2015 China

10 April, Beijing
Shindom Inn 199CNY

Thank goodness much of the Forbidden City is closed to the public; we spent several hours exploring the largest palace complex in the world and barely scratched the surface. The palace is laid out on a north-south axis and surrounded by a moat and wall. The earth excavated from the moat was used to create a sizeable hill in Jingshan Park, which lies to the north of the palace. The gates, halls, pavilions and features within the palace grounds have wonderful names: Golden Stream (shaped like a Tartar bow); Gate of Supreme Harmony; Palace of Heavenly Purity; Palace of Earthly Tranquillity; Pavilion of Cheerful Melodies (the theatre); Nine Dragon Screen. Over 300 enormous copper and brass water vats dot the grounds, used to store water for fighting fire. Lion pairs guard the most important buildings: the male has his paw on a globe, signifying the emperor’s power over the world; the female has her paw on a cub, representing the emperor’s fertility. In the Imperial Garden, two elephants kneel, their front legs oddly bent to symbolise the power of the emperor – “even elephants kowtowed before him” (Lonely Planet). In the presence of the emperor, the entire court had to kowtow, kneeling and touching their foreheads to the ground nine times. Behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony lies a 250 ton marble slab carved with dragons. The slab was transported to the palace during winter, the marble slid along roads made slippery when water was poured onto them and turned to ice. Built between 1406 and 1420, the Forbidden City comprises 980 buildings and covers 180 acres. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. During the Cultural Revolution when much else was being wantonly destroyed and looted, Premier Zhou Enlai stationed troops outside the palace to deny the Red Guards entry. Good on ya, ZE.