Trip to China Part 4 -- Forbidden City

Much has happened in the past few months, but our trip to China was so fascinating, I really want to continue recording it:

In the heart of Beijing lies the Forbidden City, so named because it was the Emperor's home and private property! That said, part at least, of this massive complex was not anciently forbidden but designed to totally awe foreign dignitaries with China's might and power -- at least I assume so based on it's overwhelming effect on me. And now that a good part of the Forbidden City has been restored and turned into a museum, even less of it is forbidden!

<----- In front of it is Tianaman Square, which we've all heard about because there was a massacre there some years ago, but for Zixu it has totally different connotations -- it's a place for massive parades (he knows exactly where he was standing the one time he had an opportunity to participate in one), a place for China's pride, a place he feels good about. And why not?
It is a magnificent place, surrounded by museums (sadly, the national museum was closed for rennovation during our visit), Chairman Mao's tomb ---->
and lots of other huge buildings and offices. I guess it's comparable to our National Mall in Washington DC, although China has had a lot more history and time to to make their showpiece magnificent.

As huge as Tianaman Square is, it is dwarfed by the size of the Forbidden City.
Totally out of place, but interesting, is the portrait of Chairman Mao hanging over the main entrance to the Forbidden City (click on the photo and it will enlarge so you can see it. Then go back to previous screen to return to this blog). This photo does not begin to do justice to the sheer size and grandeur of this landmark. This photo <--- shows the building that greets people coming off the street or out of the subway tunnels. Then we go through a great courtyard, half the size of Tianaman Square, through arches in another huge building/wall complex, another huge courtyard, THEN we finally get to the ticket booths! (the places covered by the brownish awnings to the side of the square arches). ----->

And finally (you are already tired from walking) you can wander through the public parts of the rest of the city. Many of the offices lining the sides of the courtyards have been turned into museums, towards the back are living quarters (restored) for the Emperor, his Empress and many concubines, and gardens.


<----A bedroom with the bed at the very back. I suspect Emperors might have appreciated central heating and A/C, and carpets, but there is no denying that his home was sumptuous and magnificent almost beyond imagining.







The living areas are huge, but don't take up as much space as the massive governmental buildings, apparently even in ancient historical
times government functions took up a lot more space than even the most magnificent Emperor's living space. Of course, the Emperor could also go to his Summer Palace, or Mountain Villa, which are also unbelievably huge (Mountain Villa visited earlier this trip) and with a lot of land around them, which were not accessible to commoners.



There was just way too much to see -- it would take days to see everything, and writing about it in a blog seems even more presumptuous, but not blogging about it seems wrong too--it was just too amazing to forget.

Museum exhibit showing life in the Forbidden City centuries ago --->

There's just too much to show. But this small sample gets the idea across. I just feel such awe when I am in this place, and a deep humility that I am guilty of thinking my life is the whole experience. There is so much in the world I haven't seen or even imagined. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to see some small part of it, and such a magnificent part!