In the center of which city is Gugun located? Forbidden City in Beijing

Forbidden City (Imperial Palace Gugun in Beijing)- the most extensive palace complex in the world. Conceived back in 1406, it was closed to mere mortals for centuries (hence the name of the palace). From this place the Celestial Empire was ruled by 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. But even today, 75 years after the last Chinese emperor left the palace, it still remains forbidden, with half of the city still closed to curious tourists and surrounded by an aura of mystery. This Palace was the first Chinese site to be listed by UNESCO world heritage of humanity (in 1987).

Gugun Imperial Palace was built in 1406-1420. Its total area is 720 thousand square meters. m; The palace complex has 9999 rooms. Surrounded by a 3400 m long wall and a moat with water, which is called " Golden water" A million builders and 100 thousand other specialists took part in its construction - masters of stone carving, wood carving, artists, etc. The Gate of Heavenly Peace leads into it.

The location plays an important role; it is located in the very center of Beijing.

GPS coordinates

39.917328, 116.397182

Opening Hours/Schedule

8.30 – 17.00 – open
8.30 – 16.00 – cash desk opening hours

Price

Adult – 40 yuan
Child up to 1.2 m tall – free
Audio guide rental – 40 yuan
Entrance to the eastern wing, the so-called treasury - 10 yuan

general information

Forbidden City (other names – Forbidden Palace, Forbidden City)

This is a central place in the city, and therefore there are always a lot of people here. At the same time, those who want to visit the Closed City do not care about the time of year. It is better to choose to visit early in the morning on a weekday. By forcing you to come here earlier than others, you will save yourself from kilometer-long queues.

In summer it is very hot here - the scorching sun will nurture your desire to hide under the shade, and closer to winter it is very cold - winds pierce to the bones. So what's the most best time The visiting years are autumn and spring. This is just a statement of fact, but visit at any time of the year, just be prepared.

Impression

The closed city is the place that is more impressive documentaries. When visiting in person, many complain about the monotony: behind one gate there appears an area almost identical to the one left behind. Much of the architecture is very similar. I can partly agree with this and therefore recommend that you take an audio guide. In this case, faceless and similar buildings will begin to come to life in your imagination.

Audio guides in Beijing work automatically. The story begins when you approach the right place. The advantage is that you don’t need to monitor the map; the disadvantage is that it doesn’t work properly. It can start before the right place, sometimes it ends unexpectedly.

And that is not all. The audio guide lectures are hampered by all sorts of speech errors. Audio guides in Beijing were recorded by local Chinese studying Russian, hence the whole problem.

On the other hand, without an audio guide at all it will be very bland. How can you get superficial information? Anything is better than going through the Forbidden City and saying that it is nothing.

Many parts of the Forbidden City are closed to the public: some have never been opened, others are under restoration.

The city gave me a gloomy feeling. Everything is somehow too dry, without life. Maybe, of course, everything was different before, but now the bare, straight, stone walls on all sides are depressing. It is not surprising that some emperors preferred to spend most of their time in.

Be sure to climb to higher ground ( Jinshan Park) behind the Forbidden City. When you are inside the palace it is one thing, but when you look at it from above it is another. If you imagine that you are 300 years behind and can see this city from above, you will feel in touch with a miracle. After all, it was impossible to get there; what was going on there was unknown to a mere mortal.

Photos of the Forbidden City

Queue at the checkpoint. All Chinese are checked and identified. They treat foreigners more loyally; they don’t look at their passports. But it’s better to have it with you just in case.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office on the left side of the entrance. Then we go straight and see the turnstiles.

Behind them there is a building where you can take an audio guide.

Here's the thing

Entering the Forbidden City
(Rebus: find the ninja in the photo below)

It's not the same building. I already talked about the similarity.

This is the original building we passed through.

It’s disappointing that you can’t go inside the most important palace premises. You can only jostle in the crowd to move closer to the open viewing area. It's scary to imagine what happens here in the summer.

And with some palaces things are even worse: you need to look through the window.

And then you can see the interior.

Territory of the Forbidden City

View of side buildings

One of the side entrances in the Closed City

In this place, surrounded by trees, in ancient times, emperors chose their concubines from pretty girls of 15-17 years old brought from all over the area. So, for example, the great empress was chosen here Tsy Xi subsequently ruling China from 1861 to 1908.

