Once ‘Forbidden’, Now a Must-See

In my previous post entitled 'Jingshan: The Park on the Hill', I mentioned the fantastic views which can be encountered. If you haven't already, it is time to experience on of these views at ground level; namely, The Forbidden City (The City). One of, (if not), the most famous tourist attracts, The City's central location makes it readily accessible. Either taking Line 1 and getting off at Tiananmen West or East stations or taking Line 2 on the subway to Qianmen Station are both viable option in reaching The City. Whether signing-up for Beijing tours or deciding to travel to Beijing independently, then I insist that The City should be at the top of your 'things to see & do' list. I personally went with a group on a cold March day to The City, whereby it was necessary to wrap-up warm especially with the wide-open, wind-swept spaces in The City. Naturally, entrance to one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country will be busy. Hence, if you get the chance, best to visit on a week day. Due to the enormity of the place, we found it a bit of a mission to actually find the main section of The City. However, once there, this is where, at your discretion, to get a tour guide. Outside, people may pretend to act as guides even if they can speak English, but be warned, only choose a tour guide well inside The City as they will be wearing a professional badge – we learnt this from experience! In Chinese, The City is known as 'Gugong' with its presence embodying the splendour of the country's past. The City took fourteen years to construct and was completed in 1420 under the Ming Dynasty. I am sure you will be asking yourself 'What does the "forbidden" part of the name mean?' Well basically, the general populace were 'forbidden' from entering The City with exception from having permission from the emperor. Serving the reign of twenty-four emperors, having the largest collection of wooden structure in the world, covering 24 hectares and surrounded by a ten meter wall; it is thus understandable why, in 1987, the palace became listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. As a final point, there needs to be emphasis placed on the importance of preserving historic value of The City and questioning commercialisation. At the end of our tour, for instance, our guide showed us a man in a store who is claimed to be a nephew of the last emperor and now is a professional calligrapher. Buying a personalised work from this man would be pricy, but its bespoke production does increase its value. Commercialising The City with modern brands on the other hand, may not necessarily help with preservation efforts. I do enjoy my Starbucks coffee, yet I am pleased with the closure of The City's very own in 2007, for instance. If anything, The City is a 'must-see' simply for its generous architectural grandeur and its rich cultural depictions such as The Palace of Heavenly Purity, which seated the Emperor's throne and also The Palace of Earthly Tranquillity which housed the Empress. Even the smaller architectural pieces, like profound symbolic figures of the imperial dragon and phoenix and lions to name a few, will leave you in awe  on your China travel to The City. from China Travel Blog http://blog.chinatraveldepot.com

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