Patterns
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ 66 °F
The city ceased to be the seat of political power in 1912 after Puyi, the last Emperor of China, abdicated and allowed the formation of new Republic of China.
Red is Lucky
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ 66 °F
Emperor Yongle, third of the Ming Dynasty, began construction of the Forbidden City in 1406 and it was completed in 1420. 14 Ming emperors held power there until the Manchus took possession in 1644,Weiterlesen
Happy Traveler
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Kathy looks so happy to be here in the Forbidden City. We've been in China for only a short time and we've already had such amazing experiences and seen such wonderful things. This is shaping up toWeiterlesen
Waiting
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 28 °F
That's part of our tour group just standing around with Kathy on the right. As for me, I'm too busy exploring the Forbidden City and taking pictures to just stand there and wait for the tour guide.Weiterlesen
Rooftops
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
The roofs of the Imperial Palace buildings deserve special attention. Originally, the roofs were made mostly of wood, and to prevent the tiles from sliding, wooden nails were used. However, withoutWeiterlesen
Yellow Tiles
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
The roofs on most of the buildings in the Forbidden City are made with yellow tiles. Yellow was the exclusive color of the emperor and symbolized his ultimate power.
The Power of Color
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Colors are very important in the symbolic system of the Chinese emperors. The two most important colors are yellow and red. Yellow is the imperial color, so the emperors' clothes were mostly yellow.Weiterlesen
No Longer Forbidden
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
The Forbidden City is not forbidden anymore. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City was forbidden for commoners and only opened for imperial families and government officials who wereWeiterlesen
No Birds Allowed
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
When visiting the Forbidden City, you may notice that no birds are sitting on the roofs. This is because the roofs have a special design.
To keep the birds from landing on the roofs, so as to retainWeiterlesen
Almost Done
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
With all of the big palace style buildings behind us, I'm thinking that our tour of the Forbidden City is starting to wind down. I wish that I could have stayed longer because I feel like there'sWeiterlesen
In the Park
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
This little park at the end of the Forbidden City was a nice way to finish our tour. Lots of people must agree with me because there was a lot of people standing around relaxing and talking. Since ourWeiterlesen
Guardian of the Rear Entrance
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Even though we're nearly out of the Forbidden City, I'm still spotting so many fascinating things to see. I don't understand why the rest of our tour group seems oblivious to them. Why would they comeWeiterlesen
China in Color
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
This area at the end of the Forbidden City seems so much more colorful and cheerful. So far, the only colors that we've really seen a lot of is red and yellow. This spot makes for a nice, and welcome,Weiterlesen
More of the Same
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
This looks very similar to what we've been seeing all along inside the Forbidden City but it doesn't look to be quite as old. I'm not sure if this area has undergone a recent restoration or if theWeiterlesen
The Wall
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
I'm not sure why these jagged stone walls are so popular with Chinese people. I see them in restaurants, tourist attractions and even tiny ones in house plants. I asked Kathy if she had any idea whyWeiterlesen
Chinese Architecture
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
This area at the end of the Forbidden City tour is so beautiful! The rest of the Forbidden City looks very drab and plain when compared to this area. I must admit, this is what I was how I hadWeiterlesen
The Way Out
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
As we leave the Forbidden City, I can't help but notice these giant gates. Lisa, our tour guide, explained that the door studs on the gates of the Forbidden City were made of brass and plated withWeiterlesen
One Last Look
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
As we leave the Forbidden City, I take one last look back, remembering all of the wonderful and amazing things that we saw there. I'm hoping that we can come back here someday. I'd like to see theWeiterlesen
Time for Lunch
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ 66 °F
After leaving the Forbidden City we made a quick stop for lunch. Everyone was hungry, including me, but I wasn't thrilled with the restaurant that the tour guide brought us to. It was a vegetarianWeiterlesen
Next Stop, the Temple of Heaven
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
After walking around all morning, and that long trek back to our tour bus, it felt great to sit and relax for a while while we drove to the next spot on our tour schedule. The traffic wasn't bad, andWeiterlesen
Kathy
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
As we were going into the Temple of Heaven, we saw this garden like area out front and everyone in the tour group wanted to stop for a moment and take pictures. I must admit, it is a good spot forWeiterlesen
Here We Are
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
There was a lot of cameras and cell phones changing hands in our group as everyone was asking each other to take pictures of them. This is the shot that was taken of us. I must say, it came out veryWeiterlesen
Almost There
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
We had to walk on this long pathway to get to the Temple of Heaven but I didn't mind it. It was nice, in fact. It was almost as if we were being given the time to leave the hustle and bustle ofWeiterlesen
The Temple of Heaven
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
We're still outside of the gates, but nearly there. This is my first view of the Temple of Heaven. Although we haven't gone in yet, I'm already in awe of this beautiful monument.
Red Gates
27. September 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
Just like in the Forbidden City, we passed through a big red gate to enter the grounds for the Temple of Heaven. These gates always seem to be open; at least, I've never seen any that were closed.Weiterlesen





























