The Forbidden City construction began in 1406 and was completed in 1420. It is surrounded on four sides by a large wall and has four gates, one on each side. The grounds were the residence of twenty-four different Emperors from both the Qing and Ming dynasties. The compound was off limits to ordinary Chinese citizens. Only high government officials and foreign diplomats would have been allowed an audience with the Emperor. The complex houses over 800 separate buildings with over 9,000 rooms. It is currently renamed the Palace Museum. The main gate to the complex is now called the Tiananmen gate which is off of the famous Tiananmen Square.

Sources:

Brown, J.D. (2003). China: The 50 Most Memorable Trips. Wiley Publishing. Hoboken, New Jersey.

Cook, Thomas (1996). Passport's Illustrated Travel Guide to China. Passport Books, Chicago, Illinois

Keeler, Stephen (1987). Passport to China. Franklin Watts, New York, New York.