On the fourth day of November of the eighteenth year of Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1424), or December 8, A.D. 1420, the emperor issued an imperial edict announcing the completion of Beijing’s construction. That day is regarded as the birthday of Beijing City and the Beijing imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty. By 2020, six centuries have passed by. Over the long years, the Ming capital and its core imperial palace buildings were taken by the Qing dynasty rulers as their capital and Forbidden City.

To commemorate the grand architectural complex that has lasted for six centuries, Jin Hongkui, an ancient architecture scholar and vice dean of the Palace Museum, wrote The Forbidden City, 600 Years on, which is a perfect primer on buildings in the museum that combines academic theories and popularity. Reading the book, readers may unveil the long history spanning from the construction work starting from the Yuan (1206–1368) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties to its final completion.