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China is known for its rich history and culture, famous for its stunning natural landscapes and unique architectural structures. When mentioning attractive tourist destinations in this country, one cannot overlook the Forbidden City – a heritage site representing a golden age of feudalism, housing many precious artifacts and works of art.
Travel blogger Hien Mai is currently studying and living in China.
The glorious memories of China
The Forbidden City is one of the most popular tourist destinations, especially for those passionate about exploring China. It is considered the most magnificent and mysterious historical structure in China. Its elegant architecture and the stories of the imperial palace attract millions of visitors every year.
The Forbidden City, also known as the Imperial Palace, is located in Beijing. It boasts a rich history spanning over 500 years, from the Ming to the Qing dynasties. It served not only as a residence for the imperial family but also as a historical witness to hundreds of dynastic changes in China. In 1987, the Forbidden City was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, specifically as the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The Forbidden City is one of the most popular tourist destinations, especially for those passionate about exploring China.
The majestic and imposing beauty of the royal palace.
The meticulous design of the Forbidden City reflects the unique cultural characteristics of East Asia. Built in a rectangular shape surrounding the city walls based on the theory of "round heaven and square earth," the sturdy walls created a formidable defensive structure for the Forbidden City. It was protected by four corners and four main city walls, including four main gates leading outside: Shenwu Gate, Donghua Gate, Xihua Gate, and Wumen Gate.
The Forbidden City has a total of 9,999 rooms spread over an area of 720,000 square meters.2The reason for this number is that the Chinese emperor believed that only the Jade Emperor was the supreme being who possessed 10,000 rooms. In addition, the Chinese have always considered the number 9 to be lucky, bringing fulfillment and prosperity.
The meticulous design of the Forbidden City reflects the unique cultural characteristics of East Asia.
The Forbidden City has a total of 9,999 rooms spread over an area of 720,000 square meters.
Having had the opportunity to visit the Forbidden City at the end of October, Hien Mai shared: “This is my first time setting foot in the Forbidden City and visiting the Imperial Palace. I've wanted to come here for a long time after watching Chinese historical dramas. However, due to the pandemic and other reasons, I only managed to come this year.”
The travel blogger was particularly impressed by the meticulous design of the magnificent and imposing Forbidden City. All the gates and halls of the Forbidden City are arranged symmetrically along a central axis running from north to south. The meaning of this architectural style is to represent the supreme power of the Emperor.
The travel blogger was particularly impressed by the meticulous attention to detail in the magnificent and imposing design of the Forbidden City.
What makes the Forbidden City so special is the high-quality wood that has been preserved intact to this day. The pillars and beams are made from the rarest and most precious Zhennan wood in China. The joints are also perfectly fitted, interlocking to form a lock without the need for any nails.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, yellow was a symbolic color of supreme power and was only used by the imperial family. Additionally, red was the color of good fortune and happiness. The combination of these two colors created the dominant color scheme of the Forbidden City. All the structures and details within the Forbidden City were painted red, with gold-tiled roofs, creating a harmonious and vibrant picture.
The various elements and details within the Forbidden City are painted red, with gold-tiled roofs creating a harmonious and vibrant picture.
According to Hien Mai, the roofs of the buildings in the Forbidden City are exquisitely decorated. The mythical creatures on the roofs are carefully selected to suit the royal element, most notably dragons, phoenixes, and lions. These animals all symbolize power in Chinese culture.
"What impressed me most was that inside the Forbidden City, apart from the Imperial Garden, there were very few trees, especially tall trees. There was almost no shade along either side of the road leading to the palace," she confided.
According to Hien Mai, the structures in the Forbidden City are exquisitely decorated.
All you need to know about visiting the Forbidden City.
“To have enough time to explore fully and capture beautiful moments here, we woke up early and arrived at 8 a.m. At this time, there weren't too many tourists, the weather was cool, so we could explore comfortably and take many beautiful pictures. The Forbidden City is very large; if you wanted to visit every room here, you would need two to three days. We only had one day inside, so we only visited the main palaces,” Hien Mai shared.
According to travel bloggers, tourists should buy tickets well in advance of their trip. Inside the Forbidden City, people are not allowed to take commercial photos, and are prohibited from bringing in any items, especially camera tripods.
A travel blogger shared that wearing Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) to visit the Forbidden City is an experience well worth trying.
To get impressive check-in photos, Hien Mai readily shared her secret: “Outside the gate, there are shops that rent out traditional Chinese clothing at reasonable prices. I think wearing Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) into the Forbidden City is a very worthwhile experience for everyone to try. Also, the Forbidden City is very large, so we need to be mentally and physically prepared because we have to do a lot of walking.”
