The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City had witnessed the reigns of 24 emperors for as long as five centuries in the history of China.13
Started in 1406 and completed 14 years later, the Forbidden City covers an area of more than 720,000 square meters and is called “the sea of halls ” as a complex of more than 8,000 halls and rooms . The large and grand Forbidden City, a feudal（封建的/’fjudl/） imperial(帝国的，皇帝的) palace with rigorous（严密的） layout , longest history, largest construction area, and best preservation among its kind so for existent in the world, is regarded as one of the top five palaces.
故宫，一座昔日的皇城，先后有24位皇帝在此统治中国长达5个世纪之久。
故宫始建于1406年，历时14年才完工，面积达72万多平方米，有殿宇宫室8000多间，被誉为“殿宇之海”。故宫规模宏大，气势磅礴，布局严谨，是世界是上现存的皇宫中历史最悠久，建筑面积最大，保存最完整的一座封建皇宫，它是“世界五大宫”之一。 the history of the forbidden city
Early construction in the Ming Dynasty
In 1406,Zhu Di ,Emperor Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, decided to move the capital to Beijing. In the next year, he began to make preparations for building palaces ,altars and temples ,and walls .Many ministers were dispatched to the South to procure timber （树，木材）and make bricks and tiles(瓦).
1406年，明朝永乐皇帝朱棣决定迁都北京，第二年便开始做营建宫殿，坛庙及城墙的各种准备工作，并派遣大臣到南方各省采办木材，烧造砖瓦。
In 1417, the Forbidden City started construction; at that time , it was called Purple Forbidden City. Why it was called by this name during the Ming and Qing Dynasty? According to the ancient Chinese history, Ziwei Enclosure in the center of the heaven was the abode of Celestial emperor, thus the abode was named Zigong, or purple palace. Jin, or Forbidden, referred to the fact that no-one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor’s permission. Hence the name Zijincheng, or the Forbidden City. 1417年，故宫开始营建，当时称紫禁城。为什么故宫在明清时期称为紫禁城呢？依照中国古代的星相学说，紫薇垣位于天空的正中央，是天帝的居所，因此把天帝所居的天宫称之为紫宫。同时，皇宫乃皇
家重地，闲杂人等不得进入，是禁地，因此名字当中有一个禁字。 At the end of 1420, the major structure of the Forbidden City was completed.
On the first day in the first lunar month in the 1421,Zhu Di was worshiped in the Hall of Fengtian Dian by his ministers and envoys from forweign countries. Up to then, Beijing had replaced Nanjing as the capital of China.
In 1441,Emperor Zhengtong Zhu Qizhen rebuilt the Three Halls of the Outor Court and the Palace of Qianqinggong and Kunninggong .He made an imperial edict to reconfirm that Beijing was the capital city of Ming Dynasty.
1421年正月初一，朱棣在故宫的奉天殿接受朝贺，大宴文武群臣和各国贡使。至此，中国的首都由南京迁到了北京。
1441年，正统皇帝朱祁镇重建外朝三大殿和乾清宫，坤宁宫，并昭告天下，重申迁都北京。从此，北京才正式成为大名都城，而故宫也由此成为一代皇宫。
Expanded In The Qing Dynasty
In 1644, the Qing forces entered Beijing and Emperor Shunzhi made his
edict to establish the capital in Beijing ,which marked the birth of the Qing Dynasty.
On the basis of the Ming imperial palace, the Qing Dynasty spent14 years in restoring the destroyed architectural complex, rebuilding and expanding it into the magnificent imperial palace with large scale.
1644年，清军进入北京，顺治皇帝召告天下，定都北京，清朝随之建立。
清朝定都北京后，在继承明代故宫规模和布局的基础上，历时14年将焚毁的建筑基本修复，又进行了重建额扩建，营建了规模空前，富丽堂皇的宫殿建筑群。
In 1987，the Forbidden City was inscribed on the World Heritage List by the UNESCO. Now it is the Palace Museum.
