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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) 1750
B) 1500
C) 1420
D) 1600
  • 2. How many years did it take to build the Forbidden City?
A) 14 years
B) 32 years
C) 25 years
D) 7 years
  • 3. Which Chinese emperor moved the capital to Beijing and ordered the construction of the Forbidden City?
A) Emperor Wu of Han
B) Emperor Yongle
C) Emperor Kangxi
D) Emperor Qin Shi Huang
  • 4. How many gates are there in the outer walls of the Forbidden City?
A) Six
B) Two
C) Eight
D) Four
  • 5. What was the original name of the Forbidden City before it became known by its present name?
A) Heavenly Palace
B) Imperial Citadel
C) Purple City
D) Golden Palace
  • 6. In what year was the Forbidden City declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A) 1987
B) 2000
C) 1975
D) 1995
  • 7. What building is located at the very center of the Forbidden City?
A) Forbidden Gate
B) Palace of Heavenly Purity
C) Hall of Supreme Harmony
D) Imperial Garden
  • 8. What color are the walls of the Forbidden City traditionally painted?
A) Black
B) Yellow
C) Red
D) Green
  • 9. What ancient Chinese belief influenced the layout of the Forbidden City?
A) Confucianism
B) Buddhism
C) Legalism
D) Feng Shui
  • 10. What is the Chinese name for the Forbidden City?
A) Danei
B) Gugong
C) Zǐjìnchéng
D) Jingcheng
  • 11. How many emperors resided in the Forbidden City?
A) 24
B) 16
C) 30
D) 18
  • 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) More than 19 million
B) 10 million
C) 25 million
D) 15 million
  • 14. What was the original meaning of 'cheng' in Zijincheng?
A) City
B) Palace
C) Temple
D) Castle, fortress, or fortification
  • 15. Which dynasty's emperors first resided in the Forbidden City?
A) Qing dynasty
B) Han dynasty
C) Shun dynasty
D) Ming dynasty
  • 16. What was the name of the museum established in 1925 within the Forbidden City?
A) Palace Museum
B) Beijing Historical Museum
C) Forbidden Palace Museum
D) Imperial Heritage Museum
  • 17. Who led the forces that captured the Forbidden City in April 1644?
A) Zhu Di
B) Li Zicheng
C) Wu Sangui
D) Chiang Kai-shek
  • 18. What was the primary material used for flooring in major halls of the Forbidden City?
A) Golden bricks
B) Wooden planks
C) Stone slabs
D) Marble tiles
  • 19. What was the purpose of the sixteen-year restoration project carried out by the Palace Museum in the early 21st century?
A) To repair and restore all buildings to their pre-1911 state
B) To modernize the Forbidden City
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) Refers to the North Star, or Ziwei Star
B) Means 'imperial'
C) Represents 'prohibition'
D) Signifies 'golden'
  • 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) Qing dynasty forces
B) Japanese forces
C) Ming dynasty 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) Gugong
B) Zijincheng
C) Danei
D) Jingcheng
  • 24. What are the dimensions of the Forbidden City from north to south?
A) 8,886 m
B) 980 m
C) 753 m (2,470 ft)
D) 961 m (3,153 ft)
  • 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) Ming dynasty
B) Han 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 Meridian Gate.
C) The East Glorious Gate (D) (東華門; Dōnghuámén).
D) The Gate of Divine Prowess.
  • 28. What was the role of the main halls in the back courtyard?
A) Storage area
B) Used for receptions
C) Served as living quarters
D) Gardening space
  • 29. Where were important parts of the Museum's collection evacuated to during the threat of Japanese invasion?
A) Shanghai
B) Nanjing
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) Cining garden
B) Pavilion of Pleasure
C) Palace of Earthly Harmony
D) Shoukang Palace
  • 32. Which park is located to the northwest of the Forbidden City?
A) Tiananmen Square
B) Beihai Park
C) Zhongshan Park
D) Jingshan Park
  • 33. What is the central gateway part of in the Forbidden City?
A) A wooden pathway for commoners.
B) An underground tunnel system.
C) The Imperial Way, a stone flagged path.
D) A decorative garden walkway.
  • 34. What was the primary use of the back courtyard and its main hall in each palace?
A) Military training
B) Receptions
C) Living quarters
D) Ceremonial events
  • 35. What color are almost all roofs in the Forbidden City?
A) Yellow
B) Green
C) Black
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) Side halls
B) Main section of a palace
C) Front courtyard
D) Back courtyard
  • 38. Which park is located to the west of the Forbidden City?
A) Zhongnanhai
B) Jingshan Park
C) Tiananmen Square
D) Beihai Park
  • 39. How many pieces of jade does the Palace Museum's collection include?
A) 30,000
B) 50,000
C) 10,000
D) 340,000
  • 40. What do black roof tiles symbolize in the Forbidden City?
A) Earth, represented by the Kun trigram.
B) Heaven, represented by the Qian trigram.
C) Fire-prevention, associated with water.
D) Growth, associated with wood.
  • 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) 50 ridges.
B) 72 ridges.
C) 9 ridges.
D) 100 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) 8.62 m (28.3 ft) wide at the base.
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) Shamanist worship
B) Confucian studies
C) Taoist rituals
D) Buddhist meditation
  • 45. What is the height of the Forbidden City's surrounding wall?
A) 6 m (20 ft)
B) 8.62 m (28.3 ft)
C) 52 m (171 ft)
D) 7.9 m (26 ft)
  • 46. What was the purpose of Beihai Park during imperial times?
A) A residential district for nobles
B) A military training ground
C) An industrial area
D) A popular royal park
  • 47. What material is used for the core of the Forbidden City's walls?
A) Rammed earth
B) Wood
C) Gold bricks
D) Marble
  • 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) The Last Emperor
C) Marco Polo
D) Shanghai Noon
  • 50. How many pieces of ceramics and porcelain does the Palace Museum hold?
A) 340,000
B) 10,000
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) Twelve
B) Eight
C) Ten
D) Six
  • 52. What park commemorates Sun Yat-sen?
A) Jingshan Park
B) Tiananmen Square
C) Beihai Park
D) Zhongshan Park
  • 53. How many boxes of artefacts are housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei?
A) 3,000
B) 13,491
C) 2,972
D) 8,000
  • 54. Which martial arts western action comedy starring Jackie Chan was filmed at Hengdian World Studios?
A) Rush Hour
B) The Forbidden City
C) Shanghai Noon
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 phoenix
D) A pair of tigers
  • 56. How many pieces of art does the Palace Museum hold?
A) 3,000,000
B) 1,862,690
C) 500,000
D) 750,000
  • 57. How many surviving buildings are there in the Forbidden City?
A) 9,999
B) 980
C) 8,886
D) 500
  • 58. Who was known as the 'western empress' during the late Qing era?
A) Kangxi Emperor's wife
B) Empress Dowager Ci'an
C) Empress Dowager Cixi
D) Qianlong Emperor's wife
  • 59. What is a common myth about the number of rooms in the Forbidden City?
A) There are exactly 980 rooms.
B) There are 9,999 rooms including antechambers.
C) There are 8,886 bays of rooms.
D) The number of rooms is unknown.
  • 60. Which park is located to the north of the Forbidden City?
A) Zhongshan Park
B) Beihai Park
C) Jingshan Park
D) Zhongnanhai
  • 61. What was the primary use of the Outer Court during the Qing dynasty?
A) Ceremonial purposes
B) Marketplace activities
C) Residential purposes for nobles
D) Military training grounds
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