Tian'anmen square in the rain, closed off.
Tian'anmen Gate with Chairman Mao, under maintenance.
Going to the Forbidden City feels like going to an airport. Be sure to bring your passport. First, I have to go through a security check, getting my passport scrutinized on the way. Then they scan my passport when I buy a ticket to the Palace Museum (which is actually what they call the Forbidden City now), the ticket is now tied to my passport. To get in to the Palace Museum, I only need to scan my passport at the entrance. Have I entered another country? I do not get a stamp in my passport though, bummer. Would be cool to have a stamp with something like 'Forbidden country' or 'Forbidden city' on it. Guess I have to stick with my North Korean visa. That is forbidden enough for many.
Top of the Meridian Gate (Wumen).
The Tian'anmen Square or Gate of Heavenly Peace is closed off when I arrive. No strolling around on the square for me then, I can still see it though.
The South-West corner tower of the Forbidden City.
I initially thought I was entering the place when I walked through the gate with Chairman Mao watching over my entrance, but it is not. That is the Tian'anmen Gate. The Forbidden City lies behind, with the Meridian Gate (or Wumen) blocking the way. This gate is recognizable by its two protruding wings. Emerging out of the gate, I can take a look at the square in front of the next gate awaiting me, the Gate of Supreme Harmony. They are generous with the superlatives when it comes to naming the various structures, just read out loud: Gate of Divine Might, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Military Eminence, Hall of Literary Glory, Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Mental Cultivation, Palace of Tranquil Longevity and Belvedere of Spreading Righteousness.
Rooftops of the Forbidden City. Nearly all of the rooftops are yellow as this was the color of the Emperor.
The Golden Water River (artificial) running through the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City is not a park. I wish it was. It is like being a miniature man in an ant hill. There are people everywhere. Take away the people, and I still feel small. I suppose that was the general idea with the Forbidden City, as it is with other equal structures around the world. The former Chinese imperial palace is impressive.
Square in the Forbidden City with the Golden Water River running through it, the Meridian Gate to the left.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony.
I stay there for some time, walking and looking at the ornate buildings, decorations and statues, both from the ground and from the walls around the area. I like seeing the White Pagoda in Beihai from the walls. Entering from the Meridian Gate, you will first come to the Outer or Front Court, used for ceremonial purposes. This is the most open and large of the sections of the Palace Museum, dominated by the Hall of Supreme Harmony. When entering the norther section, which is called the Inner Court or Back Palace, the area becomes more confined. This was the residence of the Emperor.
Statue of a crane at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Normally, I am not the one going crazy about buying souvenirs and various trinnkets from my adventures. However, inside the book shop (near Hall of Literary Glory), I just have to buy a scroll with a long Chinese painting of a landscape on. It is beautiful, with the strange and otherlike mountains captured in an almost incandescent blue.
The Hall of Preserving Harmony.
The constant rush and throng of the people, is however making me tired and so I leave the Forbidden City without having seen all there is to see.
Jingshan Park from the walls of the Palace Museum.
The weather has gradually improved. To the North of the Forbidden City lies Jingshan Park. This was before a private imperial garden belonging to the Forbidden City. Standing in the middle of the park is a 45.7-meter tall hill artificially made from the excavated soil from the moats and canals from the Imperial Palace. There are five separate peaks on of the hill, each with its own pavilion on top.
A caisson ceiling (spider web ceiling) in a pavilion inside the Forbidden City.
The North-West corner of the Forbidden City.
Coming from the busy Palace Museum, it is a step down in hustle and bustle. At the upper top is the biggest pavilion, overlooking the Forbidden City. In a way it feels better to see the Palace Museum from above than seeing it from within, it gives a better overview of the place. A plaque on the ground announces that this is the central point of Beijing. I can see the towering modern skyscrapers of Beijing to the East, where my little hotel is tucked in somewhere between.
Jingshan Park.
The Central Point of Beijing City plaque at Jingshan Park.
In the park surrounding the artificial hill, there are small artistic installations. Hanging between the trees above the path, I find numerous umbrellas hanging. It is no longer raining, so they are of little functional use at the moment. Small tanks contains water and various fish specimens in them. People are playing cards at small tables in quiet enclosures away from the more trafficked foothpaths. I sit down for some beers in a café near the entrance. It is really the time I spend in the parks here in Beijing that I find the most giving.
View of the Forbidden City from Jingshan.
The skyscrapers of modern Beijing seen from Jingshan Park.
There is still time left of the day, but is there time left to visit the Yonghe Temple or Lama Temple as it is known for. After I finish my 'scheduled' plans for the day, I make a go for it. The idea came from just seeing the name on a stop at the Beijing Metro. I take the metro to the Yonghegong Lama Temple station. However, I am as I feared too late. The Tibetan Buddhist monastery has closed for the day. Instead, I go for a short walk around the area, before getting back to my hotel.
The top pagoda at Jingshan Park.
Umbrellas over one of the pathways at Jingshan Park.
It is strange now, this last evening. My hike in North Korea is done, my visit here in Beijing is almost done. I have just one evening and night left. Tomorrow, I have some time to do a little sightseeing before I must head towards the airport for my flight back home. And I feel kind of tired too. I just eat dinner at a restaurant I find in a shopping mall nearby. 謝謝
Streetlife in a street near Yonghegong Lama Temple.
Decoration at the Yonghegong Lama Temple metro station.
<- Mutianyu: The Great WallBeijing: Dongyue Temple and the end of the adventure ->
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