Why is the Forbidden City called so?

The Forbidden City, also known as Palace Museum, is a walled section of Beijing located right at its centre, enclosing the Imperial Palace, formerly the residence of the emperor of China. The ‘Forbidden City’ is the English equivalent of the Chinese name ‘Zijin Cheng’ – Jin meaning forbidden, with reference to the fact that no one could enter or leave the walled city or Cheng, without the emperor’s permission. Built in the early 15th century with over 1,000 buildings and a large collection of ancient wood structures, it is now a major tourist attraction and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.