I finally made it to the Forbidden City today and was, frankly, disappointed. I have two theories why this is: one, because the architecture is very similar to that of the Summer Palace and, having spoken with people who saw the Forbidden City first and then were disappointed with the Summer Palace, I believe that you are impressed by whichever one you see first and then let down by the second. The Forbidden City was certainly vast and the sheer size was impressive, but it was also a detracting point as I found it hard to navigate and quite samey in places. My second theory is that the immense crowds and heat detracted from the experience for me, especially as I was quite tired today. Anyway, I saw the sights and it was very impressive. I
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