China Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hours 1: Arrival; Twenty-Four Hours 2: Majestic Palace (Forbidden City)

Day 1, March 16, 2018, Friday:

We arrived at Beijing aerodrome past times unlike flights, me at 12 noon in addition to boy at vi pm. Immigration had a queue in addition to took an hour, gave the filled upwards shape to the officeholder at the counter in addition to position bags thru Xray machine. I ever send a pile of domicile made paratas (tortillas made amongst whole wheat flour in addition to smeared amongst butter) in addition to the officeholder opened my pocketbook to banking concern tally it out. No issues. Withdrew coin from the ATM. Bought a bottle of H2O to interruption a 100 CNY note. There is a clear signage for taxis in addition to a queue which moved fast.

Handed over the hotel address written inwards Chinese to the driver. I had read several reviews of people complaining the hotel was non easily traceable past times taxis. The telephone no on booking site is also wrong. So I also had the identify pinned on offline map showing it nigh the Andingmen subway scheme station, landmark beingness the Pedestrian bridge. The driver had already been there, so did non need additional info.

I had already seen the hotel environment on the street stance of qq.maps.

The taxi meter was 78 CNY in addition to I paid 88 including 10 CNY damage for the aerodrome highway which the driver had paid.

Imperial Courtyard Hotel, Beijing:

The hotel is an authentic courtyard holding amongst traditional décor in addition to antique carved furniture in the room equally good equally the lobby. Gave us a lovely experience of beingness inwards mainland China the infinitesimal nosotros stepped in!

The hotel is inwards a hutong, quite make clean in addition to rubber amongst rickshaw borne tourists. [ Beijing Hutongs (old lanes) bring a really particular identify inwards the rich history in addition to civilization of Beijing. The alleys give a wonderful glimpse into yesterday's world, the one-time agency of life in addition to traditional Beijing culture. Many bring been razed to the Earth to brand agency for skyscrapers, so skillful to savor the few remaining ones ]

Very skillful local shop on the primary route after exiting the subway scheme which came inwards useful for buying materials for us vegetarians. One immature homo speaks a lilliputian English linguistic communication in addition to is warm. Other Staff utter no English linguistic communication simply are really sweetness in addition to helpful. We managed amongst our offline app in addition to theirs.

On the whole an authentic experience at a groovy convenient location.

Checked in, they require a deposit of 200 CNY cash. They refund it when nosotros banking concern tally out after checking the room!

Son came inwards at nine pm. That was the terminate of Day 1

DAY 2, March 17, 2018, Saturday: Forbidden City/Old Palace

We had downloaded the subway map. All our relevant stations are circled inwards red.

Main attractions are marked on the map

We were conveniently nigh Line 2. We started off at 7.30 am, took the subway scheme from Andingmen in addition to transferred to Line 1 to achieve Tiananmen East station. Got out of instruct out H5N1 in addition to reached the famous Tiananmen Tower. We had to become thru a safety line, showing ID in addition to putting bags thru machine earlier entering the square. Even at the early on threescore minutes of 8 am, the identify had a lot of crowds, to a greater extent than ofttimes than non tour groups.

Tiananmen Square:

Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of mainland China inwards the foursquare on Oct 1, 1949. The foursquare is known for the Tiananmen Square Massacre, an armed suppression of a pro-democracy movement inwards June 1989.

Tian'anmen Tower (Gate of Heavenly Peace) is on the northern border of Tiananmen Square. It was built inwards 1415 in addition to served equally the gatehouse of the Ming in addition to Qing Dynasties.

The edifice is 66 meters long, 37 meters broad in addition to 32 meters high. It is made upwards of a platform in addition to a tower. The tower sits on the platform amongst 5 arch gateways. As the largest of the five, the centre archway was the specific passage for Ming in addition to Qing emperors spell the side ones were passages for ministers in addition to officials.

