Established in 1925， the Palace Museum was installed in the imperial palace of two consecutive dynasties - the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) The magnificent architecture， also known as the Forbidden City， and the vast holding of the imperial collections of paintings， calligraphy， ceramics， and decorative objects make it one of the most prestigious museums in China and the world at In 1961 the imperial palace was designated by the State Council as one of China's foremostprotected cultural heritage sites， and in 1987 was made a UNESCO World Heritage Once inside， visitors will see a succession of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of an invisible central The buildings' glowing yellow roofs levitating above vermilion walls is a magnificent The painted ridges and carved beams all contribute to the sumptuous Known as the Outer Court， the southern portion of the Forbidden City centers on three main halls-Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe dian)， Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghe dian)， and Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe dian)with Belvedere of Embodying Benevolence (Tiren ge) and Belvedere of Spreading Righteousness (Hongyi ge) flanking It was here in the Ourter Court that the emperor held court and conducted grand Mirroring this arrangement is the Inner Court comprising the northern portion of the Forbidden CThe Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong)， the Hall of Union (Jiaotai dian)， and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunning gong) straddle the central On the east and west are residences called the Six Eastern Palaces and the Six Western PAn Imperial Garden is laid out at the north
