The Forbidden City served as the home of the Chinese emperor during the Ming and Qing dynasties, starting at the beginning of the 15th century up through the Boxer Rebellion. In addition to the emperor, the Forbidden City supported the royal family, several thousand imperial concubines, a slew of eunuchs and all manner of imperial court hangers-on.
It's staggeringly huge, with buildings separated by vast bricked, walled-in courtyards. The first sets of chambers served as audience chambers and meeting rooms, followed by a throne room and private rooms.
Maybe it's just my weird sense of humor, but after a while I couldn't help but laugh at the countless hordes of people pressing all around us... in the "Forbidden" City. It was the most crowded place we'd been in China, the most crowded place I've ever been.
One thing that turned out pretty cool was the garden. There was only one slice of the compound that was garden, which surprised both of us. This was driven by the fear of assassins -- it's much easier to hide in a garden than it is to hide in a walled stone courtyard.
After about two hours, we made it through. Looking back, it felt like one of those de rigeur experiences, something we had to do while we were in Beijing, but I don't think either of us were really blown away. We were both happy to have gotten through it.
1 comment:
I love the blog, Alex and Mom! It sounds like you're having a great vacation, even if at times the crowds are overwhelming. I mean, you're in CHINA for pete's sake! It's supposed to be crowded :) Just out of curiosity - is it vacation time in China, or do you think the tourist sites are just always overrun?
On another note - the pics are fabulous!Your shot of the Leifing Pagoda is totally breathtaking. The contemporary art - especially the bizarre-o hamburger - is a real winner in my book, too. Of course, some of the real food looks pretty bizarre too!
I can't wait to hear more about your adventures -- especially Kashgar! Keep having fun and keep writing about it!
Love and miss you both!
- Tori
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