If you’re planning to visit Beijing’s Forbidden City, then it’s going to be a good idea to do a bit of research ahead of time. This will allow you to know what to expect so that you can have the best time possible. Setting foot in Tiananmen Square is quite the site and you’re going to be under surveillance the entire time. Even so, this open-air museum has become such an intriguing tourist attraction that you will want to see what it has to offer for yourself.
Understanding What the Forbidden City Is
You might not even know what the Forbidden City is if you aren’t a student of Chinese history. This is the remnant of the imperial past of China. It was once a fortified citadel that was the home of emperors and their families. Today it is simply a protected historical site and it receives millions of visitors per year.
The Best Time to Visit
This is a very busy tourist attraction and most times of the year are going to be crowded. If you want to have the most enjoyable experience at this attraction, then you should plan to visit during the months that have the best weather. Visiting between March and June or between September and October will be optimal. It’s also prudent to avoid visiting during Chinese holidays since the area will be even more crowded than usual.
Where Is the Forbidden City?
The open-air museum is going to be really easy to find since it is located right in Beijing. You can find it at the northern edge of Tiananmen Square. Tickets to get into the city are very inexpensive by American standards. You should only have to pay $8.50 during the busiest season of the year and the prices can get as low as $5.70 during the less popular times of the year.
The Palace Is Huge
The palace that you will be looking at is absolutely huge. Most of the interior spaces are closed off to the general public, but there are 980 buildings in this fortress. There are nearly 9,000 rooms in total and there will be a lot to look at. You should plan to spend a significant amount of time there if you want to come close to seeing everything that it has to offer.