China’s Palace Museum:

inside the forbidden world of emperors

Published: June 29, 2019



For hundreds of years, its crimson walls guarded emperors in their imperial sanctuary. Then, a century ago, the gates of the Forbidden City swung open, transformed into the world-renowned Palace Museum. As Beijing’s famed institution celebrates its 100th anniversary in October 2025, we invite you to revisit these award-winning Post infographics on an architectural marvel that stands as a vibrant testament to China’s history.




How China's Forbidden City became the Palace Museum: one of humanity's greatest legacies

Choose a chapter

Enjoying South China Morning Post graphics?

Here are some other digital native projects you might want to visit

Follow our graphics team

Hi, Internet Explorer user!

This site has some features that may not be compatlibe with your browser. Should you wish to view content, switch browsers to either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to get an awesome experience