Have you ever been to China and visited its capital, Beijing? Then there’s no way you could have missed the iconic Forbidden City. The clue “The Forbidden City’s Meridian ___” from the June 5, 2025 edition of the NYT Crossword at 46A is just begging you to fill in the blank. The puzzle had several other location-based clues, but this one could easily trip up solvers since not everyone is acquainted with the Forbidden City. Here is the answer to the “The Forbidden City’s Meridian ___” clue.
The Forbidden City’s Meridian ___ NYT Answer
GATE is the answer to the “The Forbidden City’s Meridian ___” clue.
It’s the Meridian Gate, the largest gate of the Forbidden City we’re looking at. In Chinese, it is also called “Wumen”. This was the imperial palace in Beijing, and home to the Ming and Qing dynasties. It’s mentioned a few times in the Karate Kid, and Dre Parker visits it during the school field trip.
It’s called the Forbidden City because access was strictly limited. Only the emperor, his family, court officials, and eunuchs could move about freely inside. Anyone else, such as commoners who dared to enter without permission, risked severe punishment. This shows just how exclusive and guarded the palace truly was.
