Reading 1 Text exploration Background information The Forbidden City in Beijing was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty (from 1420 to 1912).It was listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 as the "Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties." 新编大学英语（第四版）综合教程Unit5 Reading 1 Background information 新编大学英语（第四版） 综合教程 Unit 5 The Forbidden City in Beijing was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty (from 1420 to 1912). It was listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 as the “Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.” Text exploration