The Palace Museum is housed in the former palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Popularly called The Forbidden City, the museum covers an area of 720,000 square meters. The collections comprise nearly a million art treasures spanning five thousand years of Chinese history with a rich concentration of art and artifacts from the Qing imperial court.
the Palace Museum Open daily all year.
April 1st—October 31 8:30—17:00
Last Entry at 16:10
Tickets sold until 16:00
November 1st—March 31 8:30—16:30
Last Entry at 15:40
Tickets sold until 15:30
Current Exhibitions
OUTER COURT
Napoléon and the Louvre
The exhibition features 100 sets of art works from the collection of the Louvre, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, furniture, and decorative objects. Divided into three sections, it reflects the splendid lifetime of the French ruler Napoléon I and the vast holdings of the Museum of the Louvre during his golden times. The Meridian Gate (Wu men). Museum visitors are able to access the exhibition with their entrance tickets without any extra charge. For a single visit of this exhibition, the ticket price is RMB 20, with a 50% discount for students with valid ID cards. Visitors can purchase the tickets at the Meridian Gate and enter the gallery through the gate.
Qing Dynasty Court Insignia
In the corridors flanking the Xihemen which is to the west of the "Inner Golden Water River" (i.e. inside the Meridian Gate on the west) can be seen some of the grand canopies, fans and insignia that were used in imperial ritual.
Qing Dynasty Ritual Music
An exhibition on Qing dynasty court music is installed in the Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness (Hongyi ge) to the southwest of the great throne hall (Taihe dian). Music was an essential feature of court grand ceremonies The exhibition includes recordings of court music reconstituted from the Qianlong era (1736-1795) imperially authorized musical manuals.
Weapons of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Established and ruled with horsemanship and archery, the Qing dynasty relied on weapons. Bows and arrows were primary, representing the so-called cold arms. Firearms became popular during the Kangxi reign (1662-1722) and played an important role in subsequent wars. Three sections-- Reviewing Troops, Hunting, and Weaponry-- display seventy artifacts including armor, saddles, horsewhips, equestrienne archery, bow and arrow containers, deer whistles, spears, guns, and cannons.
Long Live the Royal House: Treasures from the Qing Palace [temporarily shut for interior renovation]
Located in the north-south corridor rooms west of the Hall of Preserved Harmony (Baohe dian) down to the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe dian), the serial exhibition features different aspects of selected paraphernalia and collections of the Qing court, as well as donations from prominent connoisseurs. The exhibition is open all year round, with English signboards provided.
INNER COURT
Central inner court
Permanent Exhibition of the Qing Emperors' Grand Weddings (1644-1911)
The exhibition consists of four parts: Engagement; Grand Ceremony; Dowry and Wedding Presents; and Bridal Chamber Rituals. With the assistance of digital technology, these four parts present visitors with almost every aspect of Qing emperors' weddings in the east corridor of the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong).
Long Live the Emperor! Permanent Exhibition of Imperial Birthday Celebrations(1644-1911)
The imperial birthday was one of the most significant festivals in traditional China in which the whole country participated. The exhibition in the west corridor of the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong) consists of the grand celebratory spectacles for three Qing emperors and two empress dowagers including the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1662-1722), the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795) and the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908).
West Palaces of the Inner Court
The Daily Life of Qing Dynasty Concubines
Palace of Eternal Longevity (Yongshou gong). Based on historical records, photographs, and fine objects, the exhibition illustrates the selection and certification of concubines, health, leisure, costumes, accessories, and the all-important registers of "appointments" with the emperor.
The Life of the Last Emperor Pu Yi
Ascending the throne as a toddler in 1908, Pu Yi was allowed to live in the Forbidden City after the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. His life is chronicled in photographs and possessions on display in the Belvedere of Enchanting Scenery (Lijing xuan) located in the back courtyard of the Palace of Preserved Elegance (Chuxiu gong).
Ruling from behind the Screen: Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908)
Selected costumes, baubles and luxurious articles of daily used by the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi are on exhibition in the Palace of Universal Happiness (Xianfu gong).
East Palaces of the Inner Court
Hall of Donor Recognition
From the over twenty-thousand items presented to the museum over the decades, eighty important artifacts are on display, including bronze vessels, sculpture, ceramics, crafts, seals, calligraphy, and painting. Visitors can touch an inter-active computer screen to see the list of the donors and the circumstances of their gifts. Palace of Great Benevolence (Jingren gong), east route of Inner Court.
