The Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, ordered the building of a palace complex in the centre of the city in 1406. Around a million workers, including 100,000 skilled craftsmen, using marble and precious timbers brought from far away, built it in 14 years. The Forbidden City, with 980 buildings and some 8,700 rooms within a wall and moat covering 72 hectares, was the home of 24 Ming and Qing emperors and the centre of power in China until 1912. Ordinary people were barred from it. It became the Palace Museum in 1925 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Before and after
- 1417Construction of Tiananmen Square
- from 30 July 1419 to 30 May 1434Hussite Wars
- 1420Construction of Kremlin
- from c. 1420s to 1440sFounding of Ulugh Beg Observatory
- 1420The Forbidden City is completed
- from June 1422 to March 1430Siege of Thessalonica
- from 1423 to 1454Wars in Lombardy
- from 1427 to 1864Circassia
- 8 May 1429Joan of Arc relieves Orleans
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 622 CEConstruction of Prophet's Mosque
- from 800 CE to 1258Islamic Golden Age
- 1070Construction of Windsor Castle
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.