Interesting Facts About China

Published on February 24, 2020 By Mathew Cohen

The Forbidden City

Founded in 1420, the Forbidden City is one of the largest and most well-preserved imperial palaces in the world. It was constructed to be the residence of the Imperial Emperor during the reign of the Ming Dynasty and went on to house 24 emperors- 14 from the Ming Dynasty and 10 from the Qing Dynasty.

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In ancient China, the emperor was viewed to be a heavenly presence, with powers that were bestowed to him from heaven. For this reason, commoners were forbidden from entering the palace, with the death penalty awaiting anyone who disobeyed this rule. In fact, even members of the government and the imperial family had limited access to certain areas- only the emperor could roam wherever he willed.