Patterns
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 de setembro de 2018, 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,Leia mais
Happy Traveler
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 toLeia mais
Waiting
27 de setembro de 2018, 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.Leia mais
Rooftops
27 de setembro de 2018, 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, withoutLeia mais
Yellow Tiles
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 de setembro de 2018, 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.Leia mais
No Longer Forbidden
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 wereLeia mais
No Birds Allowed
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 retainLeia mais
Almost Done
27 de setembro de 2018, 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'sLeia mais
In the Park
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 ourLeia mais
Guardian of the Rear Entrance
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 comeLeia mais
China in Color
27 de setembro de 2018, 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,Leia mais
More of the Same
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 theLeia mais
The Wall
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 whyLeia mais
Chinese Architecture
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 hadLeia mais
The Way Out
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 withLeia mais
One Last Look
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 theLeia mais
Time for Lunch
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 vegetarianLeia mais
Next Stop, the Temple of Heaven
27 de setembro de 2018, 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, andLeia mais
Kathy
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 forLeia mais
Here We Are
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 veryLeia mais
Almost There
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 ofLeia mais
The Temple of Heaven
27 de setembro de 2018, 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 de setembro de 2018, 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.Leia mais