Forbidden City: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Political functions ended when the final emperor abdicated, temporarily dividing the grounds between residential inner quarters and public outer courtyards before total eviction occurred. Wartime threats later scattered the imperial collections, sending significant holdings toward southern vaults and eventually across the strait to Taiwan. Military guards protected the timber pavilions from destruction during revolutionary unrest.

Modern administration by the museum authority focuses on restoring the wooden architecture to late imperial standards while opening peripheral palace wings. Recent conservation works made the Shoukang Palace, the Cining sculpture halls, the Yanyin Building, and the Donghua Gate accessible to the public. Long-term residents experience the perimeter as a tightly secured enclave where movement remains bounded by stone moats.