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The fascinating history of the Forbidden City - Exam
Contributed by: Watson
  • 1. When was the construction of the Forbidden City completed?
A) 1500
B) 1420
C) 1750
D) 1600
  • 2. How many years did it take to build the Forbidden City?
A) 7 years
B) 25 years
C) 14 years
D) 32 years
  • 3. Which Chinese emperor moved the capital to Beijing and ordered the construction of the Forbidden City?
A) Emperor Kangxi
B) Emperor Yongle
C) Emperor Wu of Han
D) Emperor Qin Shi Huang
  • 4. How many gates are there in the outer walls of the Forbidden City?
A) Four
B) Six
C) Eight
D) Two
  • 5. What was the original name of the Forbidden City before it became known by its present name?
A) Purple City
B) Heavenly Palace
C) Golden Palace
D) Imperial Citadel
  • 6. In what year was the Forbidden City declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A) 2000
B) 1975
C) 1987
D) 1995
  • 7. What building is located at the very center of the Forbidden City?
A) Hall of Supreme Harmony
B) Imperial Garden
C) Palace of Heavenly Purity
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) Confucianism
B) Feng Shui
C) Legalism
D) Buddhism
  • 10. What is the Chinese name for the Forbidden City?
A) Danei
B) Gugong
C) Jingcheng
D) Zǐjìnchéng
  • 11. How many emperors resided in the Forbidden City?
A) 24
B) 18
C) 30
D) 16
  • 12. What is the estimated market value of the Forbidden City as of 2018?
A) $50 billion
B) $60 billion
C) $100 billion
D) $70 billion
  • 13. How many visitors did the Forbidden City receive in 2019?
A) 15 million
B) 25 million
C) 10 million
D) More than 19 million
  • 14. What was the original meaning of 'cheng' in Zijincheng?
A) City
B) Castle, fortress, or fortification
C) Temple
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) Palace Museum
C) Forbidden Palace Museum
D) Beijing Historical Museum
  • 17. Who led the forces that captured the Forbidden City in April 1644?
A) Zhu Di
B) Chiang Kai-shek
C) Li Zicheng
D) Wu Sangui
  • 18. What was the primary material used for flooring in major halls of the Forbidden City?
A) Golden bricks
B) Marble tiles
C) Stone slabs
D) Wooden planks
  • 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 repair and restore all buildings to their pre-1911 state
C) To expand the museum's collection
D) To convert it into a residential area
  • 20. What was the significance of 'Zi' in Zijincheng?
A) Means 'imperial'
B) Refers to the North Star, or Ziwei Star
C) Signifies 'golden'
D) Represents 'prohibition'
  • 21. What was the original Chinese name for the Forbidden City that means 'Former Palace'?
A) Gugong
B) Jingcheng
C) Danei
D) Zijincheng
  • 22. Which dynasty's forces took control of the Forbidden City during the Second Opium War?
A) Qing dynasty forces
B) Ming dynasty forces
C) Japanese forces
D) Anglo-French forces
  • 23. What was the name given to the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing dynasties that means 'Palace City'?
A) Danei
B) Zijincheng
C) Jingcheng
D) Gugong
  • 24. What are the dimensions of the Forbidden City from north to south?
A) 980 m
B) 753 m (2,470 ft)
C) 961 m (3,153 ft)
D) 8,886 m
  • 25. From which period do some of the earliest jade pieces date?
A) Tang dynasty
B) Neolithic period
C) Qing dynasty
D) Ming dynasty
  • 26. During which era did Empress Dowager Cixi reside in one of the Western Palaces?
A) Han dynasty
B) Early Qing era
C) Late Qing era
D) Ming dynasty
  • 27. Which gate has only eight golden door nails?
A) The Gate of Divine Prowess.
B) The East Glorious Gate (D) (東華門; Dōnghuámén).
C) The West Glorious Gate.
D) The Meridian Gate.
  • 28. What was the role of the main halls in the back courtyard?
A) Served as living quarters
B) Gardening space
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) Taipei
B) Nanjing
C) Beijing
D) Shanghai
  • 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) Shoukang Palace
B) Palace of Earthly Harmony
C) Cining garden
D) Pavilion of Pleasure
  • 32. Which park is located to the northwest of the Forbidden City?
A) Jingshan Park
B) Zhongshan Park
C) Beihai Park
D) Tiananmen Square
  • 33. What is the central gateway part of in the Forbidden City?
A) A wooden pathway for commoners.
B) An underground tunnel system.
C) A decorative garden walkway.
