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For centuries, the Forbidden City was the palace for dynasty Ming and Qing. The Imperial Palace, begun during the reign of the third Ming emperor in 1406, was a complex of palaces and halls, nearly 10,000 rooms, including workshops where exquisite artworks were produced. For nearly 500 years this secret city was a secret for the world and available only for the emperors and their families. Today, as kids blithely walk through the gates of the Imperial Palace, just...

For centuries, the Forbidden City was the palace for dynasty Ming and Qing. The Imperial Palace, begun during the reign of the third Ming emperor in 1406, was a complex of palaces and halls, nearly 10,000 rooms, including workshops where exquisite artworks were produced. For nearly 500 years this secret city was a secret for the world and available only for the emperors and their families. Today, as kids blithely walk through the gates of the Imperial Palace, just remember that a century ago, for outsiders to get close to even the Imperial Walls was – forbidden.
I tis best to start your exploration of the Forbidden City by going through the Tiananmen Gate (at Tiananmen Square), cross the moat, and enter through the south entrance at the Wu Men Gate (Meridian Gate). Here you can pick up an audio tour. Also, you'll want some sort of detailed map of the Forbidden City, although the complex is nicely laid out in a grid.
Foreign visitors are required to provide passport numbers and full names when book tickets online. For details, visit http://en.dpm.org.cn/visit/tickets/. If you do not have online reservation, please visit the site in the morning, there are usually tickets available in the morning.