The Ta-ho-men Gate of the Forbidden City in Peking (Beijing), China. A statue of a lion guards the gate. Built between 1406 and 1420 during the Ming dynasty, the Forbidden City was the palace of the Emperor and the seat of government. The Chinese aristocracy lived in many of the buildings, and civil service exams were held in another. The Forbidden City is comprised of 800 buildings and 9,999 rooms (one less room than the 10,000 believed by the Chinese to exist in Heaven). It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Puyi, the last emperor of China, was evicted from the Forbidden City in the year this photograph was taken, which allowed the public access to it for the first time, (1924).

Identifier
NYSA_A3045-78_A16988

Date Original
1924

Language
English

Source
New York State Archives. New York (State). Education Dept. Division of Visual Instruction. Instructional lantern slides, ca. 1856-1939. A3045-78, A16988.

Rights
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