10.04.09 The Forbidden City

The boys (Matti, Kuti & Santtu) came to Beijing yesterday and today it was time for the Forbidden City once I got out of my Chinese class. We took the subway to the Tia'anmen Square and walked through it on our way to the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City was built in 1406 and it's the largest and best preserved complex of ancient buildings in China. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, just like the Great Wall. I figured, that since I'm here I should try to see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Beijing. Now I've been to the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, and the Ming Tombs. So I'm only missing the Summer Palace, Manchu Imperial Palace and the Peking Man Site, but I don't actually know if I even want to see the last two, but we'll see.

Lions in the Forbidden City

Anyways, the Forbidden City was built for the emperors (Ming and Qing dynasties) and their empresses and servants, and no common people were allowed in, hence the name. The area of the Forbidden City is huge and there are parks and tons of different buildings that served different functions (such as the building where the emperor got dressed for ceremonies and a building for him to rest while he made his way through the city to attend a ceremony).

Gate of Supreme Harmony

I was maybe a little disappointed in the Forbidden City. I had been waiting to see clothes, crowns and all kinds of things that the emperors used, but mainly the Forbidden City was just buildings without any special shows on artifacts. The City was pretty and I liked the buildings and especially the park we found, but I still would have wanted to see more.