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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
National
Trending Desk

For 500 years, most people could never enter this walled city in China

At the centre of Beijing lies a sprawling palace complex that once operated as a city within a city. Known as the Forbidden City, it served as the political, ceremonial and residential heart of imperial China for nearly five centuries.

Its story began during a turbulent period in the Ming dynasty. After securing the throne, the Yongle Emperor moved the imperial capital from Nanjing to Beijing and ordered the construction of a new centre of power.

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