Historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive Chinese museums, the Palace Museum was established on the foundation of the Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City. It was the ritual centre of two dynasties, the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911), and the repository of their existensive collections.
The original construction of the Imperial Palace was completed in 1420. It covers over 1,000,000 square meters, and the buildings alone account for an area of 170,000 square meters. Critical to the design are the Outer and Inner Courts that lie on a central north-south axis. The Outer Court features the throne halls of Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony, and Preserving Harmony. These are flanked by the halls of Literary Brilliance and Martial Valor. It was here that the emperor presided over important ceremonies. The Inner Court comprises the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, and the Imperial Garden. To the east and west are altogether a dozen courtyard dwellings. The Inner Court contained not only the residences of the emperor and his empress, consorts and concubines, but also the venues for administrative activities. In addition, a complex to the east named Tranquil Longevity was built for retired emperor, while a compound to the west, called the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility , was created for empress dowagers. The Forbidden City is the largest and best preserved palace complex extant today.
Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage and breeding ground established in 1975 for abandoned elephants in Sri Lanka. Pinnewela is located on Rambukkana Road, near Kegalla, Sri Lanka, and is currently home to one of the largest elephant herds in captivity in the world with more than sixty elephants.
