Numerous palaces were built in the Chinese feudal society. The construction of imperial palaces emphasized on the splendorous appearance and regular layout. The feature of the imperial palaces is the use of yellow roof tiles, as yellow has been the Imperial color. The wooden columns of the buildings and the surface of the walls are red. Black is also a famous color often used in pagodas. The Chinese dragon, an emblem reserved for Imperial China, was frequently used on the roofs, beams, pillars and doors.

Most of the palaces are axial symmetrical, with splendid buildings standing at the middle axis and smaller attached houses located along both sides. The Forbidden City is a typical example of imperial palace. It served as the home of the emperors and his household and the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Many distinctive characters were incorporated to indicate the imperial palace. For example, a pair of stone or copper lions often crouches in front of the main gate to ward off evil influence. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.