Our hotel at night

Finally, the Forbidden City

---

March 14th 2007
Well, this was our last full day in China and we got up early and was at the Forbidden City about 15 minutes before it opened. There was still quite a crowd, but nothing like the other days we had tried to come. We didn't realize that the tourist tours would start this week and it is intimidating to see all these tour buses disgorging all these keen people to see everything possible in a short ti ... read more

Asia » China » Beijing » Forbidden City

---

For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more