Palace of Heavenly Purity Building

Address: Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqinggong), The Palace Museum (Forbidden City), Jingshan Front St, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China

Website: https://en.dpm.org.cn/

Hours: Tue-Sun 8:30am-5:00pm (last entry usually 4:10pm); closed Mondays (except national holidays)

Admission: 80 CNY (Apr-Oct peak), 60 CNY (Nov-Mar low season) - admission to the Palace Museum (Forbidden City)

The Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing Gong) is a principal building in the Inner Court of Beijing’s Forbidden City. Constructed during the Yongle reign and completed with the Forbidden City’s main works around 1420, it served as a central imperial residence and part of inner court ceremonial space.

The building’s main chamber served as the emperor’s principal living and reception space in the Inner Court; it occupies the central axis directly behind the three main halls of the Outer Court. Visitors to the Forbidden City view its exterior on the central axis and the arrangement of palace buildings that make up the Inner Court.

The palace was constructed during the Yongle Emperor’s rebuilding of the imperial palace in the early 15th century and retained importance through the Ming and Qing dynasties, with later repairs and alterations under successive rulers. Its use shifted over time between private residence and formal ceremonial functions.

It stands within the Forbidden City in central Beijing, on the historical imperial axis north of Tiananmen Square.

• Date and position: Built as part of the Forbidden City under the Yongle Emperor and completed around 1420, it sits on the central north-south axis of the complex between the Hall of Union and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
• Function: Served as the emperor’s principal private residence in the Inner Court during the Ming and early Qing, and later retained ceremonial functions under the Qing dynasty.

The Palace of Heavenly Purity is inside the Forbidden City (The Palace Museum) in central Beijing. From Tiananmen Square/Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum it is a roughly 10-20 minute walk north through the main gates (Meridian Gate/Wu Men). Nearest subway: Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West stations on Line 1; walk north along the axis to the Meridian Gate and purchase timed-entry tickets online or at the ticket office.

• Buy a timed Palace Museum ticket online in advance (tickets sell out on weekends and national holidays).
• Enter the complex through the Meridian Gate (Wu Men) to follow the historic approach; the Inner Court is a 10-20 minute walk from the ticket hall.
• Check the Palace Museum website the night before for any temporary closures or special exhibitions that change access to inner halls.
• Look for the rubbed-down stone thresholds and sticky patches on wooden floors - traces of centuries of ritual and hurried foot traffic.