If you are in China then try and visit the Forbidden City which is located in the middle of Beijing. There is a moat of 171 feet on one side of the city, and the city itself is characterized by walls which are 26 feet high, as well as lofty buildings and unforgettable architecture. There […]
Inside the Forbidden City
If you are in China then try and visit the Forbidden City which is located in the middle of Beijing. There is a moat of 171 feet on one side of the city, and the city itself is characterized by walls which are 26 feet high, as well as lofty buildings and unforgettable architecture. There are also wide open spaces, a few bridges and some massive pots, the significance of which was not very clear when we visited. One lovely point about the city are the countless Pagodas that you see at every turn, including one high on a hill before you, as you exit the city. There are several that you see as you enter, which give a gentle hint of the great power of the Emperor. The Pagoda is a defining feature of not only Chinese, but Asian culture as a whole. You have the impression that you are within the palace of the Emperor as you walk through the massive awesome complex which was constructed between the years 1406 to 1420.The city was designed to be the centre of the ancient walled city of Beijing, indicates Wikipedia. There are many visitors moving round on the morning when we visit. Traders who sell an infinity of items can be found within the city. There were no computers in those days, and you wonder how the ancients were able to construct a palace which radiates so much harmony and order. This is an architectural feat .The city is simply beautiful, and most visitors betray signs of speechlessness. The Forbidden City was once the palace of 24 Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties who ruled china from the fifteenth to the twentieth century. Construction of the city lasted 15 years, and required the labour of a million men to be completed. It is easily the most splendid palace complex in Beijing. The Forbidden City covers an area of 720,000 square meters, and it is made up of 8,000 halls and 1,000 buildings. Insights into Chinese Culture sheds light on the significance of colours used in beautifying the Forbidden City. According to the work’ Yellow and Vermilion are the thematic colours of the Forbidden City. Yellow was symbolic of imperial power in ancient China, and red has always been symbolic of happiness. Being bright colours, they give a sense of warmth and passion’.
The Forbidden City consists of the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court is the place where the Emperor ran the affairs of state, while the Inner Court is the location where the Imperial family lived. Within the palace were living quarters for the imperial concubines. The Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. The city was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO, indicates Wikipedia. No one could enter or leave the palace without the permission of the Emperor. This explains why it is called ‘Forbidden’. Nobody enters or leaves without the Emperor’s permission. Today, people from different nationalities and languages flock into the Forbidden City, after paying a fee at the entrance. They arrive in large air-conditioned buses. They laugh, eat and play games. This may not have been possible a hundred and fifty years ago. The visitors look around and happily take pictures, perhaps trying to imagine life in the ancient times when the Emperor alongside his courtiers, walked along paths and corridors upon which we strode so freely that sunny morning. Time itself is like an Emperor and changes all things.
The trip was sponsored by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
