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Forbidden City

Type Object Region East Asia Time 1406

The Forbidden City is a royal palace complex planned and built in Beijing during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty, begun in 1406 and largely comp…

Timeline

  1. 1406–1408North of the old site of Yuan Dadu, Beijing · Beijing MunicipalityIn 1406 (Yongle 4), the Yongle Emperor decreed the move of the capital to Beijing and the construction of the Forbidden City, conscripting craftsmen and laborers nationwide and replanning the imperial city and palace axes on the site of the Yuan dynasty Dadu palace foundations, establishing the framework of a symmetrical central-axis layout.
  2. 1409–1418Forbidden City construction zone · Beijing MunicipalityThe three great halls of Taihe, Zhonghe, and Baohe, along with the principal buildings of the inner court, were erected in succession; high-quality building materials such as nanmu timber were transported north by water from the south, while city walls, the moat, and ceremonial and defensive facilities such as the Meridian Gate advanced in parallel.
  3. 1420–1424Forbidden City · Beijing MunicipalityIn 1420 (Yingle 18), the Forbidden City was essentially completed, and the Yongle Emperor formally moved the capital to Beijing, making the Forbidden City the emperor's main palace and the core of central government affairs, establishing the political status of Ming Beijing as the imperial capital.

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