Why is the Forbidden City forbidden?

I see people ask this all the time, usually after searching something like “why is Beijing the Forbidden City”.

Beijing is the city. The Forbidden City is the palace complex inside it.

The real question is simple: why was it “forbidden” in the first place?

“Forbidden” meant you could not go in

For centuries, the Forbidden City was the emperor’s home and the center of power. It was not a public place.

Access was blocked for almost everyone. Officials could enter only when they had permission, and even members of the imperial family had limits. The idea was that the emperor could move anywhere, but other people could not.

So “forbidden” is not a spooky nickname. It was a rule.

It was basically a city inside the city

One reason the name sticks is that it is huge and walled off like its own world.

That is also why the English translation uses “city”, not just “palace”. The Chinese name is 紫禁城, often written as Zijincheng, which is commonly translated as “Purple Forbidden City.”

Why “purple” is part of the name

This part is easy to misunderstand.

“Purple” is not about the wall color. It is tied to old Chinese astronomy and symbolism. The North Star area was seen as the heavenly emperor’s domain, and the Forbidden City was designed as the earthly mirror of that idea.

You do not need that detail to enjoy visiting, but it explains why the full name sounds a bit mystical in English.

When it stopped being forbidden

It stayed closed to normal people for a very long time. Then the imperial system ended, and the site became a museum.

The Palace Museum opened to the public in 1925, inside the former palace complex.

Practical note if you are visiting today

The “forbidden” part is history. But visiting still has rules.

• It is closed on Mondays (except statutory holidays).
• You normally need to book in advance with real-name reservation, and they do not sell same-day tickets.
• Entry is through the Meridian Gate (Wu Men) with the ID you booked with.

That is worth knowing before you build your day around it.

Simple answer you can reuse

It is called the Forbidden City because access was restricted to the emperor and approved people only. Everyone else was kept out. It later became the Palace Museum and is open to visitors now, but you still need to follow booking rules.