Above the archway hangs a large portrait of Maozedong, on the eastward in addition to W sides of which are ii giant placards, the left i reading: "Long Live the People's Republic of China", the correct i reading: "Long Live the Great Unity of the World's Peoples."

The Chinese cite of the gate, Tiananmen, is made upwards of 3 Chinese characters "heaven", "peace" in addition to "gate", thus the translated version "The Gate of Heavenly Peace"

This is a Huabiao, ceremonial column used inwards traditional Chinese architecture erected inwards forepart of palaces in addition to tombs.

At the bottom is a foursquare base, called a sumeru base, which is decorated with dragons, lotuses, in addition to other auspicious symbols. Above is a column, decorated amongst a coiled dragon in addition to auspicious clouds. Near the top, the column is crossed past times a horizontal stone board inwards the shape of a cloud (called the "cloud board"). The column is topped past times a circular cap. At the top of the cap sits a mythical creature called the denglong (Chinese: 蹬龙), i of the "nine children of the dragon", which watches the sky amd protects people.

We walked thru the gate to the Forbidden City. Went to the far terminate of the courtyard in addition to on our correct was the line of piece of employment for foreigners to purchase a ticket. Nobody there. We got ours inwards a 2d after showing our passports in addition to paying cash. We bought separate tickets for treasury in addition to hall of clocks later.

Forbidden City "Gu Gong", 故宫, "Old Palace") 8.30-16.30:

The Imperial Palace, also known equally the Forbidden City, is China's most meaning edifice in addition to tin john draw its origins dorsum to the Yuan Dynasty of the 13th century. Its immense size is the lawsuit of enlargements made during the Ming Dynasty betwixt 1406 in addition to 1420.

This palace has been home to 24 Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Emperors, earning its nickname of the Forbidden City due to the fact ordinary citizens weren't allowed access. The complex covers 720,000 sq m, surrounded past times a 10-meter-high wall amongst towers inwards the iv corners in addition to a 50-meter-wide moat, in addition to is divided into an expanse used for ceremonial in addition to administrative purposes, equally good equally the soul quarters used past times the Emperor in addition to his concubines. It consists of 90 palaces in addition to courtyards, 980 buildings 9,000 rooms containing slice of furniture and/or crafts, nigh ii meg cultural relics, diversity in addition to grade of craftsmanship on display: ceramics, textiles, woodwork, painting, calligraphy, stone-carving, bronze-ware, in addition to the overall architecture

The Outer Court is the southern department of the Forbidden City. This department is where the Emperor exercised his ability over the field past times aid ceremonies in addition to conducting province affairs. The Outer Court is composed of 3 primary buildings:

The Halls of Supreme Harmony, key harmony, preserving harmony.

The Inner Court is the northern department of the Forbidden City. This Court was where the Emperor in addition to his Royal Family in addition to concubines lived, His Majesty handled everyday affairs in addition to the country's future. That department is composed of 3 primary structures:

The Palace of Heavenly Purity (乾清宫Qian Qing Gong) emperors' bedchambers, the palace is mainly filled amongst luxurious cupboards in addition to relics of the royal family.
The Palace of Union in addition to Peace (交泰殿Jiao Tai Dian) all the majestic seals were stored
The Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility (坤宁宫Kun Ning Gong) emperor's marriage ceremony room

Beside them, 12 to a greater extent than palaces stand: vi on the eastern side, vi on the western side. These were the residences of the emperors' concubines converted today into exhibition halls.

NOTE the architecture of terraces in addition to the number of eaves. The Hall of Supreme Harmony has the highest grade of the roof amongst 10 mythical animals at each of its roof corners which shows the superiority. Yellow in addition to ruby-red are majestic colors

Highlights include the Meridian Gate, built inwards 1420; the Golden River Bridges, 5 richly decorated white marble bridges;

the 35-meter-high Hall of Supreme Harmony containing the gilded majestic throne;

the Hall of Preserving Harmony, which functioned equally the Emperor's banquet hall; in addition to the Hall of Military Courage, a permanent residence in addition to soul audience hall for the emperors.

