Imperial Palace is also known as the Forbidden City. It is found in Beijing, China and was completed during the Ming Dynasty around 1420 AD. The construction took about 14 years and resulted in a complex of 999 buildings with a total of 9999 rooms. These numbers were targeted because the number 9 in Chinese sounds like the word for long lasting. The architects were wishing long life to the emperors.

Two bronze lions guard the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Lions symbolize imperial power in China. Lions were also excellent doorkeepers and put at gates to ward off evil spirits.

The Imperial Palace served as the seat of government for almost 500 years. The Imperial Palace was the location for the throne for 14 Ming dynasty emperors and 10 Qing dynasty emperors. Today it is the location of the most distinguished museum of Chinese art and culture.