The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, breaks the record for the largest number of visitors of any museum in the world. In 2018, it hosted over 17.5 million visitors, breaking its own record once again.
Established in 1925, the Palace Museum is situated in the imperial palace of the consecutive Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, now the heart of Beijing. It is renowned for its traditional Chinese architecture and huge collections of paintings, calligraphy and antiquities, making it one of the most preeminent museums in the world.
As one of China's foremost-protected cultural heritage sites, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
From 1 January, 2019, the passageway between the Palace Museum's eastern exit, the East Prosperity Gate (Donghua men) and the northern exit, the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men) is publicly accessible. The move will improve tourists' visiting experiences and relieve the pressure of massive visitor flow at the exits.
