Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square

Oh my goodness… Where do I start, I can’t believe I am here; yesterday I was at the Great Wall and today I am at Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. There were a zillion people with me too!!  I got off the subway at Tienanmen West (should have gotten off at Tienanmen East) so I had to cross the street and it is underground.  Well, so did about a million other people.  Police were trying to do crowd control and I was caught up in it. I couldn't go forward or backward.  I almost panic there was so many people the crowd was underground and we were not moving.  It was getting hotter and hotter (I thought about when people do panic and what happens), after about 15 minutes they let us get through to the other side but we had to go through security first.  People were pushing and shoving it was a mad house.  Once we got through security and up the stairs to the other side of the street, it was okay. The square and city are so massive it didn't matter how many people were there, we could all walk around easily.  It was amazing, you can see by the pictures.  There is only one way in and one way out of the Forbidden City so you have to walk completely around the City to get back to the subway.  I didn't eat breakfast and I started to get hungry after a few hours of walking around and I saw a stand that had “hamburgers” and bought one.  I thought about it as I was eating it, it was not a “hamburger” in the regular sense of the word (what was I thinking). It was actually “ham” (I think and I hope).  I was worried for most of the day that I would get sick, but so far so good.  Actually, I have not been sick yet but I am extremely careful (except for the “hamburger” stupid me) of what I eat.  Before I got back to the hostel, I bought fruit (watermelon, bananas, peach and papaya), the cost was about $2.50.  The peach I will peel before I eat it, and I ate the watermelon, very sweet and delicious. 

A little information about the Forbidden City. The city is surrounded by a 52 meter wide moat. In former time, the price for uninvited guest was instant execution (thank God that changed!!). It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the construction of the buildings took fourteen years from 1406 to 1420.In the Ming dynasty and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was the imperial palace where twenty-four emperors ascended the throne and exercised their strong power to the nation. The Forbidden City is in the heart of Beijing and is China’s largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings and the largest palace complex in the world.  It was off limits for 500 years during this time as it was the reclusive home to two dynasties of imperial rule until the Republic overthrew the last Qing emperor.

Tienanmen Square 

That is the Forbidden City

Coming out of the underground 

Going to Forbidden City

Another view of the entrance

After Entering

Lion on either side of the Palace

Explains the Gates

You can see all the people Main Palace

So many beautiful buildings

Another view of the main Palace

Another Palace

Explains the Cypress Trees

Imperial Garden

This tree was Beautiful

Look at the knots on this tree

Have no idea what this building was!!

Restaurants on the way to my hostel

Life Challenge:  You are always a student, never a Master. You have to Keep moving Forward.... Conrad Hall