Out of all the stops we were hoping to make in Beijing, the Forbidden City was high up on my list. An imperial complex of palaces, gardens and meeting halls, this ancient area of Beijing is the mark of Imperial China. The complex is huge and you could spend hours wandering the entire thing, surrounded by a moat and a high wall. We chose to make our way through the center and down one side, which turned out to be a long endeavor anyways.
It was freezing cold while we were there so we opted half way through to stop for a green tea and to warm up a bit inside one of the cafes on site, but the whole thing took us about 2.5 hours to make it through. From palace rooms to small gardens, from open meeting halls to intricate private areas, the Forbidden City is truly a site to be seen in Beijing.
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Emily of Em Busy Living says
I love all of the details. Do you know why they call it the “forbidden city”? Just because it was for the emperor and cut off from anyone other than government?
Casey says
They call it that because it used to the be the Imperial palace and commoners weren’t allowed in!
Emily of Em Busy Living says
That’s sort of what I assumed. Jokes on them now! ;p
Elizabeth Georgian says
I loved visiting the Forbidden City! Isn’t China wonderful!
Casey says
Yes!!!!
Rachel @ STCL says
How fun! This reminds me of Mulan, haha.
Casey says
Totally 🙂