Sept. 20 - Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City

I've read about it over and over and over, and have seen it in just about every TV show or movie I've watched about China, but I've never actually set foot there at that most famous of landmarks. That is, until Saturday, when TBC took all those who wanted to come to go see the one and only Forbidden City, located in front of scenic Tienanmen Square.

These two gates are all that remain of Beijing's Old City Walls, which were even greater than Xian's until they were torn down during the cultural revolution. 

The Monument to the People's Heroes. 

Mao Zedong's Mausoleum, where the embalmed Chairman's body lies. I didn't see it that day, but I plan to visit it at some point before I leave. 

Here behind the monument you can see the Great Hall of the People, used by the National People's Congress.

The National Museum of China. 

The national flag is flown in the square, and is promptly raised at sunrise and likewise lowered when the sun sets. 

Here you see the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the largest of the halls and where the Ming emperors held court, and which the Qing (last dynasty of China) used for mainly ceremonial purposes.







Here you see the throne of the emperor.... and by "the" throne, I mean one of the several. There was an ornate throne in every hall that we entered.  

Dragons and phoenixes, both symbols of the emperor and imperial power, were a recurring theme found everywhere. 

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in the exquisite Imperial Gardens. 

The moat surrounding the massive palace.

That there is the north gate, through which we exited. However, what you've seen so far through my pictures is hardly all there is to see in the sprawling Forbidden City, for besides the main buildings shown above, there were more alleyways, small courtyards, and various buildings than I could even count, literally just about everywhere. 

Every time I thought I reached a dead end, I would suddenly find another passage that would allow me to delve even deeper into the enormous imperial complex.

While what I saw was absolutely beautiful, I feel that the three or fours hours there only gave me a taste of the Forbidden City. Chances are, I'll return some other day.... and then another day after that.... and then I'll come back another time after that as well. 

I'll be honest; I think that you could spend a whole week here wandering around this marvelous wonder, and you there would still be plenty for you to explore by the time your seven days were up.