Forbidden City 故宫

About Forbidden City

Its successive gates, ceremonial courtyards and palace buildings make the north–south axis a useful way to understand the complex. The museum also has separate collection galleries, so the architectural route and the exhibition route are different decisions to make before arrival.

The Palace Museum's official route is one way, from south to north. Visitors enter through the Meridian Gate, called Wumen, and leave through the northern Shenwumen or eastern Donghuamen. This matters when combining the palace with neighbouring parks: an exit near the north of the complex gives a different onward route from the southern entrance. The museum publishes restoration and gallery-closure notices, so an individual hall should not be assumed accessible simply because it appears on a historic plan.

What to look for

• The Meridian Gate and the sequence of palace courtyards along the central axis.
• The architectural contrast between the ceremonial palace route and the museum's collection galleries.
• The northern palace boundary at Shenwumen, opposite the Jingshan area.

Location & getting there

Getting to Forbidden City

Use the Meridian Gate / 午门 as the visitor entrance. The Palace Museum's official guidance specifies south-to-north circulation; Shenwumen / 神武门 and Donghuamen / 东华门 are exits.

• Choose the return meeting point around the exit you plan to use, rather than automatically returning to the southern entrance.
• Read the museum's current restoration notices when deciding which halls and galleries to include.