The Forbidden City in Beijing – deemed a must-see by many, and it is certainly that. Built in the Ming Dynasty during the early 1400s, it was the imperial palace through the end of the Qing dynasty in the early 1900s. Visiting it is like a blast to the past as you visualize how dignitaries entered the grounds in order to see the emperor, and how the emperor, empress dowagers, and concubines lived. The feat of constructing something so grand is amazing in itself.
So, why is the Forbidden City called that? We wondered the same thing. Apparently, it’s because commoners were not allowed in it. And it really is like a city with almost a thousand buildings on the grounds. Here’s a brief look in to what we saw and learned.
Since fire was a major threat back in the day, they would use these huge metal cauldrons to store enough water that would be used for firefighting. But that’s not the whole story – these cauldrons are set up on blocks with a small cubby hole in between the blocks. This was where the burned kindling during the winter to heat the water and prevent it from freezing over, rendering it useless for firefighting.
As you can probably tell, the palace is quite ornate, featuring wood carvings and ceramic sculptures all over. All of these are still the originals that have survived hundreds of years.
Here is one of the main throne rooms where the emperor would receive guests. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking – I’d be intimidated too – no doubt even more mind-blowing 600 years ago.
There were a few cool artifacts in some of the buildings. We’re fond of the apothecary furniture for storing medicines. This one is a rotating one.
This is the back of the building where the emperor would go to present to an public audience. He would walk across the central pathway that leads up to the middle door. In fact, that middle path runs through the palace and only the emperor could walk on it.
Some intricate detail underneath the roof overhang:
This is the courtyard where commoners would stand as they waited for the emperor to speak… the original stone work still in place.
All in all, the Forbidden City was worth the visit. We were a bit hesitant because it seemed like one of those checklist things to go to, but if you put a little imagination in to it as you read the history, it’s pretty cool to walk through for a couple of hours.
Finally, here’s the scene as we walked out the front gate towards Tiananmen square, with the People’s Liberation Army guard looking over the tourists.
Here’s the full set of photos:
[flickrslideshow acct_name=”tony-chen” id=”72157625122504453″]