inside the Forbidden City.
This is the massive ceremonial hall you see after entering deeper into the palace.
The scale of the courtyard in front of it gives you a good idea of how imperial ceremonies were designed to emphasise the emperor's authority.
The Inner Court
As you move further north, the palace gradually changes from ceremonial government spaces into areas associated more closely with imperial family life.
This was the more private side of the Forbidden City.
And for me, this is where knowing some of the stories really makes the experience more interesting.
Without context, you see another palace.
With context, you start thinking:
Who actually lived here?
What happened inside these walls?
That's why I'm glad we accidentally found that livestream storyteller. 😂
How Long Do You Need at the Forbidden City?
I'd recommend giving yourself at least:
3–4 hours
And if you're really interested in Chinese history, you could easily spend much longer.
Don't underestimate how much walking is involved.
The Forbidden City isn't one palace building.
It's an enormous complex of gates, courtyards, halls, gardens and smaller palaces.
How to Book Forbidden City Tickets
This part is important:
Book your tickets before going.
We booked ours directly through the official Palace Museum ticketing website.
The Palace Museum currently does not sell same-day admission tickets, and visitors need to make a real-name reservation before visiting. Foreign visitors can use their passport when booking and entering.
Tickets are currently released beginning at 8:00 PM, seven days before the visit date, so for busy periods I wouldn't leave this until the last minute.
Forbidden City Ticket Price
Current general admission prices are:
April 1 – October 31: ¥60
November 1 – March 31: ¥40
The Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks currently cost an additional ¥10 each.
Where Do You Enter the Forbidden City?
Visitors enter through the Meridian Gate (午门) on the southern side of the Forbidden City.
The Palace Museum operates a south-to-north one-way visitor route.
You enter through Meridian Gate and eventually exit through Shenwu Gate (神武门) in the north, with East Prosperity Gate also serving as an exit.
This is useful to know when planning what you're doing afterwards because you won't simply walk back out through the same entrance.
Forbidden City Opening Hours
The current general opening hours are:
April 1 – October 31 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Last admission: 4:00 PM
November 1 – March 31 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Last admission: 3:30 PM
The Palace Museum is generally closed on Mondays, except for certain national holidays.
Always check the latest schedule before visiting because temporary closures can happen.
Is the Forbidden City Worth Visiting?
Absolutely.
If you're travelling to Beijing, this is probably one of the most important places for understanding the city.
Before visiting, the Forbidden City can just look like:
red walls + traditional Chinese buildings.
But once you understand what happened here, everything feels different.
For centuries, this was effectively the centre of power for an enormous empire.
Emperors lived here.
Government decisions were made here.
Imperial ceremonies happened here.
Entire generations of the royal family spent their lives behind these walls.
And that's what makes Gugong much more interesting than simply coming here for photos.
If you're visiting Beijing for the first time, I'd definitely put the Forbidden City near the top of your itinerary.
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