The imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties in Beijing, completed in 1420 under the Yongle emperor: nearly a thousand timber buildings on a walled, moated, strictly axial plan expressing the cosmic order of imperial rule. It is the largest surviving palace complex in the world and the supreme monument of Chinese timber architecture.
Facts
Building Type Completed Year Classification
Standing Status Building Type
Building Type (category) Connections
Associated With
Has Building Type
Entity-backed identity for the building-type enum value this building already carries, resolved to an architecture concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The building-type fact itself stays on the building unchanged.
In Style
The Ming and Qing imperial palace complex, the largest surviving example of ancient Chinese palatial architecture.
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
Uses Element
Source Chinese Architecture (Wikipedia)
Source Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of ArchitectureBanister Fletcher, edited by Dan Cruickshank (20th edition)
Its halls are timber-frame construction on stone platforms, the load carried by wooden columns and dougong brackets rather than the walls.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: China, located there.
Sources
1. Forbidden City - Wikipedia
standing status determination, wikipedia summaryQuote, standing status determination, wikipedia summary
The Forbidden City is one of the most famous palaces in all of Chinese history, and is the largest preserved royal palace complex still standing in the world.
2. UNESCO World Heritage Centre Official Site
UNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org/en/list/439, brief synthesis sectionQuote, whc.unesco.org/en/list/439, brief synthesis section
Seat of supreme power for over five centuries (1416-1911), the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its landscaped gardens and many buildings (whose nearly 10,000 rooms contain furniture and works of art), constitutes a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.In Style: Ancient Chinese ArchitectureView the Source Chinese Architecture (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationUses Element: Dougong, Architectural types, Imperial sectionQuote, Uses Element: Dougong, Architectural types, Imperial section
The roofs are almost invariably supported by brackets (dougong), a feature shared only with the largest of religious buildings.
Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture
Banister Fletcher, edited by Dan Cruickshank (20th edition), Architectural Press, 1996Uses Element: Post-and-Lintel Construction
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.