Forbidden City

"The magnificent Forbidden City, so called because it was off limits to commoners for 500 years [during the Ming and the Quing dinasties, 1368-1911], occupies a primary position in the Chinese psyche. To the Han Chinese [92% population of the People's Republic of China, among 56 different ethnic groups], the Forbidden City is a contradictory symbol. It's a politically incorrect yarn from a prerevolutionary dark age, but it's also one spun from the very pinnacle of Chinese civilization."

Lonely Planet: Beijing