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Discover how Beijing’s Forbidden City, the largest palace complex in the world, has survived 500 years of earthquakes

Discover how Beijing’s Forbidden City, the largest palace complex in the world.

Forbidden City Facts

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<div class="rich-text">Discover how Beijing’s Forbidden City, the largest palace complex in the world, has survived 500 years of earthquakes.
</div>

Discover how Beijing’s Forbidden City, the largest palace complex in the world, has survived 500 years of earthquakes.

<div class="rich-text">Discover how Beijing’s Forbidden City, the largest palace complex in the world, has survived 500 years of earthquakes.</div>

Ancient Worlds

<div class="rich-text"><h3>
 Forbidden City Facts
</h3>

 Published October 18, 2017



 On Screen
 
 : The Forbidden City 5 Fantastic Facts


 1. It’s the largest complex of palace buildings in the world


 Total buildings: more than 800


 Construction material: Wood


 Total area: 135 football fields


 2. Completed in 1420, it was the grand vision of Ming Emperor Yongle


 3. Planning the giant city took 10 years


 With millions of laborers, building it only took 4 years


 4. The Forbidden City is in an earthquake zone


 In 500 years it’s been hit by hundreds of earthquakes, some bigger than the quake that destroyed San Francisco in 1906


 Number of buildings collapsed: zero


 What’s the secret?


 5. Brackets


 They distribute the heavy weight of the roof into the columns below which rest freely on the ground, allowing them to move laterally


 There are no nails, screws, or glue, only precise carpentry of interlocking pieces


 No wonder it was the emperors’ primary residence for nearly 500 years
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