2011-23 The Forbidden City, Beijing China
Hello All,
Our last full day in Beijing found us just as busy as the previous days. After breakfast we were off to Tiananmen Square. At 100 acres, it is a large public square and was initially the “front door” of the Forbidden City. The square is named after the Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square has great cultural significance, as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history. Outside China, the square is best known in recent memory as the focal point of the protests of 1989, a pro-democracy movement which ended on June 4th with the declaration of martial law by the government and the death of hundreds of protesters.
It was a beautiful warm morning when we arrived at Tiananmen Square. We enjoyed walking around taking in the various sites. There are numerous statues and artwork of people important in Chinese history. One of the few that we recognized was Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong or Mao Tse Tung). He was one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and was the founder of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The Chinese people recognized him as one of their most prominent Communist theoreticians. He was also known as a great poet.
Although Mao had wished to be cremated, his body was embalmed, and construction of a mausoleum began shortly after his death. Located in the middle of Tiananmen Square the mausoleum is a very popular attraction of the Chinese people. They were lined up by the thousands the day we were there to visit his final resting place.
Here our guide (Joshua) is explaining the mausoleum to us.
Our last full day in Beijing found us just as busy as the previous days. After breakfast we were off to Tiananmen Square. At 100 acres, it is a large public square and was initially the “front door” of the Forbidden City. The square is named after the Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square has great cultural significance, as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history. Outside China, the square is best known in recent memory as the focal point of the protests of 1989, a pro-democracy movement which ended on June 4th with the declaration of martial law by the government and the death of hundreds of protesters.
It was a beautiful warm morning when we arrived at Tiananmen Square. We enjoyed walking around taking in the various sites. There are numerous statues and artwork of people important in Chinese history. One of the few that we recognized was Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong or Mao Tse Tung). He was one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and was the founder of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The Chinese people recognized him as one of their most prominent Communist theoreticians. He was also known as a great poet.
Although Mao had wished to be cremated, his body was embalmed, and construction of a mausoleum began shortly after his death. Located in the middle of Tiananmen Square the mausoleum is a very popular attraction of the Chinese people. They were lined up by the thousands the day we were there to visit his final resting place.
Here our guide (Joshua) is explaining the mausoleum to us.
Notice this group of ladies
resting--three out of the four are squatting. It makes sense as there isn’t a
requirement for a chair. It is a cultural thing that they have been doing since
early childhood. It’s a little too late in life for us to learn the practice.
We’re afraid that if we ever got down into that position we would never be able
to get back up! Also note the parasol. They are quite common for shade during
warm days.
There was a military presence
throughout the square. Sentries were stationed at various locations. A changing
of the guard was taking place while we were there. Here new troops were
marching in.
From Tiananmen Square we moved
on to the Forbidden City. The city is surrounded by a wall 26 feet high with a
moat 20 feet deep by 171 feet wide. The walls are 28 feet thick at the base,
tapering to 21.9 feet at the top. They served as both defensive walls and
retaining walls for the palace. At the four corners of the wall sit towers with
intricate roofs boasting 72 ridges.
We took the following photo of the moat on the opposite side of the Forbidden City from the Tiananmen Gate. It is easier to see the moat and tower without all the people mingling around.
We took the following photo of the moat on the opposite side of the Forbidden City from the Tiananmen Gate. It is easier to see the moat and tower without all the people mingling around.
The Forbidden City is the
world’s largest surviving palace complex and covers 178 acres. The original
complex was designed to have 9,999 rooms because 10,000 was a number reserved
for the gods and the emperor wanted to make the statement “I am next to god.”
Having 10,000 rooms would have angered the gods and brought him bad luck. To
give a bit more perspective, if a newborn baby were to sleep in a different
room of the palace each night the baby would be over 27 years old before
sleeping in every room!
Construction of the city began in 1406 and lasted 15 years. It required more than a million workers to complete. Material used included whole logs of precious wood found in the jungles of south-western China and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing. The floors of major halls were paved with “golden bricks” that were specially baked from Suzhou.
The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 as the “Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to its significant place in the development of Chinese architecture and culture.” It is currently administered by the Palace Museum, which is carrying out a sixteen-year restoration project to repair and restore all buildings to their pre-1912 state.
