After the Communists took over, they weren't quite sure what to do with the complex. Initially, apart from hanging a big Mao painting off the front, they left it alone, at various times they planned to raze the whole thing and build either a people's park, or a mega bus/train interchange on the space. None of this came to pass, but during the Cultural Revolution some of the most famous buildings in the complex were leveled to make room for a display of mud sculptures of revolutionary heroes. When I visited only about half the place was open, but the government recently announced a twelve year restoration plan to restore the site to its imperial condition. I don't think it will help if it just makes it bigger by opening up the other half I didn't see, but if they restore the interiors as well it could be quite a sight.