Driving in Beijing Part 1

---

Forbidden City

Beijing roads are in grid, so they are relatively easy to study. There are ring roads around the city—they are not circular but rectangular—with Tiananmen as the center. Today, our first stop of the day is the Forbidden City. This historical place was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO and has the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Built in 1406, it housed 24 emperors and two dynasties.

After walking through a massive towering gate, we arrive at the outer courtyard. From this vantage point the vastness of the place can be felt. Today, there are close to 1,000 buildings with over 8,000 rooms in an area that is about one fifthNew York City Central Park. Images from The Last Emperor movie come to mind. The yellow wavy roofs, large and tall red columns, ornate carvings on the walls and horizontal beams, vibrant and colorful mosaics, and marble floors highlight the imperial architecture. The gate to the inner courtyard seems so far away from where we stand. Excited, we start to walk towards it...@driving-vacation

More pictures...

---

Photos

Driving in Beijing Part 1
Forbidden City

Driving in Beijing Part 1
Forbidden city

Driving in Beijing Part 1
Forbidden city

Driving in Beijing Part 1
Forbidden city