The Forbidden City is an architectural masterpiece. Built between 1406 and 1420, it was designed to show the world that the Emperor was the center of the universe. Every building, gate, and courtyard follows a strict plan based on balance, harmony, and ancient Chinese beliefs.
The most important feature of the palace is the **Central Axis**. The Forbidden City is aligned perfectly from North to South. The Emperor’s throne was placed exactly on this line. To the Chinese, the North Star was the center of heaven, so the Emperor—the "Son of Heaven"—built his palace to face the North Star.
If you were to cut the Forbidden City in half along the central axis, the left side would look exactly like the right side. This perfect symmetry represents order and stability. In ancient China, a symmetrical palace meant a stable and peaceful government.
The palace was built according to **Feng Shui** (the art of placement). According to these rules, a home should be protected by a mountain at the back (North) and have water at the front (South).
Unlike European castles made of stone, the Forbidden City is the world's largest collection of **ancient wooden structures**. The buildings use a unique "bracket" system called Dougong. This allowed the buildings to be flexible and survive many earthquakes over the last 600 years without falling down.