This is the sandalwood throne

Only the emperor, carried inwards a sedan chair, was allowed to transcend over this elaborate stone ramp.

These urns incorporate H2O to release fires

These are incense burners

Doors bring nine rows of nine Fe bolts... nine is an auspicious number

This is the famous nine dragon screen, alone 3 of its form inwards China

We had downloaded maps in addition to read upwards on salient features, marked upwards must sees.

This manus drawn map is lovely when nosotros zoom in

We enjoyed the Treasury, thankfully had it to ourselves earlier tour groups descended.

These are Buddha niches... altars amongst Buddha inside

Cloisonné work...technique of creating designs on metallic vessels amongst colored-glass glue placed within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires, which bring been bent or hammered into the desired pattern.

Lovely drawing of the Palace

Mother of pearl conch base of operations studded amongst gems

This Phoenix Crown was worn past times Empress Xiaoduan of the Ming Dynasty.

These large jade rocks are beautifully carved... This sculpture, Da Yu Taming the River, was finished inwards 1788 after a decade of carving. Weighing over 5,000 kg, the jade was quarried at Xinjiang, in addition to freighted to Beijing, in addition to then to Yangzhou where it was carved.

Hall of clocks

There was a separate ceramic display inwards some other hall

This is concubine's well...

In the northern terminate of the Qianlong Garden, beside the Pavilion of Expecting Good Omen, is the Well of Concubine Zhen. In 1887, Qing Emperor Guangxu (1877-1908), selected Dowager Cixi's niece equally the empress nether the threat of this powerful woman. Later, he cruel inwards dearest amongst the form in addition to smart lady, Concubine Zhen who also supported his political reform. Dowager Cixi hated her. In twelvemonth 1898, amongst tricky plans, Dowager Cixi made the political reform a failure so that she took ability again. Cixi confined Concubine Zhen inwards the pocket-size yard behind Jingqi Chamber in addition to stopped her from seeing Guangxu.

In 1900, the Eight Allied Army attacked Beijing. Dowager Cixi did non forget to lay murderous hands on Concubine Zhen earlier she fled to Xian amongst Emperor Guangxu who was nether theatre arrest.

She ordered the deputy supervisor of the Imperial Palace to state Concubine Zhen to throttle into a good to commit suicide under the excuse of "avoiding the defilement of the foreigners". However, Concubine Zhen did non oblige. Full of rage, Cixi commanded some eunuchs to force her into the well. They took her to the Eight Treasures Glided Well (Babaoliulijin) simply failed to throw her into the good equally she held the marble column tightly. They in addition to then moved her to a bald good beside Jingqi Chamber in addition to pushed her downward to the well in addition to pressed a circular stone to closed the well. After Concubine Zhen was killed, her trunk remained in that location for a year.

There were sign boards on the grounds, of course of pedagogy no backtracking.

This is a deer pavilion, paintings of deer hunt, a lovely throne amongst deer antlers, huge mirrors amongst deer carvings.

It was snowing.

We had our packed repast at i of the closed resting pavilions.

After hours of roaming the palace, nosotros reached the Imperial gardens in addition to got out to a greater extent than or less 4 pm.

Our computer program was to become to Jingshan gardens or Beihai. We crossed the road. It was a snowy, murky day, so no hopes of views from Jingshan Park. We decided on Beihai. Walked a lot simply the southern entrance was closed.

Forbidden city

We got aid from local immature men in addition to safety guards (all were really friendly in addition to helpful amongst directions), boarded no 5 rider vehicle to achieve subway scheme station at Tiananmen square.

We went on to Beijing primary railway station,

Collected our 2 sets of prepare tickets (Beijing-Pingyao in addition to Pingyao-Xi'an) showing our passports in addition to the confirmation numbers got when nosotros booked from china diy site.

We took the subway scheme home