Beijing

After a good night sleep.. we started our first tour with a guide.
It was extremely interesting to hear about the history and the different dynasties.

To the north stands the Forbidden City, probably the most famous neighbour of Tiananmen. The Forbidden City was the former residence of the Ming and Qing Emperors and named so as it was forbidden for non-members of the Royal Court to enter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square

The Tiananmen ("Gate of Heavenly Peace"), a gate in the wall of the Imperial City, was built in 1417 during the Ming dynasty. During the 17th century, fighting between Li Zicheng's rebel forces and the forces of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty caused heavy damage to, or even destroyed, the gate. Tiananmen Square was designed and built in 1651 and was enlarged fourfold in the 1950s.[8][9]

The gate historically known as the "Great Ming Gate", the southern gate to the Imperial City stands near the center of the square. It was renamed the "Great Qing Gate" during the Qing dynasty, and the "Gate of China" during the Republican era. Unlike the other gates in Beijing, such as the Tiananmen and the Zhengyang Gate, this was a purely ceremonial gateway, with three arches but no ramparts, similar in style to the ceremonial gateways found in the Ming tombs. This gate had a special status as the "Gate of the Nation", as can be seen from its successive names. It normally remained closed, except when the emperor passed through. Commoner traffic was diverted to side gates at the western and eastern ends of the square, respectively. Because of this diversion in traffic, a busy marketplace, called "Chess Grid Streets", was developed in the large fenced square to the south of this gate.[citation needed]

QUESTION 🙋‍♀️ GUYS; what is the difference between the lions…. can you see it??Read more