Before visiting the main attractions of Beijing, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the last two centuries of Chinese history. In particular, read, for example, on Wikipedia about the Dowager Empress Ci Xi, about whom the audio guides will talk a lot.

A building built on wonderful stones is nearby. Only the emperor and his wife could go upstairs. This happened once a year on one of the holidays.

The ceiling in one of the unremarkable rooms

Wall of Nine Dragons. There are several Nine Dragon Walls. This one was built in 1771 and is located in the Forbidden City at the entrance towards the treasury. Entrance is separate and paid (10 yuan). The second wall can be seen not far from the Forbidden City, in Beihai Park.

There are 9 dragons for a reason. This number has a sacred meaning in China. And the dragons themselves in China are good creatures, they were created to protect and support from evil spirits and everything bad.

Selected exhibitions from the treasury of the Forbidden City.

- This is the ancient residence of Chinese emperors, today turned into a huge museum. Currently the city is simply called Gugun or Former palace. This is the largest palace complex in the world.

It is located slightly north of Tiananmen Square and is considered the main cultural and historical attraction of everything. Tourists from all over the world come here every year.

The main palace of the Forbidden City became the residence of the emperor from the moment of its construction, i.e. from the beginning of the 15th century. At that time, the Ming Dynasty reigned. And it ceased to be in 1912, when the last emperor of the Qing dynasty was overthrown.

The palace took about 15 years to build. The best architects, builders, masons, artists and millions of simple unknown builders took part in its construction. Construction was carried out from precious trees and expensive materials.

The emperor lived with his family and servants in the Forbidden City. No one else is at risk death penalty was not allowed here. Palace complex surrounded by thick walls and a wide ditch filled with water.

In total, during the entire period of the empire, 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived in this city. All significant ceremonies were held here; it was the political center of the Great Ming Empire and the Qing Empire.

In 1912, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, Pu Yi, was overthrown but was allowed to continue living in Inner palace. And a museum was organized in the Outer Palace. A few years later, Pu Yi was expelled from his palace.

In the 30s of the last century, when Japan attacked China and captured Beijing, the palace’s jewelry had to be hastily removed. A significant part of them was captured by the Japanese, but out of respect for the former emperor they were preserved.

The Cultural Revolution caused the most damage to this site. In the 50-60s of the 20th century, some artifacts were destroyed here. However, the vandalism was stopped and army battalions were deployed near Gugun to protect the cultural heritage.

Over the entire period of its existence before becoming a museum in 1925, the Forbidden City underwent many changes. He was constantly upset and strengthened, huge amounts of money were invested in him.

The entire complex of palaces is an example of Chinese traditional palace architecture. At the end of the 80s of the last century, he was the first in China to enter famous list UNESCO as the largest ancient wooden structure.

Forbidden City today

The Forbidden City is the center of ancient Beijing, which is called Imperial City. Gugun itself is divided into several parts, surrounded by a wall 3.4 km long and almost 8 m high and a ditch, the width of which is more than 50 m.

On three sides there are magnificent imperial gardens and famous parks. To the south of Gugun there is a Sanctuary where all the emperors of China, without exception, worshiped the spirit of the nation and their ancestors.

Also to the south is the Gate of Heavenly Peace with a portrait of the father of the people - Mao Zedong. This gate is the link between ancient Gugong and modern Tiananmen Square.

The entire design of this beautiful architectural masterpiece is filled with symbols of Chinese religion and philosophy, and also emphasizes the greatness of the imperial power and its direct connection with heaven. The layout follows ancient traditions.

This palace complex is a real wonder of the world, which is described in books and films. In 1918, he was featured in one of the first Chinese feature films, a biopic about the last emperor Pu Yi, a TV series about Marco Polo, etc.

Modernity

Currently, the Forbidden City is visited by at least 7 million tourists a year, especially in the summer. This is the most famous Chinese landmark. Xi Jinping recently hosted Donald Trump at the Inner Palace.

Gugong, also known as the Purple or Forbidden City, is located in the very center of Beijing and, undoubtedly, belongs to the greatest monuments of world culture. It was built at the beginning of the 15th century. Emperor Zhu Di. the third ruler of the Ming dynasty. This sovereign moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing (Beijing) and became concerned about creating a new residence. Over the course of 15 years, from 1405 to 1420, quite quickly at the time, a palace complex was erected, which included many structures - from majestic temples to miniature gazebos and bridges of the ruler of the Celestial Empire, responding to the ideas of the Confucian officials surrounding the throne about the greatness of the Son of Heaven.

