Gu Gong (Forbidden City)
This vast complex is half a millennium old — the emperors lived in the Forbidden City from 1420 to 1923, beginning long before Columbus sailed to the Americas and ending right before Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic — and the heavy traffic is taking its toll.
It may have been forbidden once, but nowadays nearly seven million visitors a year cross the threshold of this imperial palace, home to an unbroken line of 24 Chinese emperors. Limiting access would be a ticklish proposition for the Chinese government since most of the visitors are Chinese citizens getting in touch with their heritage. Many sections may be closed when you visit, due to a massive renovation lasting through 2020.
There's no one must-see section — it's the scale and harmony of the whole that's so impressive, an irrefutable statement of Chinese imperial might. It was originally built by an army of workers in only 14 years, although after various ransackings and fires, most of what you see today was built in the 17th century. Check out the largest gate, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, where Mao Tse Tung made his dramatic announcement founding the People's Republic in October 1949. The nearby Gate of Supreme Harmony leads into the perfectly symmetrical outer court, and then into an inner court and increasingly private — at least in the emperor's time — pavilions and structures.
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More Places to See Before They Disappear
It may have been forbidden once, but nowadays nearly seven million visitors a year cross the threshold of this imperial palace, home to an unbroken line of 24 Chinese emperors. Limiting access would be a ticklish proposition for the Chinese government since most of the visitors are Chinese citizens getting in touch with their heritage. Many sections may be closed when you visit, due to a massive renovation lasting through 2020.
There's no one must-see section — it's the scale and harmony of the whole that's so impressive, an irrefutable statement of Chinese imperial might. It was originally built by an army of workers in only 14 years, although after various ransackings and fires, most of what you see today was built in the 17th century. Check out the largest gate, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, where Mao Tse Tung made his dramatic announcement founding the People's Republic in October 1949. The nearby Gate of Supreme Harmony leads into the perfectly symmetrical outer court, and then into an inner court and increasingly private — at least in the emperor's time — pavilions and structures.
Click to enlarge pictures (Open in new window)
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More Places to See Before They Disappear
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