Wow. Two days of exhausting sightseeing. Where do I start? And how can I put it all into words?
The Forbidden City, Dongcheng in Chinese, was a palace belonging to two dynasties of emperors, the Ming and the Qing. It is the best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China.
You enter through the south gate walls called the Meridian Gate which also holds a picture of the infamous Mao Zedong.
Unfortunately for us, we came at the wrong time. Once inside the gates, the guards rushed the sightseers to the sides of the palace and away from the main attraction so that the president of Belgium can be escorted through. The main sights were closed for at least two hours. Meanwhile we explored some of the outskirts of the palace.
This is the unfinished Crystal Palace.
This is a gazebo-like structure in the imperial garden.
When they finally let us through, fighting the thousands of people was a nightmare especially in the August heat of China, but we were able to see the rest. But the trip to the Forbidden City took virtually all day with much of the palace still unexplored.
This is the gate of Supreme Harmony, the biggest gate in the palace.
This is in the main courtyard before entering the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The moat runs through and five bridges run across representing the 5 virtures.
This is the Emperor's throne.
This is the courtyard between the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
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