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All 1,129 Beijing Attractions »

Forbidden City (Imperial Palace)

No.4 Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100009, China
010-85007422, 85007421
As featured in 3 days in Beijing
Ranked #8 of 982 attractions in Beijing
4.5 of 5 stars 2505 Reviews
Type: Historic Sites, Architectural Buildings, Castles, Landmarks/ Points of Interest, Museums
Activities: Group tours/walking tour
Fee: Yes
Owner description: Consisting of more than 9,000 rooms and spread over 250 acres, this huge palace complex was built in the 15th century and later extensively renovated...... more » Owner description: Consisting of more than 9,000 rooms and spread over 250 acres, this huge palace complex was built in the 15th century and later extensively renovated and restored during the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century. « less
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2,505 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    237
    38
    9
Date Rating
LITH, IL
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2012 NEW

From the striking walls and buildings to historic artifacts on display, I can't imagine travelling to Beijing and not visiting the Forbidden City! More

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See 3 more reviews by ap50031 for Beijing
Warrenville, Illinois
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2012 NEW

The Forbidden City was quite amazing. I love visiting palaces where important people of the past lived. Unfortunately our tour group just went down the central axis, and did not have time to explore the different corners. I would have given five stars, but I was a little put off by the pushing and shoving to see certain areas of... More

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Singapore, Singapore
Top Contributor
63 reviews 63 reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

Very crowded and the entire premise looked worn and poorly maintained. I'm sure history enthusiasts would beg to differ. More

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See 5 more reviews by DrJohnWong for Beijing
westfield
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

The forbidden city was one of the first attractions visited on my tour. The tour manager Annie was outstanding. She is very informed about all of the attractions on the ten day tour. She took a tour of thirty people and made us feel we were part of her China family. This was the first time I had used a... More

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New York
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
62 helpful votes 62 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

No trip to Beijing would be complete without a visit to the Forbidden City. While it's crowded and complex, and you really need more than a few hours to take it all in, the F.C. did not disappoint. I'm very glad we made it our first stop in Beijing. More

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See 6 more reviews by travelwise for Beijing
San Diego
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

A very unique palace and home for the emperor and his immediate court. Very different than the western palaces but strikingly similar on a larger scale to the palace in Hue, Vietnam. More

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See 5 more reviews by AlandDiane for Beijing
Vienna, Austria
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

if you not in a group find at the entrance a tourguide. 1.5 - 2 hrs is enough to see all highlights More

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See 8 more reviews by OF665 for Beijing
Seoul, South Korea
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

it was bit confusing to find the ticket office. the ticket office said it's the entrace fee but then there was another one that we had to pay. the first one wasnt.. also it was hard to find exit gate.. More

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See 3 more reviews by Lee1306 for Beijing
Johannesburg, South Africa
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

This was a peaceful and informative experience beyond description. The fact that there were crowds around did not take away from the fact that around every corner you could find a quiet place. The gardens were my favorite. We got something to eat and just "drank" it all in. The toilets were very clean. The English descriptions everywhere made it... More

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See 5 more reviews by TheunsBlom for Beijing
Queenstown, New Zealand
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
27 helpful votes 27 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

The Forbidden City is one of those things you feel you have to see when in China. In some respects, it is only by visiting it that you get an idea of the enormity of it - the size is really mind boggling. But with so many tourists it's hard to get much out of the experience as you don't... More

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