Established in 1925, the Palace Museum was installed in the Imperial Palace of two consecutive dynasties - the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911). The magnificent architecture, also known as the Forbidden City, and the vast holding of the Imperial collections of paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, and decorative objects make it one of the most prestigious museums in China and the world at large. In 1961, the Imperial Palace was designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost protected cultural heritage sites, and in 1987 was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.