Blogs from Forbidden City, Beijing, China, Asia - page 25

Forbidden City Asia » China » Beijing » Forbidden City By BeckcMay 5th 2007 Day 1 Continued... After our walk around Tiananmen Square, I was surprised that the Forbidden City could be entered through the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" (the large building with the picture of Mao on the front, built in the 15th century). The Forbidden City was huge! It got it’s name because it was off limits to people for 500 years. It is amazing how well these structures have held up over time. Most of the buildings were reconstructed in the 17th century; paint was reapplied to the outside of the buildings and new brick flooring was laid in some areas. Today they are st... read more

After rising at the leisurely hour of 7.30, I was ready to tackle Beijing. How hard could it be? I had my maps and a plan to visit the Forbidden City. On the map it showed it to be only a couple of streets away from my hotel. Well, yes . . . Beijing streets . . . certainly not the same size as Amsterdam streets, that’s for sure. My map-reading was on target, however, and I arrived at the Eastern wall of the city. The main entrance is on the south, so after about 20 minutes of walking, I encountered quite a long line waiting to buy tickets. After purchasing tickets for the city and an audio tour, I had to go to another line to pick up the audio player. This is quite ... read more

Well for starters, I have to say that it seems a bit of a misnomer when for a few quid you can buy an entrance ticket and electronic guide… sorry, there I go being cynical again. I tried to get Lexa to write this blog because I really wasn’t that taken with this famous Beijing landmark and didn’t want to sound even more negative than usual, unfortunately she’s busy cooking dinner so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. So here goes - I’ll try my best to think beyond the dusty exhibits and sub-zero temperatures that made my bones feel like they would shatter if I bumped into something and remember some good bits of our day…. Sure it was big and had lots of rooms, inner walls, outer walls, private quarters, concubines quarters and ... read more

We are all safe and healthy. We climbed the great wall. We are now in Xian!!!... read more

We visited the Tiananmen Square several times, both day and night. It's the world's largest public square, situated at the heart of Beijing. It seemed a mandatory stop for Chinese (out-of-towners) to take a picture, in front of the Forbidden City. On windy days, children were playing with their kites. Besides that, we were approached several times by locals trying to sell souvenirs like "the little red book", also known as "The quotations from Chairman Mao" The Chairman Mao Mausoleum is also located at the square, as the Great Hall of the people. But what really attracts attention on the square is the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City served for almost 500 years as the home for emperors and their households. It was also the ceremonial and political center of Chinese Government. The name itself comes ... read more