Right in the center of Beijing, and walking distance from the apartment we are staying at, is the walled Forbidden City. Aptly named as the Emperors and Empresses lived here for over 600 years and it was forbidden to commoners. Obviously all that has changed, and now it is a beautiful museum in the center of the city, probably forbidden to many by its entrance fee.
We were not going to get a guide, but Victoria Yang approached us, she seemed really knowledgeable, was licensed and her fee was only slightly more than the audio tour we were going to take. She added a level of understanding and some really interesting facts that we otherwise might have missed. For instance:
- Did you know that some Emperors had up to 3000 concubines and they selected these women when they were between the ages of 13-16.
- The Forbidden City has 9,999 1/2 rooms.
- The Emperor had 27 beds, so no one would know exactly where he was sleeping,
- The brick ground is actually 15 layers deep, all brick, to prevent an enemy from making a tunnel.
- Only the emperor and empress could use the center doorway, and they were always carried up and down the stairs.
On the way out of Forbidden City, just beyond the gate, we were bombarded with beggars, and people trying to sell us tours and souvenirs. It was all I could do to hold on to my belongings and children – I do realize the girls are not little anymore, but this was more frightening than crossing a street in this town – and that is pretty scary. No way my camera was coming out.
All photos on this page © Rhonda Albom 2012
Tony Payne
I would love to go there, but time is running out as I get older and fail to win the lottery week after week…
How long I wonder before you all hit information and sightseeing overload? I know we did when I spent 6 weeks travelling back from Auckland to London. I think it was the 3 long days going around Expo in Brisbane followed by being bombarded by beggars in Bali and then 2 sleepless nights on the train from Singapore to Penang. It was there are more than a month on the road that we crashed for 4 days and did precious little other than sit around the pool in a hotel, exhausted.
Rhonda
Maybe next week will be the lottery win. We saved for 10 years. Still seems a bit unreal that it is really happening. We take a lot more down time than is evident in the blog. Although I imagine we will be a bit worse for wear by the time we see you.
Danyelle Franciosa
I never thought that there is a forbidden city in Beijing, China. Love to be in that place, thanks a lot for sharing this place!
Rhonda
Glad you are enjoying the photos 🙂
Amy
I’ve already heard about the forbidden city but I’ve had no idea why it’s called forbidden. Thanks for clearing me up:)
stevebethere
How lazy were they LOL
Nice photos Rhonda it seems your all enjoying yourselves 🙂
Joyce
With people carrying the royals up and down the stairs, they probably all died young from lack of activity.
Rhonda
LOL, but there was always another one ready to take their place 🙂
Lynne
The forbidden city was beautiful on a vast scale. I have video footage from there that I have never gotten around to editing. The teenage boys loved the hawkers – I think they thought it was like some kind of battle they could outplay them in somehow.
Rhonda
I guess I could see teenage boys loving the hawkers, but we found it a bit frightening, only there. There were just too many all at once.