The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial(帝皇的) palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors(皇帝) and their households(家属), as well as the ceremonial(仪式的) and political (政治的)center of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers a large space, and has influenced cultural and architectural(农业的) developments in East Asia (东亚)and elsewhere.