(The not-so-Forbidden City)
Well, I’m sitting here on a Friday night, sick as a dog (I’ve got a cold) and marking essays. I must be a teacher. I’m also fighting a craving for chocolate - it’s putting up a good fight. The only real ammunition that I have is the strong desire to stay in my warm room while the cold wind whistles outside my window. I’ll take a break from marking now to tell you about the last thing I saw last weekend in Beijing: The Forbidden City.
We woke up ghastly early on Sunday morning in order to squeeze in one last site before we caught our train home at noon. The Forbidden City is situated across the road from Tiananmen Square. To enter, one must walk under the Tiananmen Gate (and the gigantic photo of Chairman Mao). I guess the Forbidden City is not-so-forbidden since they let us in! Though, to risk sounding like an ignorant tourist, it really was just one massive courtyard after another - divided of course by very significant gates. It would have been far more interesting had we either been able to read Chinese or hire an English-speaking guide, but there simply wasn’t enough time.
One thing that I never tire of is the fabulous Chinese architecture! The rooftops are usually what gets me - these were littered with ancient sculptures of dragons and other sacred figures. To draw from Wikipedia now, The Forbidden City was home for almost five centuries to the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political center of China. It was built from 1406 - 1420 and it is still home to over 980 surviving buildings. I especially enjoy the names of the most important ones: The Palace of Earthly Harmony, The Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers, The Hall of Mental Cultivation, The Palace of Tranquil Longevity, The Palace of Heavenly Purity, etc… We spotted a funny sign at the bottom of a very tall, spiky rock-type monument (that was very tempting to climb). It warned, “A single act of carelessness leads to the eternal loss of beauty.” I believe this sign is open for interpretation - is it your loss of beauty that they’re worried about as you tumble down the spiky surface or the monument’s?
There’s my report on The Forbidden City - that isn’t so forbidden. And that wraps up my Beijing tales! All in all, I was so fortunate to have gone and on such a beautiful weekend too! Saturday (at the Great Wall) provided the only blue/clear sky I’ve seen in China so far! I must say though, I still prefer Kaifeng. The hustling, bustling, messy streets of Kaifeng are really feeling like home these days. Since this weekend will be my first two days of relaxation for a while (aside from this blasted cold and all the marking) I’m going to take a two-day break from the China challenge and continue along on Monday!. Until then, Tsai Jian!
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