As you exit the Hall of Preserving Harmony you are able to view the Gate of Heavenly Purity across the small courtyard. The gate marks the entrance to the inner court of the Forbidden City. It is not as big as the gates in the...More

Visitors to the Forbidden City are led in south to north direction for all of the outer court until they exit the Hall of Preserved Harmony. They are then required to decide if they wish to continue in the same direction or deviate eastwards to...More

One of the main things to know about visiting the Forbidden City is that it's really straightforward and you can't miss much - there is really only one way through and you'd really have to go off course and ignore all instruction to miss this...More

I absolutely loved the Forbidden City and the Gate of Heavenly Purity is one of the nicest parts of the tour. It is definitely worth getting the audio-guide as you learn a lot about the place, more than you would from the displays alone and...More

While I just said that "Many of the different portions of the forbidden city can become "just another stop / portion" of the overall Forbidden City" about the inner court, I have to admit that is how I felt about the gate of heavenly purity....More

It looked rather dull, as it hadn’t been restored to the original colour. Nevertheless, it was another important gate in the central axis. The name of the gate was written in both traditional Chinese characters and Manchu script.

The Gate of Heavenly Purity is the gateway between the outer and inner courts of the Forbidden City. It serves as the main entrance to the imperial household. In the front are a pair of gilded bronze lions.