Galloping Horse: November 2014

"皇上驾到!"

"huang shang jia dao"

The above expression is usually used by the emperor's eunuch to announce his arrival at functions. Little did I know about the history of ancient China but I managed to pick up a few names of emperors from Qing Dynasty which is the typical setting used in the series. This may be due to the fact that Qing Dynasty was the very last dynasty before being overruled by Republic of China as it is today. Kangxi and Yongzheng Emperors are among the common references used by directors in their work.

With Forbidden City as the survived existence of the dynasty, a trip to Beijing is definitely incomplete without the visit to one of the biggest best preserved imperial palaces in the world. This is where emperors and their concubines once lived. Home to 24 emperors, spanning two complete dynasty (Ming & Qing Dynasty) for more than 500 years, it is listed by UNESCO as largest collection of ancient preserved wooden structure in the world. Walking on the paths where Yongzhen used to pace or looking at dragon throne that Qianlong used to sit at while having session with his officials, the thought can be quite overwhelming at times. Well, if you know bits of China history that is.

Forbidden City is just a walking distance from the hostel I was staying, around twenty minutes. It was close to 9am and the place was already crowded with people. There were quite a number of counters opened at the time and hence I need not to wait long enough before getting my ticket.

Main entrance of Forbidden City, Meridian Gate

Maybe I should rephrase that: the only entrance of Forbidden City as you can only enter the city from this gate (located at the south of the complex) and the north gate only serves as exit and there is no way you can enter it from there. If you happened to arrive at the place at north gate, I'm afraid that you need to move surround the complex to get at the Meridian Gate. (Key point: It's crucial to plan ahead so as not to waste time.)

From my experience travelling in Europe last time, I would never thought that I would need to go through scanner whenever visiting tourist attractions and that happened in Beijing (that includes using the subway station).

Back in those days, only emperors can use the middle door (Imperial Passageway) and today, you don't need to be the descendant of royal family to walk through it. A fee of RMB60 will do.

Forbidden City entrance ticket

Excitement started to peak as I pass by that door...

Flashes of "Empresses in the Palace"'s setting..

Crossing the Golden River via these marble bridges which leads you to the following courtyard..

Gate of Supreme Harmony

Was greeted by such a big crowd and it seems to be almost impossible to capture the building on its own (and selfies). It is believed that this courtyard can accommodate up to 100, 000 people. At that point of time, I was still in disbelief that I was in the Forbidden City, the place that I have been imagining for as long as I remember. All the main buildings will have gates before them. As the caption goes for the above photo, passing this gate will lead you to...

Hall of Supreme Harmony

This is the most important and largest structure in Forbidden City. It is used for ceremonial occasions such as coronations, emperor's birthday etc.

Look at that crazy crowds.

As I walked along, I can't help but to observe the ancient chinese architecture. One of the things that I noticed quickly (of course, I read about it before hand) is the roof guardians.

Roof guardians

These guardians are at the four edges of the roof and it applies to all the roofs, whichever they shelter. It is a series of mythical beasts led by a figure riding a phoenix. The more the beasts are, the more important the building is. Noticed the colours of the building? I can only imagine how the people of that time can paint the repetitive patterns on all the structures.

Come to think of it, emperor has the absolute power and believing that the emperor is the son of God, there is nothing that emperor can't have. This may explain the reason of disputes among the princes as only one prince can ascend to the throne. Kangxi Emperor has the most surviving children (24 sons and 12 daughters) and I can only think how did the princes out-smart one another.

Guardian Lion

Dragon-Head Spouts

These spouts which are located at the marble platforms used to and still are parts of the drainage system.

Hall of Middle Harmony and Hall of Preserved Harmony

Dragon Throne at the Hall of Preserved Harmony

Water Vat

These water vats are spotted around the palace. They are used to contain water for fire fighting. In winter, to prevent the water from freezing, thick quilt is used to cover them.

Nine Dragon Screen

One of the three types left in China, this wall is meant to protect Hall of Imperial Supremacy from evil spirits. This wall is located at Complete Palace of Peace and Longevity, in which you need to turn right after exiting Hall of Preserved Harmony.

Walking ahead leads to the Gate of Heavenly Purity before entering another of set of three halls.

Palace of Heavenly Purity

Dragon Throne at Palace of Heavenly Purity

Exiting the halls and you shall come across Imperial Garden.

Before exiting the palace at the north gate, there are more to explore at the east and west wings of the city. These are the places where emperor and concubines actually lived.

The walkway at Eastern and Western Palaces

Different palaces are connected through this walkway. They look exactly the same from what I saw in the series, where all the concubines went from one place to another.

Hall of Mental Cultivation

This hall is the place where emperor spends his off time.

Exiting the imperial garden you shall see two kneeling elephants. This signifies the power of emperor as even elephants kowtowed before him.

Kneeling Elephant

Gate of Divine Prowess

View of Jingshan Park from Gate of Divine Prowess

After spending close to 5 hours, it was the end of my visit at Forbidden City. Was I overwhelmed? I was. But, I felt rather incomplete as not all sites are accessible to visitors. For instance, the place where emperors slept, room where he spent time with his concubines etc. as you can only peek through the windows. Those are the little details I have been dying to get close to but apparently, I couldn't.

Still, it was an insightful visit and I foresee myself to revisit the place one day.