Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang

The Forbidden City in Beijing served as an imperial palace – and magnificent symbol of the power and authority of the ruler – for five centuries (1416~1911). It consists of 10,000 or so rooms containing numerous items of furniture and artworks, and has beautifully laid out gardens. The Imperial Palace and the heritage objects preserved within its precincts testify to the splendid Chinese civilization of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Imperial Palace in Shenyang consists of 114 buildings, including Wensuge Library, built during the Qing Dynasty. It served as the crucial basis of the Chinese dynasties until the relocation of the capital to Beijing. It is a remarkable building containing traces of the cultural traditions of the Qing Dynasty and the northern tribes of China, including the Manchurians.

Criterion (ⅰ): Forbidden City in Beijing and the Imperial Palace in Shenyang are masterpieces of palace architecture.

Criterion (ⅱ): The Imperial Palace in Shenyang, in particular, was an important turning point in traditional architecture and palace architecture of China in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Criterion (ⅲ): The imperial palaces preserve much ancient furniture and many artworks. Their natural surroundings are also well preserved. One unique aspect of Chinese civilization is the fact that the Chinese have maintained the traditional customs of the Manchurian tribes for centuries.

Criterion (ⅳ):The imperial palaces are leading examples of China’s magnificent architectural tradition. They display the traditions of both the Chinese dynasties and the Manchurian tribes, as well as the development of Chinese architecture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Country: China
Location: Beijing and Shenyang
Coordinates: N 41° 47′ 39″, E 123° 26′ 49″
Inscription year: 1987 (expanded in 2004)
Inscription criteria: ⅰ, ⅱ, ⅲ, ⅳ