53 World Heritage sites in China (12)

[Photo/Xinhua]

Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang

Constructed from 1406 to 1420, the Forbidden City in the center of Beijing used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shenyang consists of 114 buildings constructed from 1625–1626 to 1783. The buildings are the testimony to the history of the Qing Dynasty, and to the cultural traditions of the Manchu and other tribes in the North China.

The Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang were added to the World Heritage List in 1987 and 2004.