It was conceived as an impregnable residence, separated from the rest of the world by a powerful fortress wall and a wide moat. The memory of the wars and unrest that accompanied the fall of the former Yuan dynasty in the second half of the 14th century was still fresh. To emphasize the divine nature of the power of the emperors of China, materials of two colors were used during the construction of the palace - yellow and dark red, which were considered sacred in the Celestial Empire. These colors were achieved by firing tiles and bricks in a special way. This is where the name Purple City - Zijingcheng - comes from. The second name - Gugun - means “palace of former rulers”; it appeared later and over time became the main one.

Plan of the heavenly city

Up to 100 thousand artisans and about a million general workers were employed in the construction of Gugun and its decoration. The palace complex was divided into two parts - the Forbidden City itself and the so-called Imperial City. The latter included government offices, estates of the highest nobility and palace services. There were also parks, temples and minor palaces here.
This grandiose ensemble represents the quintessence of Chinese traditional architecture, which has changed little over two millennia. Its territory is a regular square in plan, surrounded by a 10 m high brick wall and surrounded by a 60 m wide canal. Palaces, gates, courtyards, streams and gardens are symmetrically located behind the walls. The total area of ​​the “city” is 72 hectares, of which buildings occupy 15 hectares.

The imperial city with its thousands of officials, courtiers, slaves, female slaves and eunuchs was essentially a small state within a state with its own hierarchy, finances, laws, courts, and prisons. The southern wall of this city has survived to this day, and its buildings currently serve as the residences of Chinese leaders.

Only the emperor himself and his family lived in the Forbidden City. He rarely left the residence. Only the dignitaries closest to the Son of Heaven were allowed into this part of the complex. For mere mortals, even very noble ones, entry here was closed. The Forbidden City was considered the center of the Celestial Empire, and therefore the whole world. It contained Gugong - the imperial palaces themselves, Taimiao - the Temple of the Ancestors, Shejitan - the Temple of Fertility, sacred mountain Jinshan and the sacred Western Park.

Of all the gates of the Forbidden City, the most famous Gate of Heavenly Peace is Tiananmen, leading to the square of the same name. The wooden gate that previously stood here burned down from a lightning strike in 1456, after which the clergy decided to appease the angry spirits with new ones - with a suitable name. In front of the Tiananmen Gate, there are two sacred columns - guabiao - made of white marble, decorated with skillful carvings. To the east stretches a magnificent park of cedars and cypresses, many of which are six centuries old. It houses the Temple of the Ancestors, erected under the Manchu emperors on the site of the destroyed city. Interior. a similar temple from the Ming Dynasty.
To the west of the Tiananmen Gate is the Fertility Temple, where prayers for the harvest were made and the cult of patron spirits was performed! cereals Nearby rises the sacred Mount Jinshan, 60 m high. It has five peaks with gazebos on each and is planted with cypress and pine trees. An old elm tree surrounded by a fence grows on the mountainside. According to legend, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty hanged himself on it three and a half centuries ago when the Manchus captured the city.

From the Tiananmous Gate. There is a special Imperial Road, rising above the ground thanks to a special embankment and paved with slabs of polished stone. Only the emperor had the right to walk along it on days of celebrations and ritual sacrifices. The road ends at the Midday Gate - U Myn, crowned with a two-tiered roof. This majestic and at the same time elegant structure served as a symbol of the Sun and imperial power. Above the gate was erected the Tower of Five Phoenixes (Wufenglou), or the Tower of Drums. The last name arose because during the emperor’s ceremonial appearances, a gigantic drum was beaten on it.

Contrary to ordinary idea main gate complex is not Tiananmen, namely Wu Myn. Behind them begins the Exactly for nice city. Having passed them, man age of priest gave into the courtyard, crossed ny kana scrap Neijinshui - Golden River. Neijinshui lined with marble and surrounded enclosed with a carved stone balustrade. Through the channel five marble bridges are thrown ticks, s symbolizing the five virtues, them to the inner gate called By the gate Higher Harmony.

