Forbidden City facts: numbers that matter, and one myth to ignore

When was the Forbidden City built?

The Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty ordered construction in 1406 and completed it by 1420. That is a fourteen-year project and it moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in the process. The scale was staggering. The materials alone — timber from the south, stone from local quarries, ceramics from specialist kilns — had to be sourced and transported across the empire. The labour was conscripted: builders, soldiers, craftsmen and the administrators to feed them.

How many emperors lived there?

Twenty-four across two dynasties. The Ming dynasty ruled from 1406 to 1644 and the Qing (Manchu) dynasty from 1644 onwards. The Qing emperors continued to use the palace after their conquest of China, which is why the palace moved from a Chinese to a Manchu court without losing its institutional power. The last emperor was Puyi, a child when the revolution came in 1911. He lived in the palace until 1924, when he was forced to leave. You can visit the quarters where he lived as a boy.

The "9,999 rooms" legend

This is false. I hear it in nearly every large group tour. The number comes from a traditional Chinese superstition that 9,999 is the number of rooms that is "perfect but not absolute" (reserving absolute perfection for heaven). The Palace Museum estimates the actual number at around 8,700 rooms, depending on how you define a room. Some counts include every small chamber; others only major halls. But the 9,999 figure is not real. It is a myth that persisted because it sounded true and because it fit the superstition. Do not carry it into a conversation with a Chinese colleague or a guide without being prepared to be corrected. I am warning you because I have watched visitors repeat the number with confidence and then feel foolish when it turns out to be wrong.

How big is the palace?

The entire complex is about 72 hectares — roughly 100 football fields. The palace is surrounded by a 52-metre-wide moat and a wall that is about 10 metres high. You can walk the perimeter in about an hour. The buildings within are spread across this area: the central axis you visit is only one line through it, and most visitors never see the wings or the western and eastern palaces. That is by design. The palace was enormous partly because it needed to house thousands of concubines, eunuchs, servants and administrators, not just the emperor.

Why is it called the Forbidden City?

Because no one entered or left without the emperor’s permission. It was forbidden to the ordinary public. For nearly 500 years, the only people inside were the emperor, his chosen concubines, his eunuchs, servants, and officials summoned for business. If you were born a servant inside the palace, you might live your whole life without ever leaving. The name is literal: it was a place you could not go.

When did it become a public museum?

In 1925, after Puyi was forced to leave in 1924, the Palace Museum opened its doors. It has been a public institution ever since. A large part of the complex is still closed to visitors — what you walk through on the public route is the ceremonial spine and the inner court, not the whole 72 hectares. The rest is research collections, archives, conservation workshops and storage.

Is it a UNESCO World Heritage site?

Yes. The Forbidden City was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

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