The Forbidden City

Right in the center of Beijing is the former imperial palace. It was called the Forbidden City because only those associated with the imperial family were allowed to enter. Thousands of people used to keep it running as the nerve center of the empire. It is now a museum with thousands of tourists per hour running through it.

Our visit is much too short. We come in through the Meridian Gate at the bottom of this map We go through all the courtyards and halls down the middle,out the back, then we take our bus back to Tienanmen Square.

For a more detailed map of the Forbidden City, click on this map.

The panorama below is what you will see when you stand in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony looking south towards the Gate of Supreme Harmony. This place is humongous!

		Our bus lets us off on the east side of the palace and we walk along the moat to the meridian gate. Our entrance to the Forbidden City was through the Meridian Gate. From the U-shaped courtyard, the Emperor reviewed his armies and announced yearly planting schedules.
		We pass through the Meridian Gate, cross the Golden Stream (using the bridge in the middle which used to be only for the emperor) Pass through the Gate of Supreme Harmony (in the center of the panorama) and come to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
	The grandeur of the throne room shows the lengths to which the emperors would go in order to impress their visitors. These are the back doors to the hall of Supreme Harmony.
	The lions guarded the doors of all the buildings. The central stairs were reserved for the emperor. The dragons in the center panel are his emblem. This one is in front of the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
	These gilded bronze kettles are strategically placed on the platforms outside all the buildings. They used to hold water to be used in case of fire.
		This smaller pavilion, The Hall of Complete Harmony, was a rest stop for the emperor on his way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It has a much more modest throne.
		After a welcome stop at a provident sanitary facility, we head towards the back of the palace where the actual living quarters were. This is the emperor's private office in his home, the Hall of Mental Cultivation..
		We peer through the dirty windows of what we are told is the private apartment of one of the concubines. It looks cozy!
		It is getting late as we end up in the imperial garden by the Qiangqiu (Thousand autumns) pavilion in the imperial garden. Next to it is Taihu rocks pavilion. The emperor and the queen would come to enjoy the autumn scenery on the 9th day of the 9th month each year.

Architectural Details

As we walk through the Forbidden City, many little details catch our eyes. Here are a few of them.


		All the ceilings are brightly painted.
		The gables of the buildings are decorated in gold filigree.
		The number of little lions denotes the status. Nine (the maximum) are on the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Three are on the outhouse. It is a very, very nice outhouse.
		We found mosaics all over the place. I think that the deer and cranes is supposed to represent longevity. I think it's a clock, but where are the hands?

We slip out the back gate of the Forbidden City where our bus meets us and takes us back around to the front (over a mile away!) where we get out to visit ...

Tiananmen Square

Right in front of the forbidden city is the largest public square in the world. This is where parades happen. This is where Mao is entombed. And this is where an unknown man gave us a new definition of courage on June 5, 1989.

This is also where the imperial storehouses and guards barracks used to stand. They were destroyed during the first decades of the 20th century leaving the area open for a new public square.

	The most famous view from Tiananmen Square is towards the Gate of Heavenly Peace (which is what Tiananmen means). This is where Mao proclaimed the foundation of the People's Republic on October 1st, 1949. This is where the party hierarchy gathers for the May Day parade.
	And the Great Helmsman (Chairman Mao) is still here, on display a couple of days each week. The memorial hall is closed the day we visit the square.
`	Heroic sculpture stands alongside the memorial.
	And in the center, stands the Monument to the People's Heros