At the northern end of the Forbidden City is the Imperial Garden, where emperors and their consorts could retreat to read, relax, sip tea and stroll among the tightly woven landscape of rockeries, walkways, pavilions and ancient, carbuncular cypresses.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of…
2.95 MILES
An oasis of methodical Confucian design, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is unique. It originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites performed…
8.42 MILES
A marvel of Chinese garden design and one of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace was the royal retreat for emperors fleeing the suffocating…
1.2 MILES
Flanked by triumphalist Soviet-style buildings, Tian'anmen Sq is an immense void of paved stone (440,000 sq metres, to be precise) at the symbolic centre…
0.65 MILES
Beihai Park, inside the old Imperial City, looks much as it would have done in the 18th century when it served as Emperor Qianlong's private gardens. The…
2.47 MILES
This immense fortress, part of the Ming City Wall Ruins Park, guarded the southeast corner of Beijing's city walls. Originally built in 1439 but repaired…
0.87 MILES
Instantly recognisable by its giant framed portrait of Mao, and guarded by two pairs of Ming dynasty stone lions, the double-eaved Gate of Heavenly Peace …
6.59 MILES
Contemporary art meets communist history at this thrilling enclave of international galleries installed within China's model factory complex of the 1950s…
Nearby attractions
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This attractive double-eaved hall is the only Taoist temple located on the central axis of Beijing.
2. Palace of Earthly Tranquillity
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This palace was originally the residence of the empress, and in later times became the imperial couple’s bridal chamber (they only spent the first two…
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Small gate leading to the Gate of Divine Prowess, which serves as the Forbidden City's north exit.
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The middle of the three outer halls, the Hall of Union was the place for the empress to receive greetings from her high-ranking subjects during major…
5. Palace of Gathered Elegance
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This hall contains interesting photos of the last emperor Puyi, who lived here as a child ruler at the turn of the 20th century. Empress Dowager Cixi also…
6. Palace of Accumulated Purity
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One of the Forbidden City's six eastern palaces, this is notable for being the former residence of the young Xianfeng Emperor, who lived here with his mum.
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One of the six eastern palaces, this dates from 1420, and was used as a residence of imperial concubines. Today it houses a museum displaying a range of…
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The Forbidden City’s north gate, for exit-only. From here you can cross the road into Jingshan Park. During imperial times, the gate was used by servants…