Forbidden City, Beijing

Timeline

1. 1406–1420Beijing · BeijingThe Chengzu Emperor Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing and massively built palaces and city walls; construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406 and took over ten years to complete, becoming the core of the Ming imperial capital, its layout strictly following axial symmetry and the ritual principle of court in front, residences behind.
2. 1420–1644Forbidden City · BeijingHalls such as the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Palace of Heavenly Purity formed the space for imperial governance and ceremonies, while the inner court and systems of eunuchs and female officials sustained palace operations; during long periods of neglectful rule by the Jiajing and Wanli emperors, the Forbidden City remained the symbolic center of imperial ritual and power.
3. 1644–1799Forbidden City · BeijingAfter the Qing army entered the pass, the Shunzhi Emperor took up residence in the Forbidden City; the Qing court retained the Ming palace layout and added structures such as the Hall of Mental Cultivation; under Kangxi and Qianlong, court collections and ceremonies reached new heights, and the Forbidden City became the power hub through which the Manchu royal house ruled China.
4. 1839–1908Forbidden City · BeijingAfter the Opium Wars the imperial crisis deepened; Cixi ruled from behind a screen in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the Forbidden City witnessed political struggles including the Self-Strengthening Movement, the Reform Movement, and the Boxers; the court still maintained a vast ceremonial system, but imperial authority had been shaken by foreign powers and domestic revolutionary currents.
5. 1911Forbidden City · BeijingAfter the 1911 Revolution broke out, the Qing emperor Puyi abdicated in 1912, ending the Forbidden City's era as an imperial palace; it gradually became the Palace Museum, an important public cultural space for ancient Chinese court architecture and cultural relics.