Das Ist Verboten

Today was the day for the main event in Beijing, the Forbidden City. It was a cloudy and somewhat rainy day, but I have grown accustomed to overcast days in Beijing.


One interesting thing to note in the picture below... look at all of the video cameras here at the entrance to the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Big Brother, he is awatchin'.

Well, enough modern distractions... on to some Imperial sights. Once again, the Gate of Heavenly Peace. I never seem to post a picture where you can actually see Mao's portrait. It must be a subconscious aversion.
From the Gate of Heavenly Peace, you can see across Tiananmen to the Mausoleum of Mao or the "Maosoleum", as I like to call it. I show you this to put the scale of this place into perspective. The "driveway" of the Imperial City, if you will, goes from the gates on the far side of Tiananmen Square (which I talked about two days ago) to the gate I am standing on. You can't see those further gates, but know that the mausoleum, which is the one building you can see in the center is only about halfway to the gates. Keep this in mind as you see the rest of the entry into the city.
From the Gate of Heavenly Peace, you walk through Duanmen Gate...
... with it's beautiful red columns...
... to the Meridian Gate, which is the entrance to the Forbidden City.

The last picture shows the distance, but it doesn't allow you to see the gate itself, so here is a closer shot.

Once through the Meridian Gate, you cross one of the five bridges over the Golden River...
... to the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
We can pause here to admire the details on the eaves of these buildings. The one below had been repainted recently, presumably to resemble what it would have looked like in imperial times, ...
... while this one shows you what it actually looks like, unrestored.
Passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you encounter the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is where the Ming emperors held court to discuss affairs of state and where the later Qing emperors conducted ceremonies.

This was considered the most important building in the city, which can be seen by the number of animals adorning the corners of the roof. More figures meant greater importance.

Behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Central (or Middle) Harmony, which was used by the emperor to prepare for ceremonies. Kind of a green room, if you will.

Behind this, was the Hall of Preserving Harmony, used for ceremonial practice or for imperial banquets. Think of it as the emperor's dressing room backstage.

All three of these buildings had a throne, of course.

At the back of the Hall of Preserving Harmony is a ramp over which the emperor would be carried. This one is made of marble and legend states that it was moved to Beijing by sliding it over the ice in the winter, as it was too heavy to lift. It is carved with a clouds and dragons design.

Behind these official buildings, we finally reach the Inner Court, containing the private buildings of the city. The first of these is the Palace of Heavenly Purity. In the Ming Dynasty, it was the residence of the emperor, but during the Qing Dynasty, the emperor lived in the buildings off to the side of the main axis of the city and this building instead became an audience hall.

Behind this former residence, is the Hall of Union, and behind that, the Hall of Earthly Tranquility, which was used as the residence of the empress during the Ming Dynasty. In later years, some rooms in the Hall of Earthly Tranquility were reserved for the emperor's wedding night.
Behind these buildings, lies the Imperial Garden, containing pavillions, plantings, and statuary.

At the rear of the garden is a pavillion on top of a grotto, where the emperor could escape court life with a concubine.

Behind this, is the Gate of Divine Might, which is basically the secret back door into the Forbidden City. It was used by the royal family and their "personnel" for everyday comings and goings.

Now you have seen the entire length of the axis of the city, which I hope helps to convey the size and grandeur of this amazing place. Now, keep in mind that there are also many buildings and gardens on either side of this axis. Here is just a glimpse of that.

The roof tops of the Forbidden and Imperial Cities were covered with yellow glazed tiles, a color reserved for imperial buildings. Yellow roofs as far as the eye can see.

I just thought this was a pretty entrance to one of the never-ending side courtyards.

It goes on and on and it is tough to cover it all. Needless to say, this place is a must-see.