The Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China was the longest fortification ever built. Its purpose was to defend the Chinese Empire from Mangolian and Manchu enemies. Now, it is China’s biggest and most popular tourist attraction. The first parts of the Wall were built in the 7th century B.C. when China was split into different states. It is 25 feet tall and ranges from 15 to 30 feet wide. The wall was built with many different materials over the centuries. About 1 million people died during the construction o the Great Wall of China. It is more than three stories tall in some areas. The wall was originally seven walls, each made by a kingdom. Then rulers had connected walls together so it could be longer. In the beginning, the wall was made from rocks and sticks. Then, technology became advanced and started using bricks. It curves across the landscape of China just like a dragon, which is common in the Chinese culture. The Forbidden City The Forbidden City is the best preserved majestic palace in China. It is the largest ancient grand structure in the world and is a traditional architectural accomplishment. The Forbidden City was listed an important historical monument under Chinese central government special preservation in 1961. Also, in 1987 it was nominated as World Cultural Heritage, this was done by UNESCO. International Recognition In 1961 the Forbidden City was listed as an important historical monument under Chinese central government special preservation. In 1987, it was nominated as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The Palace Museum is a treasure house of Chinese cultural and historical relics. It is recognized as one of the most important five palaces in the world (the other four are the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in the UK, the White House in the US, and the Kremlin in Russia). History The Forbidden City, situated in the very heart of Beijing, was home to 24 emperors of the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) Dynasties. The construction of the grand palace started in the fourth year of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1406), and ended in 1420. In ancient times, the emperor was said to be a son of Heaven, and therefore Heaven’s supreme power was bestowed upon him. The emperors’ residence on earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace where God was thought to live in Heaven. Names: Such a divine place was certainly forbidden to ordinary people and that is why the Forbidden City is so named. Originally called Zijin Cheng ('Purple Forbidden City'), in China now it is usually called Gugong (故宫 /googong), the 'Former/Old Palace'. Features To represent the supreme power of the emperor given from God, and the place where he lived being the center of the world, all the gates, palace and other structures of the Forbidden City were arranged about the north-south central axis of old Beijing. For security the Forbidden City is enclosed by a 10-meter-high defensive wall, which has a circumference of 3, 430 meters. At each corner of the Forbidden City, there stands a magnificent watchtower, which was heavily guarded in the past. Around the city there is a moat as the first line of defense. See our Forbidden City Map. The Forbidden City covers an area of about 72 hectares (178 acres) with a total floor space of approximately 150,000 square meters (1,600,000 square feet). It consists of 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms.