You can't enter the Forbidden City without first hanging with the Chairman.
The banners read "Long Live the People's Republic of China", and "Long Live the Unity of the Peoples of the World". They've got spares of the painting in case anything happens to it.
Looking back down on Tian'an'men. Lots of folk just milling about today.
Gotta snap some photos of the Chairman too.
This is the first time we've actually seen the fountains working.
Passing through the Gate of Heavenly Peace (which the Mao adorns) into the first large courtyard, where there is another large gate and tonnes of people trying to convince you of the need for a guide.
There are always lots of people just hanging around, which we couldn't quite figure out.
Walking through these gates, the "in" thing to do is rub the metal knobs. I'm not sure that there is any history to it -- it might be just one of those things people do because others do it.
This is the entrance to the museum.
Once you're in, you face the Heavenly Purity Palace.
There are moats and streams and things everywhere.
Looking back on the entrance pavilion.
The first giant pagoda pavilion you enter is the Tai He Men, or gate of Spiritual Harmony. It's very spiritual, and harmonious.
Next big building.
There are lots of stone carvings here around here. They're huge and elabourate.
This is the hall of Central Harmony.
And the hall of Preserving Harmony.
They all kind of have the exact same description on the history plaque: Built around 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, burned down and rebuilt a number of times since then. It's almost as though they only needed to write one description and just change the names.
Nice thing about being a kid: If you're pooped, somebody carries you.
The hall of Central Harmony.
This really is an entire CITY. It's just massive.
Most of these pavilions are places where emporers held court, and as such, have huge throne areas, etc.
This stone carving, at about 16m (~60') long is pretty serious, and had to be transported from the south end of the city on a road made of ice.
rawr! I am a scary dragon lion thingie.
Another palace of some sort of peace and harmony and heavenly goodness.
Most of the pavilions have these carvings on them, which look more like Santa Dragon and his reindeer dragons.
Lots of great colours today.
Next stop: The Imperial gardens.
This is the pavilion of 10.000 springs. 1000 springs is for poseurs.
This hill is pretty cool -- there are more pavilions and stuff on top. Sadly, you can't go up it.
Rawr! Scary Elephant-like thingie.
The north-most gate of the palace, the Divine Military Genius Gate (really).
I love this sign. Is it a store? Is it a restaurant? Is it a museum?
Walking out way back south. There are a few museum areas to our left, all of which cost more $$$.
no scratch!!
We next walked back to Wangfujing Avenue and wandered around a few of the stores and food markets they have there. At the southern most end, there is a huge shopping centre filled with expensive western stores at fully western prices. Lots of restaurants and places to eat too.
The Wangfujing bookstore is massive -- over 5 stories, and has a pretty decent selection of foreign language resources.
