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
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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
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In 1961 the Forbidden City was listed as an important historical monument under Chinese central
government special preservation.
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In 1987, it was nominated as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The Palace Museum is a treasure house of
Chinese cultural and historical relics.
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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.