Behind them is another large courtyard that can accommodate 20 thousand people. On the opposite side, on a high marble terrace, stands the most significant building of the Forbidden City - Taihedian, or the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Its height is 35 m, length is 63 m, and its area is a quarter of a hectare. In this huge throne room, the emperor appeared only on especially solemn occasions, which included the most important holidays(Harvest Day, Dragon Day, etc.). Decrees were announced there, commanders were given powers to wage war, and the highest academic titles were personally approved by the monarch. The inside of the chamber is decorated with beautifully preserved paintings. In front of its entrance there are bronze sculptures from the 16th century: lion guards and turtles - a symbol of longevity.
Near the main palace there are two more buildings: Taihedian - the Hall of Middle Harmony, where the most important religious rites with the participation of the emperor were performed, and Baohedian - the Hall of Preservation of Harmony, where Chinese officials held exams for the highest academic titles and positions.

Behind the main buildings of Gugun there are three less significant, so-called Rear Palaces. The first is the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqinggong), where ambassadors and governors were received. It was there, on the Altar of Light and True Greatness, that the emperor's lifetime will was kept, in which he appointed an heir in the event of his death. The second is the Palace of Communication of Heaven and Earth (Jiaotaidan), where the birthdays of the Son of Heaven were celebrated and especially important documents and royal seals were kept. And finally, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Quinning Gong), where marriage ceremonies of members of the imperial family took place. These pavilions symbolized the absolute power of the Chinese emperors over all parts of the world. They are placed on terraced pedestals and are reached by long white marble stairs. To the north were the living quarters of the emperors, their families and courtiers.
The roofs of the pavilions of the Forbidden City are lined with golden tiles; pillars, doors, window frames are painted with scarlet varnish; the ceiling beams, lampshades, and walls are entirely covered with fine carvings, paintings and gilding; the front pavilions are surrounded by white marble carved parapets.

The buildings of the Forbidden City are abundantly decorated with images of turtles, deer, cranes, butterflies, and flowers, representing longevity, prosperity, wisdom, happiness and beauty. But most of all, the Chinese loved the dragon - a symbol of the power of the Son of Heaven. The intricately curved eaves of multi-tiered roofs were designed to scare away evil spirits. The roofs and gates of the palace were covered with colored glazed tiles with bas-reliefs and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The buildings were connected by passages, closed courtyards and ceremonial gates.

To the west of the Wu Men Gate rises Wuindian - the Pavilion of Military Valor. During the Ming era, audiences were held here for the highest military officials of the empire. In the room to the south of the pavilion there was a gallery of portraits of ancient emperors and empresses. The portraits survived the storms of wars and revolutions and were among the exhibits exported to Taiwan in 1949. Now they are exhibited in the Taipei Museum, which has received the semi-official name New Gugun.

All palace ensemble originally numbered 9999.5 rooms and halls. This number, strange at first glance, has a religious explanation. According to legend, the Heavenly Palace has exactly 10 thousand rooms, and the Son of Heaven did not consider it possible to create a palace superior to the divine chambers. Therefore, one tiny closet was considered half.
The facades of all main buildings face south. Thus, the Forbidden City symbolically “turns its back” to the north, which in Chinese mythology was considered the place of evil demons and hostile forces.

PHOENIX - HERMER OF THE EMPEROR'S WILL

Near the Tiananmen Gate, imperial decrees were announced in a solemn atmosphere.

A special platform for the announcement of decrees was equipped in front of the gate. At the beginning of the ceremony, all the highest civil and military officials of the court lined up facing north near the bridge over the canal and knelt down. Then the minister of ceremonies brought out the text of the decree on a lacquer tray and placed it on a palanquin carried by eunuchs. The palanquin was carried along the line of kneeling officials to the Tiananmen Gate and raised with a special lift to the gate tower, from where the herald solemnly read out the decree. Then the scroll of the decree was placed in the beak of a gilded wooden statue of the Phoenix bird (Fenglu), which was lowered into the square on silk ropes. She was placed on the same palanquin and taken to the Chamber of Ceremonies, where the text of the decree was copied and sent throughout the country. This intricate ceremony was called "Proclamation of the Imperial Will through the Phoenix."

