The
Forbidden City remains today as the largest and most preserved standing wood structure
in China (Zhigang 7). The palace has now
been converted into a public museum and monument. According to the museum
website visitors can take guided tours of the palace and walk the gardens
freely. The website offers virtual tours
of the grounds and provides visitors with a wealth of information from the
basic architecture of the palace to ceramic objects found in specific rooms.
According to Tour-Beijing.com, about 8 million tourist travel to see the palace
each year. It seems the Forbidden City is not so forbidden anymore!
http://www.dpm.org.cn/shtml/2/@/8797.html
Yang, Zhigang. Beijing's Imperial Palace: The Illustrated Guide to the Architecture, History, and Splendor of the Forbidden City. Pleasantville, N.Y: Reader's Digest Association, 2010. Print.