1987年故宫被联合国教科文组织列为“世界文化遗产”，现辟为“故宫博物院”。
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City had witnessed the reigns of 24 emperors for as long as five centuries in the history of China.13
Started in 1406 and completed 14 years later, the Forbidden City covers an area of more than 720,000 square meters and is called “the sea of halls ” as a complex of more than 8,000 halls and rooms . The large and grand Forbidden City, a feudal（封建的/’fjudl/） imperial(帝国的，皇帝的) palace with rigorous（严密的） layout , longest history, largest construction area, and best preservation among its kind so for existent in the world, is regarded as one of the top five palaces.
故宫，一座昔日的皇城，先后有24位皇帝在此统治中国长达5个世纪之久。
故宫始建于1406年，历时14年才完工，面积达72万多平方米，有殿宇宫室8000多间，被誉为“殿宇之海”。故宫规模宏大，气势磅礴，布局严谨，是世界是上现存的皇宫中历史最悠久，建筑面积最大，保存最完整的一座封建皇宫，它是“世界五大宫”之一。 the history of the forbidden city
Early construction in the Ming Dynasty
In 1406,Zhu Di ,Emperor Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, decided to move the capital to Beijing. In the next year, he began to make preparations for building palaces ,altars and temples ,and walls .Many ministers were dispatched to the South to procure timber （树，木材）and make bricks and tiles(瓦).
1406年，明朝永乐皇帝朱棣决定迁都北京，第二年便开始做营建宫殿，坛庙及城墙的各种准备工作，并派遣大臣到南方各省采办木材，烧造砖瓦。
In 1417, the Forbidden City started construction; at that time , it was called Purple Forbidden City. Why it was called by this name during the Ming and Qing Dynasty? According to the ancient Chinese history, Ziwei Enclosure in the center of the heaven was the abode of Celestial emperor, thus the abode was named Zigong, or purple palace. Jin, or Forbidden, referred to the fact that no-one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor’s permission. Hence the name Zijincheng, or the Forbidden City. 1417年，故宫开始营建，当时称紫禁城。为什么故宫在明清时期称为紫禁城呢？依照中国古代的星相学说，紫薇垣位于天空的正中央，是天帝的居所，因此把天帝所居的天宫称之为紫宫。同时，皇宫乃皇
家重地，闲杂人等不得进入，是禁地，因此名字当中有一个禁字。 At the end of 1420, the major structure of the Forbidden City was completed.
On the first day in the first lunar month in the 1421,Zhu Di was worshiped in the Hall of Fengtian Dian by his ministers and envoys from forweign countries. Up to then, Beijing had replaced Nanjing as the capital of China.
In 1441,Emperor Zhengtong Zhu Qizhen rebuilt the Three Halls of the Outor Court and the Palace of Qianqinggong and Kunninggong .He made an imperial edict to reconfirm that Beijing was the capital city of Ming Dynasty.
1421年正月初一，朱棣在故宫的奉天殿接受朝贺，大宴文武群臣和各国贡使。至此，中国的首都由南京迁到了北京。
1441年，正统皇帝朱祁镇重建外朝三大殿和乾清宫，坤宁宫，并昭告天下，重申迁都北京。从此，北京才正式成为大名都城，而故宫也由此成为一代皇宫。
Expanded In The Qing Dynasty
In 1644, the Qing forces entered Beijing and Emperor Shunzhi made his
edict to establish the capital in Beijing ,which marked the birth of the Qing Dynasty.
On the basis of the Ming imperial palace, the Qing Dynasty spent14 years in restoring the destroyed architectural complex, rebuilding and expanding it into the magnificent imperial palace with large scale.
1644年，清军进入北京，顺治皇帝召告天下，定都北京，清朝随之建立。
清朝定都北京后，在继承明代故宫规模和布局的基础上，历时14年将焚毁的建筑基本修复，又进行了重建额扩建，营建了规模空前，富丽堂皇的宫殿建筑群。
In 1987，the Forbidden City was inscribed on the World Heritage List by the UNESCO. Now it is the Palace Museum.
1987年故宫被联合国教科文组织列为“世界文化遗产”，现辟为“故宫博物院”。