Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Forbidden City, Beijing


The Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are some of the grandest medieval structures in China. It comprises the Forbidden City in Beijing, which is the Imperial Palace of the Ming Dynasty, a huge complex with nearly 10,000 rooms, and the Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shenyang, which comprises 114 buildings, and functioned as an auxiliary to the Imperial Palace of Beijing. They properties cover an area of 12.96 hectates surrounded by a 153.1 hectare buffer zone.

The Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were inscribed as World Heritage Sites during the 11th session of the World Heritage Committee, which convened at Headquarter in Paris, France, on 7-11 December, 1987. Originally covering the Forbidden City in Beijing, the inscription was extended in 2004 to cover the Imperial Palace in Shenyang. With the extension, the name of the inscribed property became Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang.

Mukden Palace, Shenyang

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 39 54 58.8 E 116 23 27.2
Inscription Year: 1987, Extension: 2004
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, II, III, IV

Visiting Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang

Visiting the Forbidden Palace can be done on your own, as it is right in the centre of Beijing.

Shenyang is close to 700 kilometers from Beijing, and a regular train will take 8 hours. You may have to fly there from Beijing.

List of World Heritage Sites in China

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