Temple of Heaven and Earth

The Forbidden City museum complex also includes the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth located outside its walls. The Temple of Heaven - Huangqunyu - covers an area of ​​28 hectares and is surrounded by two rows of walls. Its most important part is the Temple of Harvest Prayers, erected in 1420. It is a round building with a three-tiered roof, covered with sacred yellow tiles and topped with a gilded dome. Its height is 38 m, diameter - 30 m. It was erected without the use of rafters and cross beams and even without load-bearing internal walls.

One of the temple buildings, the Altar of Heaven, is a three-stage terrace made of white marble. The three tiers symbolize the three elements of the universe: Heaven, Earth and Humanity. In front of it is the so-called Stone of Triple Echoes. If you stand on the first step of the altar and clap your hands, the echo will be single, from the second step - twice, and from the third - three times. The second structure, the octagonal Hall of the Firmament, reaches a height of 20 m and is surrounded by a skillfully constructed Wall of Echoes. The Wall of Echoes is remarkable in that words spoken in front of it, even in a whisper, are clearly audible from the opposite side of the wall. The third building, Qingyandian, or the Hall of Harvest Prayers, has a height of 27 m. It is built mainly of wood and miraculously survived all the wars and turmoil of the last century and a half. Today, the dark blue glazed roof tiles, elaborate wood carvings and marvelously decorated interior make it one of the most notable attractions.

The architecture of the Forbidden City buildings is distinguished by its diversity and uniqueness of forms and decor. Stucco images of guards - lions and dragons - were placed on the eaves of the roofs of gazebos and memorial arches (pilou), and stone lions were placed at the entrances to palaces and temples.

A BOTTOMLESS PANTRY OF TREASURES

By the middle of the 19th century. As a result of two “Opium Wars” and the Taiping Uprising, which claimed about 20 million lives, China became very weak and became dependent on the European powers, and soon on Japan. In I860, Beijing was captured by Anglo-French troops. After the plunder of the city and the flight of the emperor, the victors burned Summer Palace- one of the pearls of the Forbidden City, citing the need to finally bring the vanquished to their knees. This magnificent pavilion was never restored. Nowadays its ruins can be seen in the park of Peking University.

After graduation civil war the new government made efforts to restore the palace expositions. But already in the early 60s. XX century work stopped due to the infamous Cultural Revolution, when much of national heritage China was banned by communist authorities. Visitor access to Gugun was closed, and almost all museum workers were dispersed. Fortunately, the Forbidden City did not suffer another destruction, although traditional Chinese art was declared “decadently nationalistic” and “the product of foreign dynasties that oppressed the people.” From the second half of the 70s. Gugun museums resumed full-scale scientific and cultural activities.

In 1900, after the defeat of the Boxer Rebellion, the city was again occupied by the troops of European powers. The interventionists destroyed the palace library), where the rarest ancient manuscripts and books were kept. Entire trainloads of gold, pearls, ivory and porcelain were exported from Beijing. During the Xinhai Revolution of 1911-1913. General Yuan Shikai became the sole owner of Gugong, who uncontrollably disposed of all the wealth of the imperial residence. In 1924, Emperor Pu Yi's family was finally expelled from the Forbidden City. During the civil war, the Kuomintang government paid its foreign allies with imperial treasures.

In 1937, Beijing was captured by Japanese troops. The Chinese managed to evacuate part of the collections, but the lion's share disappeared in the chaos of the retreat or was captured by the invaders. In 1949, by order of Chiang Kai-shek, the surviving exhibits were taken to Taiwan.
Currently, approximately half of the complex is open to visitors. The museum stores about a million exhibits - more than 10% of all museum funds of the People's Republic of China, of which only 18 thousand are on display. At the same time, the exhibition is continuously updated. There is a kind of cycle of rarities going on. Tourists who have already been to Beijing and visited the Forbidden City can see completely new collections on their next visit.

General A.I. Vlasov, who was in the late 30s. XX century a Soviet military adviser in China, upon returning to the USSR at the border, two suitcases of personal gifts from Chiang Kai-shek were seized from the collections of the Forbidden City: antique porcelain, jade, items made of gold and precious stones.

Now the entire museum exhibition consists of two large parts. The first is the palaces and living quarters of the imperial family, in which the previous environment has been recreated. The most significant is the Exhibition Hall of Historical and Artistic Values, where the most important exhibits are presented, including objects from famous tombs Emperor III V. BC e. Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu Di, who lived in the 2nd century. before i. e. In addition, the complex includes the Exhibition Pavilion of Jewelry, pavilions of painting, art of the Ming and Qin dynasties, ceramics, bronzes, and watches.
In general, the Gugong exhibition provides an opportunity to get acquainted with cultural and artistic relics of various periods of Chinese history - from the semi-mythical Zhou dynasty to the last Qin. It is considered the largest palace museum in the world, surpassing both the Moscow Kremlin and Versailles.

