10/25/2017 - The Forbidden City

October 25, 2017

The Forbidden City is located just North of Tiananmen Square.  It was the imperial palace from the Ming dynasty (1420) to the end of the Qing dynasty (1912). The “common” people were not allowed to enter without permission; hence, it was called the "Forbidden" City. 

We picked up this photo from the internet to get a sense of how much area the Firbidden City encompasses

The detailed history is quite immense - way too much to write out on a blog.  Here are a few highlights...

A portrait of Mao Zedong, the Founding Father of the People’s Republic of China, at Tiananmen Gate outside the Forbidden City. 

Home of the Ming & Qing (Ching) Dynasties from 1644 to 1912.      

This is one of a pair of bronze lions symbolizing the imperial power.  The lion on the left is male, with his paw on a ball, symbolizing power. The lion on the right, with her paw on a cub lion, symbolizes nurturing. This arrangement is due to the yin-yang theory, where opposite qualities are often complimentary to each other.                                                             

The Emperor’s Throne.                                                                                                   

The Theater.                                                                                       

Just a nice picture                                                                                                            

Photos of a few of the many artifacts inside the Forbidden City. Items  carved from jade.                

The ornate clocks were designed and adorned with precious gems. The majority of the clocks in this exhibit were made by artists from London and presented to the Emperor as gifts.                                                                

Our tour guide Vivian.