The Forbidden City in Beijing

In the center of Beijing, behind a high red wall, there is a huge palace complex.

It is called the Forbidden City, because ordinary people could not enter it for five hundred years.

The palace was built between 1406 and 1420 for the emperors of the Ming dynasty.

About a million workers took part in the construction, and the builders brought wood and stone from distant parts of China.

Twenty-four emperors lived and ruled here until 1912.

The size of the Forbidden City is impressive.

It covers more than 700,000 square meters and has about 980 buildings, and legend says that it has 9,999 rooms.

The roofs are covered with yellow tiles, because yellow was the color of the emperor, and the doors and columns are painted red, which symbolizes good luck.

Since 1925, the palace has been a museum.

It holds a collection of nearly two million objects, such as paintings, ceramics, and jewelry.

You need at least half a day to see the main halls, and it is a good idea to buy tickets in advance.