The fascinating history of the Forbidden City - Quiz
The fascinating history of the Forbidden City
  • 1. When was the construction of the Forbidden City completed?
A) 1600
B) 1420
C) 1750
D) 1500
  • 2. How many years did it take to build the Forbidden City?
A) 14 years
B) 25 years
C) 7 years
D) 32 years
  • 3. Which Chinese emperor moved the capital to Beijing and ordered the construction of the Forbidden City?
A) Emperor Yongle
B) Emperor Qin Shi Huang
C) Emperor Wu of Han
D) Emperor Kangxi
  • 4. How many gates are there in the outer walls of the Forbidden City?
A) Four
B) Two
C) Eight
D) Six
  • 5. What was the original name of the Forbidden City before it became known by its present name?
A) Purple City
B) Imperial Citadel
C) Heavenly Palace
D) Golden Palace
  • 6. In what year was the Forbidden City declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A) 1995
B) 1987
C) 1975
D) 2000
  • 7. What building is located at the very center of the Forbidden City?
A) Hall of Supreme Harmony
B) Palace of Heavenly Purity
C) Imperial Garden
D) Forbidden Gate
  • 8. What color are the walls of the Forbidden City traditionally painted?
A) Green
B) Red
C) Black
D) Yellow
  • 9. What ancient Chinese belief influenced the layout of the Forbidden City?
A) Buddhism
B) Confucianism
C) Legalism
D) Feng Shui
  • 10. What is the Chinese name for the Forbidden City?
A) Gugong
B) Jingcheng
C) Zǐjìnchéng
D) Danei
  • 11. How many emperors resided in the Forbidden City?
A) 16
B) 30
C) 18
D) 24
  • 12. What is the estimated market value of the Forbidden City as of 2018?
A) $60 billion
B) $70 billion
C) $50 billion
D) $100 billion
  • 13. How many visitors did the Forbidden City receive in 2019?
A) 10 million
B) 25 million
C) More than 19 million
D) 15 million
  • 14. What was the original meaning of 'cheng' in Zijincheng?
A) Temple
B) Castle, fortress, or fortification
C) City
D) Palace
  • 15. Which dynasty's emperors first resided in the Forbidden City?
A) Ming dynasty
B) Qing dynasty
C) Han dynasty
D) Shun dynasty
  • 16. What was the name of the museum established in 1925 within the Forbidden City?
A) Imperial Heritage Museum
B) Beijing Historical Museum
C) Forbidden Palace Museum
D) Palace Museum
  • 17. Who led the forces that captured the Forbidden City in April 1644?
A) Wu Sangui
B) Zhu Di
C) Chiang Kai-shek
D) Li Zicheng
  • 18. What was the primary material used for flooring in major halls of the Forbidden City?
A) Golden bricks
B) Marble tiles
C) Wooden planks
D) Stone slabs
  • 19. What was the purpose of the sixteen-year restoration project carried out by the Palace Museum in the early 21st century?
A) To modernize the Forbidden City
B) To expand the museum's collection
C) To repair and restore all buildings to their pre-1911 state
D) To convert it into a residential area
  • 20. What was the significance of 'Zi' in Zijincheng?
A) Refers to the North Star, or Ziwei Star
B) Represents 'prohibition'
C) Signifies 'golden'
D) Means 'imperial'
  • 21. What was the original Chinese name for the Forbidden City that means 'Former Palace'?
A) Danei
B) Zijincheng
C) Jingcheng
D) Gugong
  • 22. Which dynasty's forces took control of the Forbidden City during the Second Opium War?
A) Ming dynasty forces
B) Japanese forces
C) Anglo-French forces
D) Qing dynasty forces
  • 23. What was the name given to the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing dynasties that means 'Palace City'?
A) Gugong
B) Jingcheng
C) Zijincheng
D) Danei
  • 24. What are the dimensions of the Forbidden City from north to south?
A) 961 m (3,153 ft)
B) 980 m
C) 8,886 m
D) 753 m (2,470 ft)
  • 25. From which period do some of the earliest jade pieces date?
A) Qing dynasty
B) Tang dynasty
C) Ming dynasty
D) Neolithic period
  • 26. During which era did Empress Dowager Cixi reside in one of the Western Palaces?
A) Han dynasty
B) Ming dynasty
C) Late Qing era
D) Early Qing era
  • 27. Which gate has only eight golden door nails?
A) The West Glorious Gate.
B) The East Glorious Gate (D) (東華門; Dōnghuámén).
C) The Meridian Gate.
D) The Gate of Divine Prowess.
  • 28. What was the role of the main halls in the back courtyard?
A) Gardening space
B) Served as living quarters
C) Storage area
D) Used for receptions
  • 29. Where were important parts of the Museum's collection evacuated to during the threat of Japanese invasion?
A) Nanjing
B) Shanghai
C) Beijing
D) Taipei
  • 30. In which series of video games is the Forbidden City a buildable Wonder?
A) Assassin's Creed series
B) Civilization series
C) Final Fantasy series
D) The Elder Scrolls series
  • 31. What is located to the south of Cining Palace?
A) Palace of Earthly Harmony
B) Cining garden
C) Shoukang Palace
D) Pavilion of Pleasure
  • 32. Which park is located to the northwest of the Forbidden City?
