故宫

位于北京市天安门北侧的故宫，被誉为世界五大宫之首，是明朝皇帝朱棣于公元1406年始建，历时14年建造完成的古代皇宫。格局以乾清门为界分为“外朝”与“内廷”两大部分，城墙四面由筒子河环抱。经过千年的洗礼，置身其中，仍能感到古代皇宫的威严气势。

Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the center of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha (180 acres). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Reference:

Forbidden City. n.d. In Wikepedia. Retrieved December 4,2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_City