Bronze Mirrors of Past Dynasties from the Palace Museum
Roundels of polished bronze served as reflective surfaces for thousands of years before glass mirrors appeared in China at the end of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The backs of the mirrors were adorned with cast decorations that evolved over time and reflect some of the social and religious themes of each era. This chronological survey presents outstanding examples of bronze mirrors from the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) to the Qing dynasty. Palace of Eternal Harmony (Yonghe gong) and the Studio of Equal Obedience (Tongshun zhai).
Artifacts Donated by Zhang Naiqi
The exhibition featuring over ninety pieces of artworks donated by Mr. Zhang Naiqi (1897-1977), a nation acclaimed patriarch with profound traditional cultural knowledge and superb connoisseurship. Palace of Great Benevolence (Jingren gong).
Digital Painting and Calligraphy Gallery [Temporarily shut for reinstallation]
On the second floor of the Center for Calligraphy and Painting Research in the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong) are four computer screens with digital images of about 270 of the Palace Museum's finest paintings and calligraphic works. Using high-resolution photography, the images can be magnified dozens of times the original scale.
Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi Gong).
Shards from Chinese Kiln Sites from the Palace Museum Collection
The Center for Ceramic Research, Hall of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong). The shards are arranged by their respective kiln sites and complemente the exhibition "Porcelains from Qing Imperial Kilns."
Imperial Porcelain with Royal Designs: Exhibition of Porcelain and Designs Dating to the Qing Dynasty Tongzhi and Guangxu Periods in the Collection of the Palace Museum
This exhibition is dedicated to an immediate comparison between the Qing royal designs and the corresponding porcelain ware, in particular, the porcelain ware for wedding ceremonies of the Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1862-1874) and the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875-1908), for the birthday celebrations of the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908), and those with her private style name mark "Studio of Great Refinement" (Daya zhai). Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi Gong).
Early 20th Century Architectural Folly
From 1909 until 1911, a garden building with five pavilions and a below-ground aquarium was under construction on the old foundation of the Hall of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi gong). Popularly called the Crystal Palace (Shuijing gong), it features marble carving and cast iron of outstanding quality. The fantastic architecture was unfinished when the Qing dynasty fell.
Bronze Vessels from the Permanent Collection
A fine selection of ritual bronze vessels of the Shang and Zhou eras (first millennium B.C.E.) demonstrate the technological sophistication of early metal casting as well as the importance of these vessels in governance. Ink rubbings of the handsome inscriptions cast in the vessels are on display with transcriptions into modern Chinese and English translations. Palace of Celestial Favour (Chengqian gong).
Jade Carvings [Temporarily Closed for Reinstallation]
Admired for its soft luster and valued far above gold, jade is an extremely hard stone, the working of which became a metaphor for the challenge of perfecting one's character. This long-term exhibition presents examples of jade from the Neolithic era through the eighteenth century. Palace of Accumulated Purity (Zhongcui gong).
Eastside of the Forbidden City
Hall of Clocks
The perennially popular display of clocks and timepieces from the Palace Museum collections, reinstalled with climate and temperature controls. Located to the northeast of the throne hall in the Hall for Ancestral Worship (Fengxian dian). On most days a selection of clocks will be "played" at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Treasure Hall-Imperial Treasures and Ornaments
Located on the eastside of the Forbidden City in the corridors surrounding the Hall of Imperial Supremacy (Huangji dian), in the Hall of Cultivating One's Character (Yangxing dian), in the Hall of Joyful Longevity (Leshou tang), and in the Belvedere of Well-nourished Harmony (Yihe xuan).
The Stone Drums-Seal script of the Qin Dynasty
These historically important drum-shaped stones are carved with a form of Chinese script that was current in the third century BC. They are displayed on the eastside of the Forbidden City in the Hall of Imperial Supremacy's (Huangji dian) eastern corridor
Opera at the Qing Court
A colorful display of costumes, masks, props, and playbills from the opera troops in residence at the Qing court (1644-1911). The exhibition is located at the northeast corner of the Forbidden City in the Pavilion of Pleasant Sounds (Changyin ge) and the Hall for Viewing Opera (Yueshi lou).
