The Forbidden City — the Palace Museum behind its vermillion walls — was the seat of 24 Ming and Qing emperors for nearly five hundred years, and it remains the largest and most complete timber palace complex on earth: some 72 hectares of courtyards, halls and thousands of bays under yellow glazed roofs. Two things make or break a visit. The first is a reservation — entry is by real-name, timed ticket booked with your passport, and the daily quota empties quickly around Chinese holidays. The second is a route, because the palace is a grid of axes and side courts that repays a plan.
