the forbidden city--part one

This was definitely my most favorite part of Beijing! The history, the culture, absolutely everything about it sparked my intrigue and I found it to be so fascinating. Absolutely amazing! It's surrounded by 26-foot-high walls, and has a 170-foot-wide moat.

Here's a reference guide for you:
A. Meridian Gate
B. Gate of Divine Light
C. West Glorious Gate
D. East Glorious Gate
E. Corner Towers
F. Gate of Supreme Harmony
G. Hall of Supreme Harmony
H. Hall of Military Eminence
J. Hall of Literary Glory
K. Southern Three Places
L. Palace of Heavenly Purity
M. Imperial Garden
N. Hall of Mental Cultivation
O. Hall of Tranquil Longetivity
Talk about Fung Shui! The axis line runs through the entire City, and extends throughout China. The Bird's Nest was actually built along this axis line to help Olympians with peace and health for their competitions. Cool, huh?!

Construction for the Forbidden City began in 1406 and lasted 15 years. It required over one million workers!

After being the home of 24 emperors—fourteen of the Ming Dynasty and ten of the Qing Dynasty—the Forbidden City ceased being the political center of China in 1912 with the abdication of Pyui , the very last Emperor of China.

We're standing in front of the Inner Golden Water River. Huh, didn't even know it. It was frozen solid.

One of the Glorious Gates, can't remember which one honestly. I get turned-around pretty easily. You're supposed to step over the gate threshold with your right foot for luck or something, I was a rebel and stepped with my LEFT foot. Ha!
Me in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. In the beginning it was used for court proceedings, but in the later years, it was only used for ceremonial purposes; such as coronations or imperial weddings. It's the tallest building in the Forbidden City, raised 98 feet taller than the others.


Before the Beijing Olympics last year, the government came in and repainted and resurfaced a lot of the City because it's a huge tourist attraction. Some places are "brighter" than others.

These pots were gigantic! I imagined they were used to heat water in, there was a place to light a fire underneath each of them. The Chinese love their tea, maybe these were their teapots.

The Throne in the Hall of Preserving Harmony! It is the ceremonial center of Imperial power and the largest surviving wooden structure in China. In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor held court here to discuss affairs of state. During the Qing Dynasty, as Emperors held court frequently.
(sorry it's a little dark)
Don't mind me being a dork, look at the structure's colors behind me.

This is the Throne in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Emperor, representing Yang and the Heavens, would occupy the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Empress, representing Yin and the Earth, would occupy the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. In between them was the Hall of Union, where the Yin and Yang mixed to produce harmony. (sound familiar?)

This is an example of the paintings seen in the Ming Dynasty. Lots of golds portraying wealth and fortune.
Part of the Imperial Way, the steps that only the Emperor could walk (and occasionally some others at very certain times in history) is awesome. This is why it's so incredible:
-elaborate and symbolic bas-relief carvings
-carved from a single piece of stone 54 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 5 1/2 feet thick.
-it is on the axis that passes through the Forbidden City




And there's a PERFECT spot to sit down! They have only two exits from the courtyard into this huge garden; and the hoards of people are funnled through them! When my Mom visited the first time, there was a man just sitting here and people were tripping over him to get out the door. So, get out of the way, Aim!