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Forbidden City  The Forbidden City was the political and ritual center of China for over 500 years. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The palace exemplifies the opulence of the residences of the Chinese emperor and the traditional Chinese palatial architecture. The Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Within the compound, all the most important buildings, especially those along the main axis, face south to honour the Sun. It is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Since 2012, the Forbidden City has seen an average of 14 million visitors annually, and received more than 19 million visitors in 2019. The Forbidden City's market value has been estimated at US$70 billion, making it both the world's most valuable palace and the most valuable piece of real estate anywhere in the world. |