Forbidden City
Located across the road from Tiananmen Square, this immense UNESCO World Heritage Site has many an inner and outer courtyards. The Forbidden City measures 172 acres--as big as 200 soccer fields. If you are without a guide, visit in early in the morning and get an audio headset. The largest palace enclosure in China, it was closed off to the public for the 500 years that it was home to 24 emperors.
In 1911, the last emperor left and the compound was opened to the people. Its new name was Palace City. (The Academy Award-winning movie “The Last Emperor” was filmed here and worth a watch.) Buildings are many and ornate. Though to my disappointment I missed seeing it, a small gallery holds the Clock Museum. With more than 1,000 Chinese- and foreign-made pieces, it is one of the world’s largest collections of mechanical timepieces from the 18th and 19th centuries.
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| gate tower entrance to Forbidden City |
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| interior courtyard at Forbidden City |
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| garden at Forbidden City |
More things to do in Beijing.
Best souvenirs of China.
images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
We have never been to China, which is weird because we lived in Hong Kong for four years once, but it is on our list. Looks like you are enjoying every minute.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteIt appears you are really enjoying your visit. Beijing's Forbidden City looks like a real treat!
I visited the Forbidden City back in 2010: here's my take on it: http://rachelheller.org/conspicuous-consumption/ It was fascinating!
ReplyDeleteYou posting is very informative. I enjoyed reading it. It is an enhancement to what I have written.
DeleteGood blog... keep-up the good work.... May I share an interview with Pu Yi (imaginary), the Last Emperor of China in stenote blogspot in Sep 2018 folder https://stenote.blogspot.com/2018/09/an-interview-with-pu-yi.html
ReplyDeleteRead also the article in "stenote blogspot" in Sep 2018 Folder.
Thank you for sharing this interesting blog post.
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