Trip Info
Discover the hidden secrets and beauty of the Forbidden City on this private tour. You will see first-hand how, and why, it was the Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty.
Meeting with your guide at a prearranged location, you will venture to the middle of Beijing to explore the grounds and the Palace Museum. You will also see Tiananmen Square, the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Zhongshan Park, all which surrounds the city.
Crossing the moat, we will enter by the Meridian Gate. It is very grand with five openings and is the largest and main gate of the Forbidden City. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest hall in the Forbidden City and, architecturally, is the highest-ranking building of the surviving traditional architecture in China.
The Yongzheng Emperor initiated the custom of placing the name of the heir apparent in a box that was hidden behind the horizontal inscribed board. Upon the old emperor’s death, the names were compared and, when satisfactorily confirmed, the successor declared.
A special treat will be exploring the collections of the Palace Museum, which are based on the Qing Imperial collection. In addition, the imperial libraries house one of the country’s largest collections of ancient books and various documents, including government documents of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