As we approached the bridge over the moat to enter the Forbidden City, fountains in the moat started shooting into the air. It surprised us and was quite lovely.
Construction of the city began in 1406 and lasted 15 years. It required more than a million workers to complete. Material used included whole logs of precious wood found in the jungles of south-western China and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing. The floors of major halls were paved with “golden bricks” that were specially baked from Suzhou.
The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 as the “Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to its significant place in the development of Chinese architecture and culture.” It is currently administered by the Palace Museum, which is carrying out a sixteen-year restoration project to repair and restore all buildings to their pre-1912 state.
As we approached the bridge over the moat to enter the Forbidden City, fountains in the moat started shooting into the air. It surprised us and was quite lovely.
The three arches in the
following photo are passageways through the thick wall into the Forbidden City.
Note the picture of Chairman Mao.
Also note the red Chinese lanterns. The Chinese people are fascinated by the color red and they call it China Red. They consider it fresh and pure along with standing out from other colors. It has rich meaning in Chinese history and their culture. The lantern is also closely linked with the lives of the Chinese people. We saw them throughout the country, hanging on the front gate of houses, in shops, along streets and entrances into malls. They are regarded as the basic symbol of the Chinese culture, a symbol of brightness, happiness and reunion. Like the giant lanterns in this photo, to the small lanterns of a peasant’s cart, they all express the same warm, happy and joyous atmosphere. As they say in China “You see a red lantern and your mind thinks of China.” We know this will be true for us from now on when we see a red lantern.
Also note the red Chinese lanterns. The Chinese people are fascinated by the color red and they call it China Red. They consider it fresh and pure along with standing out from other colors. It has rich meaning in Chinese history and their culture. The lantern is also closely linked with the lives of the Chinese people. We saw them throughout the country, hanging on the front gate of houses, in shops, along streets and entrances into malls. They are regarded as the basic symbol of the Chinese culture, a symbol of brightness, happiness and reunion. Like the giant lanterns in this photo, to the small lanterns of a peasant’s cart, they all express the same warm, happy and joyous atmosphere. As they say in China “You see a red lantern and your mind thinks of China.” We know this will be true for us from now on when we see a red lantern.
Here we are passing through an
arch going into the Forbidden City. You can get a better perspective on how
thick the walls are.
Not sure what we expected the
city to look like, but it wasn’t this. Upon coming out the other side we found
a huge parade ground surrounded by buildings adorned with intricate Chinese
designs. Stairs led up to the various buildings. There were large sculptures,
giant bronze pots, huge incense burners, marble lined walkways and stairs,
along with marble bridges.
The huge building in the background of this photo is the Hall of Supreme Harmony where the Emperor ascended to the throne and exercised his rule.
The huge building in the background of this photo is the Hall of Supreme Harmony where the Emperor ascended to the throne and exercised his rule.
As we approached the buildings
we saw that the intricate Chinese designs and great detail adorning the front
of the buildings were amazing. This statue is a Foo Dog.
We passed through a hall and
on the other side there was another parade ground surrounded by more beautiful
buildings. It went on and on.
This is the Gate of Mental
Cultivation. We passed through it to get to the Imperial Garden within the
Forbidden City.
In the Imperial Garden is a
pavilion known as the Pavilion of One Thousand Autumns. It was constructed
during the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644. It has a round upper part and a square lower
part with verandas on all four sides and carved overhanging eaves. During the
Ming and Qing Dynasties, Buddhist statues were enshrined in the pavilion as
well as the spirit tablet of Emperor Tongzhi. The pavilion is located on the
west side of the garden, which according to Chinese tradition symbolizes
autumn. We found it to be quite beautiful.
This is the ornate ceiling of
the Pavilion of One Thousand Autumns--another example of phenomenal Chinese
art.
There were many ancient
cypress trees in the garden. They were really gnarly, each one unique in its
own beauty.
About the only flowers in
bloom in the garden were perennial Chinese shaoyao peonies. In the spring the
shaoyao peony has large flowers varying in color from a brilliant reddish-pink
to white. The root of the plant is a valuable medicinal herb in Chinese
medicine.
Dad was pretty proud of this
little flower-what a cutie.
After the garden we were not
yet finished exploring, but we’ll pick up on the rest of our day in our next
little blurb.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns