Palace Museum in Beijing is the largest extant ancient architecture complex in China. Lying in the center of Beijing, it used to be the abode of Ming and Qing emperors, and was also called Forbidden City and Danei.

The main entry point for Palace Museum is Meridian Gate. It has Donghua Gate in the east and Xihua Gate in the west. Enclosed behind its 3,800 m long and 52 m wide moat are more than 9,000 rooms that occupy a floor space of 150,000 square m and a total area of over 720,000 square m. The museum is encircled by 10 m high and 3,400 m long walls. Four corner towers stand majestically at each corner.

Palace Museum is divided into two parts - front court and inner court. The front court is centered on Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Preserved Harmony, where emperor issued edicts and held grand ceremonies. Behind the three halls of the front court is inner court where emperor worked and lived with his family and concubines. The inner court comprises Palace of Celestial Purity, Palace of Celestial and Terrestrial Union, Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility, Imperial Garden and six palaces at the eastern and western sides.

Based on a stereotype of the feudal hierarchy, Palace Museum was designed with perfect symmetry. The overall layout demonstrates the supreme authority of the feudal imperial power. An axis is demarcated from south to north, with the three major halls in front court and three palaces in inner court evenly distributed along the axis. Palace Museum is arranged with courtyards which are in strict symmetry. Sections are differentiated according to their functions, and the number of rooms is allocated to serve the proper function.

Now Forbidden City has become Palace Museum open to public, with its abundant precious cultural relics and artistic treasures. Halls in the palaces are now used to exhibit imperial relics. A number of exhibition halls have been set up there, such as Exhibition Hall of Bronze, Exhibition Hall of Pprcelain, Exhibition Hall of Artworks in Ming and Qing dynasties, Exhibition Hall of Art of past dynasties and Exhibition Hall of Jewelry.