In which Chinese city is the Forbidden City located?

The Forbidden City is located in Beijing, China. It occupies the center of Beijing’s historic Imperial City and was the imperial palace of China’s Ming and Qing emperors for more than five centuries.

Construction began in 1406 after the Yongle Emperor moved the Ming capital from Nanjing to Beijing. The complex was completed in 1420 and contains ceremonial halls, residential courts, gardens, gates, and thousands of rooms arranged along a strict north-south axis.

Twenty-four emperors lived there between 1420 and 1924. The name reflects the palace’s restricted access: ordinary people could not enter without imperial permission. Since 1925, the site has operated as the Palace Museum. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is often described as the world’s largest preserved imperial palace complex.