LocatedinthecenterofBeijing,thePalaceMuseum,historicallyandartisticallyoneofthemostcomprehensivemuseuminChina,wasestablishedonthebasisoftheForbiddenCity,apalaceoftheMingandQingdynasties(1368-1840),andtheircollectionoftreasures.TheForbiddenCityusedtobetheimperialpalaceoftheMingandQingdynasties.Itisnearly600yearsold,withconstructionstartedin1406andcompletedin1420.TheprinciplesofFengShui,theancientChinesesystemofgeomancy,governedthewholeprocess.Therectangularpalacecoversanareaofsome720,000sq.km--961minlengthand760minwidth.Ithasatotalof9999.5roomspaces(anareaenclosedbyfourpoles).In1924,theimperialfamilyoftheQingDynasty(1644-1840)wasremovedfromtheForbiddenCity,andin1925thePalaceMuseumwasestablishedhere.EmperorsoftheMingandQingdynastiesfrom1420to1911heldcourtandlivedwithinthewallsoftheForbiddenCity.Aftertherepublicanrevolution,thispalaceasawholewouldhavebeensequesteredbytheNationalistgovernmentwereitnotforthe"ArticlesofFavorableTreatmentoftheQingHouse"whichallowedPuyitoliveonintheInnerCourtafterhisabdication.In1924,duringacouplaunchedbythewarlordFengYuxiang,PuyiwasexpelledfromtheForbiddenCityandthemanagementofthepalacefelltothechargeofacommitteesetuptodealwiththeconcernsofthedeposedimperialfamily.