Ln the center of Beijing. To the north of Tiananmen Square, lies the forbidden city, now known as the lmperial palace museum. Lt was the home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Lt is the world's largest palace. Covering an area of 74 hectares, and includes 9,999 rooms in 800 buildings. Construction of the palace began in 1406 and ended in 1420. Lt took 200,000 workers and 100,000 artisans to build the forbidden city. The palace museum contains many rare treasures and curiosities, such as gates, hairs, and an imperial garden. The palace is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.