The Palace Museum(故宫博物馆), historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive Chinese museums, was established on the foundation of the palace that was the ritual center of two dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, and their collections of treasures. Designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost protected monuments in 1961, the Palace Museum was also made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

　
故宫博物院是一个能全面反映中国历史文化艺术的博物馆,它是在明、清两代皇宫及其收藏的基础上建立起来的。1961年，经国务院批准，故宫被定为全国第一批重点文物保护单位。1987年，故宫被联合国教科文组织列入“世界文化遗产”名录。（special thanks to sindy and fred）