The Forbidden City in Beijing is no longer forbidden territory anymore. And we should be grateful for that. Why? If you have had the honor to visit this extraordinary place, you will understand.
This stunning complex of imperial buildings, right in the heart of the Chinese capital, is one of the most magical sights in the world. It's so overwhelming that once you've been there, you'll keep talking about it whenever you have the opportunity.
Let's look at some facts.
The Forbidden City is the former palace of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was planned and built from 1407 to 1420, and for its design and layout principles of Feng Shui were used. An estimated 200,000 workers helped to construct it.
The numbers explain why so many people were needed: there are 800 buildings with a total of 8,886 rooms. The word ‘city' is not misused as it measures 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west.
A 52-meter wide moat (6 meters deep) and an 8-meter high wall around the complex kept intruders (and ordinary people!) away until the fall of the Empire in 1912.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the buildings are used as a museum.
Again, the numbers are impressive. The Palace Museum holds no less than 340,000 pieces of ceramics and porcelain as well as 50,000 items of paintings. I regret to say that once you're there, you won't have time to see everything, but even a quick review can make you speechless.
The sheer size of the complex is impressive, but a problem at the same time. How can you make the most out of your visit?
If you go there on a guided tour, the guide will likely follow the middle path to save time. In two hours time you'll see the most important parts of the city, but since there's so much to pay attention to, you will hardly have time to stop.
If you go there alone, use a full day and come early. Don't plan to visit any other sights on that day, just the Forbidden City. If you take your time and enjoy what you see, you can spend half a day and still only see half of it.
Another good idea is renting the audio guide at the entrance.
Don't be intimidated by the crowd at the entrance. Yes, it's very touristy and it can take a while before you are in, but once people have got their ticket the crowd splits up in several groups.
Take a rest in the imperial gardens. Jingshan Park, with an artifical hill, is the most famous. You'll feel an emperor for a second when you sit there!
Finally, if you want to get into the mood, you could watch The Last Emperor, the first Hollywood movie for which the government of China allowed to film inside the complex.
This stunning complex of imperial buildings, right in the heart of the Chinese capital, is one of the most magical sights in the world. It's so overwhelming that once you've been there, you'll keep talking about it whenever you have the opportunity.
Let's look at some facts.
The Forbidden City is the former palace of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was planned and built from 1407 to 1420, and for its design and layout principles of Feng Shui were used. An estimated 200,000 workers helped to construct it.
The numbers explain why so many people were needed: there are 800 buildings with a total of 8,886 rooms. The word ‘city' is not misused as it measures 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west.
A 52-meter wide moat (6 meters deep) and an 8-meter high wall around the complex kept intruders (and ordinary people!) away until the fall of the Empire in 1912.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the buildings are used as a museum.
Again, the numbers are impressive. The Palace Museum holds no less than 340,000 pieces of ceramics and porcelain as well as 50,000 items of paintings. I regret to say that once you're there, you won't have time to see everything, but even a quick review can make you speechless.
The sheer size of the complex is impressive, but a problem at the same time. How can you make the most out of your visit?
If you go there on a guided tour, the guide will likely follow the middle path to save time. In two hours time you'll see the most important parts of the city, but since there's so much to pay attention to, you will hardly have time to stop.
If you go there alone, use a full day and come early. Don't plan to visit any other sights on that day, just the Forbidden City. If you take your time and enjoy what you see, you can spend half a day and still only see half of it.
Another good idea is renting the audio guide at the entrance.
Don't be intimidated by the crowd at the entrance. Yes, it's very touristy and it can take a while before you are in, but once people have got their ticket the crowd splits up in several groups.
Take a rest in the imperial gardens. Jingshan Park, with an artifical hill, is the most famous. You'll feel an emperor for a second when you sit there!
Finally, if you want to get into the mood, you could watch The Last Emperor, the first Hollywood movie for which the government of China allowed to film inside the complex.
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