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) Living quarters
B) Receptions
C) Ceremonial events
D) Military training
  • 35. What color are almost all roofs in the Forbidden City?
A) Green
B) Black
C) Yellow
D) Red
  • 36. What was the primary function of the main halls in each palace's front courtyard?
A) Storage
B) Receptions
C) Gardening
D) Living quarters
  • 37. Where did lower ranking imperial consorts reside within the palaces?
A) Front courtyard
B) Main section of a palace
C) Side halls
D) Back courtyard
  • 38. Which park is located to the west of the Forbidden City?
A) Zhongnanhai
B) Beihai Park
C) Jingshan Park
D) Tiananmen Square
  • 39. How many pieces of jade does the Palace Museum's collection include?
A) 50,000
B) 30,000
C) 340,000
D) 10,000
  • 40. What do black roof tiles symbolize in the Forbidden City?
A) Fire-prevention, associated with water.
B) Heaven, represented by the Qian trigram.
C) Earth, represented by the Kun trigram.
D) Growth, associated with wood.
  • 41. How many pieces are in the Palace Museum's bronze collection?
A) 1,862,690
B) 340,000
C) 50,000
D) Almost 10,000
  • 42. How many ridges do the corner towers' roofs boast?
A) 50 ridges.
B) 100 ridges.
C) 9 ridges.
D) 72 ridges.
  • 43. What is the width of the moat surrounding the Forbidden City?
A) 8.62 m (28.3 ft) wide at the base.
B) 6 m (20 ft) deep by 52 m (171 ft) wide.
C) 6 m (20 ft) high and 52 m (171 ft) deep.
D) 7.9 m (26 ft) high and 8.62 m (28.3 ft) wide.
  • 44. What was the Palace of Earthly Tranquility converted for during the Qing dynasty?
A) Confucian studies
B) Taoist rituals
C) Buddhist meditation
D) Shamanist worship
  • 45. What is the height of the Forbidden City's surrounding wall?
A) 7.9 m (26 ft)
B) 6 m (20 ft)
C) 52 m (171 ft)
D) 8.62 m (28.3 ft)
  • 46. What was the purpose of Beihai Park during imperial times?
A) A popular royal park
B) A military training ground
C) A residential district for nobles
D) An industrial area
  • 47. What material is used for the core of the Forbidden City's walls?
A) Gold bricks
B) Marble
C) Rammed earth
D) Wood
  • 48. Which gate is located at the southern end of the Forbidden City?
A) The West Glorious Gate.
B) The Meridian Gate (A) (午門; Wǔmén).
C) The East Glorious Gate.
D) The Gate of Divine Prowess.
  • 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) Forbidden City Cop
B) Marco Polo
C) Shanghai Noon
D) The Last Emperor
  • 50. How many pieces of ceramics and porcelain does the Palace Museum hold?
A) 50,000
B) 1,862,690
C) 340,000
D) 10,000
  • 51. How many palaces are there in total between the Six Western Palaces and the Six Eastern Palaces?
A) Twelve
B) Six
C) Eight
D) Ten
  • 52. What park commemorates Sun Yat-sen?
A) Jingshan Park
B) Tiananmen Square
C) Zhongshan Park
D) Beihai 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) Forbidden City Cop
B) The Forbidden City
C) Rush Hour
D) Shanghai Noon
  • 55. What feature is set into the roof of the Palace of Heavenly Purity?
A) A pair of tigers
B) A lotus flower
C) A phoenix
D) A coiled dragon
  • 56. How many pieces of art does the Palace Museum hold?
A) 3,000,000
B) 750,000
C) 500,000
D) 1,862,690
  • 57. How many surviving buildings are there in the Forbidden City?
A) 8,886
B) 500
C) 980
D) 9,999
  • 58. Who was known as the 'western empress' during the late Qing era?
A) Qianlong Emperor's wife
B) Kangxi Emperor's wife
C) Empress Dowager Cixi
D) Empress Dowager Ci'an
  • 59. What is a common myth about the number of rooms in the Forbidden City?
A) The number of rooms is unknown.
B) There are 8,886 bays of rooms.
C) There are 9,999 rooms including antechambers.
D) There are exactly 980 rooms.
  • 60. Which park is located to the north of the Forbidden City?
A) Jingshan Park
B) Zhongnanhai
C) Beihai Park
D) Zhongshan Park
  • 61. What was the primary use of the Outer Court during the Qing dynasty?
A) Marketplace activities
B) Residential purposes for nobles
C) Military training grounds
D) Ceremonial purposes
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