A) Zhongshan Park
B) Tiananmen Square
C) Beihai Park
D) Jingshan Park
  • 33. What is the central gateway part of in the Forbidden City?
A) An underground tunnel system.
B) A decorative garden walkway.
C) A wooden pathway for commoners.
D) The Imperial Way, a stone flagged path.
  • 34. What was the primary use of the back courtyard and its main hall in each palace?
A) Ceremonial events
B) Living quarters
C) Military training
D) Receptions
  • 35. What color are almost all roofs in the Forbidden City?
A) Red
B) Yellow
C) Green
D) Black
  • 36. What was the primary function of the main halls in each palace's front courtyard?
A) Gardening
B) Living quarters
C) Storage
D) Receptions
  • 37. Where did lower ranking imperial consorts reside within the palaces?
A) Main section of a palace
B) Back courtyard
C) Side halls
D) Front courtyard
  • 38. Which park is located to the west of the Forbidden City?
A) Jingshan Park
B) Tiananmen Square
C) Beihai Park
D) Zhongnanhai
  • 39. How many pieces of jade does the Palace Museum's collection include?
A) 50,000
B) 30,000
C) 10,000
D) 340,000
  • 40. What do black roof tiles symbolize in the Forbidden City?
A) Fire-prevention, associated with water.
B) Growth, associated with wood.
C) Heaven, represented by the Qian trigram.
D) Earth, represented by the Kun trigram.
  • 41. How many pieces are in the Palace Museum's bronze collection?
A) 1,862,690
B) Almost 10,000
C) 50,000
D) 340,000
  • 42. How many ridges do the corner towers' roofs boast?
A) 100 ridges.
B) 9 ridges.
C) 72 ridges.
D) 50 ridges.
  • 43. What is the width of the moat surrounding the Forbidden City?
A) 6 m (20 ft) deep by 52 m (171 ft) wide.
B) 7.9 m (26 ft) high and 8.62 m (28.3 ft) wide.
C) 6 m (20 ft) high and 52 m (171 ft) deep.
D) 8.62 m (28.3 ft) wide at the base.
  • 44. What was the Palace of Earthly Tranquility converted for during the Qing dynasty?
A) Taoist rituals
B) Buddhist meditation
C) Shamanist worship
D) Confucian studies
  • 45. What is the height of the Forbidden City's surrounding wall?
A) 7.9 m (26 ft)
B) 8.62 m (28.3 ft)
C) 52 m (171 ft)
D) 6 m (20 ft)
  • 46. What was the purpose of Beihai Park during imperial times?
A) A military training ground
B) A residential district for nobles
C) An industrial area
D) A popular royal park
  • 47. What material is used for the core of the Forbidden City's walls?
A) Marble
B) Wood
C) Rammed earth
D) Gold bricks
  • 48. Which gate is located at the southern end of the Forbidden City?
A) The West Glorious Gate.
B) The Gate of Divine Prowess.
C) The East Glorious Gate.
D) The Meridian Gate (A) (午門; Wǔmén).
  • 49. Which joint NBC and RAI miniseries was filmed inside the Forbidden City, despite being set during a time when it did not exist?
A) Marco Polo
B) Shanghai Noon
C) Forbidden City Cop
D) The Last Emperor
  • 50. How many pieces of ceramics and porcelain does the Palace Museum hold?
A) 10,000
B) 340,000
C) 1,862,690
D) 50,000
  • 51. How many palaces are there in total between the Six Western Palaces and the Six Eastern Palaces?
A) Eight
B) Ten
C) Six
D) Twelve
  • 52. What park commemorates Sun Yat-sen?
A) Tiananmen Square
B) Beihai Park
C) Jingshan Park
D) Zhongshan Park
  • 53. How many boxes of artefacts are housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei?
A) 13,491
B) 2,972
C) 3,000
D) 8,000
  • 54. Which martial arts western action comedy starring Jackie Chan was filmed at Hengdian World Studios?
A) Shanghai Noon
B) The Forbidden City
C) Rush Hour
D) Forbidden City Cop
  • 55. What feature is set into the roof of the Palace of Heavenly Purity?
A) A coiled dragon
B) A lotus flower
C) A pair of tigers
D) A phoenix
  • 56. How many pieces of art does the Palace Museum hold?
A) 1,862,690
B) 3,000,000
C) 750,000
D) 500,000
  • 57. How many surviving buildings are there in the Forbidden City?
A) 8,886
B) 500
C) 9,999
D) 980
  • 58. Who was known as the 'western empress' during the late Qing era?
A) Qianlong Emperor's wife
B) Empress Dowager Cixi
C) Empress Dowager Ci'an
D) Kangxi Emperor's wife
  • 59. What is a common myth about the number of rooms in the Forbidden City?
A) There are 9,999 rooms including antechambers.
B) There are 8,886 bays of rooms.
C) There are exactly 980 rooms.
D) The number of rooms is unknown.
  • 60. Which park is located to the north of the Forbidden City?
A) Jingshan Park
B) Beihai Park
C) Zhongshan Park
D) Zhongnanhai
  • 61. What was the primary use of the Outer Court during the Qing dynasty?
A) Military training grounds
B) Marketplace activities
C) Residential purposes for nobles
D) Ceremonial purposes
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