Western and Eastern palaces
Through the southwest gate lies the path from the garden to the Western Palaces, where the second most senior empresses, empress dowager mothers and high-ranking concubines settled. Each of them is a special estate, separated by walls from the rest of the world. Six palaces are arranged in pairs: Focused Beauty, Universal Happiness, Honoring the Earth, Eternal Spring, Longevity and the Supreme Beginning.

In the Palace of Pure Bell RingingexhibitRget cozy“four treasures of a scientist’s study”: uniquely crafted paper, ink pots and writing brushes made by the best masters of different eras, color woodcuts, early printed books of the 10th-12th centuries.

In the eastern part of the residential quarters there are six Eastern palaces: Pure Bell Ringing, Good Sun, Obedience to Heaven, Eternal Harmony, Honoring Kindness and Eternal Happiness. Outwardly they are very similar to Western palaces, but to a lesser extent they have preserved interior decoration, since it houses an exhibition of works of art from the imperial collections.
In 1644, when the Ming Dynasty fell as a result of another popular uprising, the country was captured by the Manchus, and the Forbidden City was plundered. But the Manchu rulers, who founded the Qin dynasty, soon restored it to its former splendor. New temples and palaces were erected, gardens and parks were laid out. By the 18th century, Gugun had reached its greatest splendor. Not only masterpieces of Chinese art were concentrated here, but also treasures taken from neighboring countries. According to the chroniclers, in the palaces of Gugun “unspeakable riches from the lands of the barbarians were kept.” French missionaries reported: “It is amazing how many interesting and magnificent things this sovereign has of all kinds from all over the world.” The English Ambassador Lord Macartney, who visited China at the end of the 18th century, recalled large quantities things of European origin from the emperor: “Music boxes, globes, watches of such exquisite craftsmanship and in such abundance that our gifts looked more than modest in comparison. And we were told that all these beautiful things are only a small part of what is available.”

A special collection consisted of gifts brought by foreign ambassadors, which in official inventories were called “tribute from barbarian kings to the rightful ruler of the world.” Chinese sources made a clear distinction between "gifts" - items sent on behalf of the emperor, and "tribute", which meant any offerings from foreigners.
Unfortunately, little of its former splendor has survived to this day. Modern exhibitions of the museums of the Forbidden City were mainly created in modern times.

The Forbidden City (Gugong) is the world's largest imperial palace, an architectural masterpiece and a grandiose plan that has become a reality. Its construction took 14 years and was completed by 1420. - about a million workers and 100,000 artisans were involved in it.

Built in the center of Beijing, the palace was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but ordinary people it was always closed, and those brave souls who violated this ban faced inevitable death. Today, even after many years, after Pu-yi, the last emperor of China, abdicated the throne in 1912, some of the buildings are still closed to visitors.

Emperor Ming lived a luxurious life, but in 1644 new taxation took its toll on the population and they literally starved. An uprising broke out and then broke into the city. The Emperor is said to have been drunk when the rebels burst in.

He killed all the women in his harem in order to protect them from desecration, and he himself hanged himself, opening the way for the Qing dynasty with his death.

According to legend, it is known that the Qing family was cursed by the emperor: “The Qing house will fall by the hand of a woman.” However, from 1644, the Qing dynasty began to settle in the Forbidden City. In 1853, the girl Cixi, at the age of 17, was brought to the city as a concubine.

Over time, she turned out to be the most influential woman in the history of the Chinese Empire and, as many believe, led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and all of Imperial China. Breaking tradition, Cixi became empress dowager. She ruled the country until her nephew Pu-Yi, at the age of 2, succeeded her.

In 1911, the Qing dynasty was overthrown. After the reign of 24 emperors (14 from the Ming dynasty and 10 from the Qing dynasty), the city lost its title as the political center of China, and Pu-Yi suffered the fate of the last emperor and owner of the Forbidden City. On February 12, 1912, five-year-old Pu-Yi officially abdicated the throne, but was allowed to remain in the palace.