Forbidden City

Today was an early morning, but it was well worth it. We ventured to Tian’anmen Square to see the Forbidden City. Walking in past the south gate, we had a great view of the Chinese government building, the national museum, and Mao Zedong’s tomb. On our way through the square we were bombarded with pictures, but we are foreigners, so what’s new. Once we entered the Forbidden City it was much better. At times it was almost quiet when we were on a path surrounded by trees. Then, in the courtyard we witnessed the massive expanse of the complex. The fact that the entire place was just a palace blew my mind. We were told that the reason why it is “forbidden” is because in imperial times, peasants were not allowed inside. It was closed off to anyone not involved with palace life, therefore forbidden. It is dubbed a city instead of a palace because of its massive size. Apparently at one time there were 9,999 and 1/2 rooms. But I guess there is only about 8,000 rooms now that are not destroyed or damaged. We journeyed from the south gate to the north gate which took up most of our day. It is definitely a sight worth seeing.