China’s Forbidden City

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Many countries have a special location where the leader lives.

It is usually not in the middle of a busy city or out in the middle of nowhere. The leader often lives in an important city in a mansion that is heavily guarded and protected. The White House in Washington, D.C., is a good example, and that is where the U.S. president lives. The Elysee Palace in Paris, France, is the place where the French president lives.

In centuries past, leaders also wanted to build grand and impressive houses in which to live. They built them for luxury, but also built them for security. They wanted to prevent invaders and others from being able to easily end their rule!

The Chinese emperors of the Ming Dynasty took this idea to a whole other level. They built not just one palace, but a whole city of palaces in which to live, and they built a wall all around it! They built this Forbidden City in Beijing, China.

Find Beijing on the map below:

Learn more about the Forbidden City through a short reading, Ancient China: The Forbidden City, courtesy of Ducksters. As you read, write down the answers to the following questions:

• When was the Forbidden City constructed?
• For whom was it constructed?
• What is special about its construction?

Collect your information and share it with your parent or teacher. Then, discuss together:

• Why do you think the rulers of China would have wanted to create a city-within-a-city for their home?

The Forbidden City is a popular place for tourists to visit. There are so many buildings, beautifully decorated inside and out!

In the Got It? section, explore the grounds of Forbidden City itself.