The Forbidden City and Summer Palace

We began the day with a trip to Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City.  Tiananmen Square is in the center of Beijing and around it are: The Gate of Heavenly Peace which separates the square from The Forbidden City; the Great Hall of People which is the meeting place for the Chinese parliament; the National Museum of China; and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.   It was from the top of The Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) that Mao made the proclamation of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.  The 125 foot tall Monument to the People's Heroes is located in Tiananmen Square.  Security was high as the National Congress of the Communist Party of China was meeting later in the week to elect the Chinese leadership and prepare the next Five Year Plan.

Portrait of Mao on Tiananmen

Tiananmen Square

Brian and Janet - Tiananman

After crossing Tianaman Square we passed through Tianaman gate and entered The Forbidden City.  The Forbidden City has successive courtyards each of which served a specific purpose.  The Outer Court contains the Hall of Supreme Harmony, The Hall of Central Harmony and The Hall of Preserving Harmony.  The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest building and was used for the enthronement and imperial wedding ceremonies.  The Hall of Central Harmony was used by the Emperor to rest and dress before and during ceremonies.  The Hall of Preserving Harmony was used as the site of the final stage of the Imperial Examination which was part of the process of selecting civil servants to administer the vast Chinese Empire.

Stonework Leading to the Hall of Supreme Harmony

Entrance to the Hall of Supreme Harmony

The Forbidden City's Inner Court is surrounded by three buildings:  The Palace of Heavenly Purity, The Hall of Union and The Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

The Palace of Heavenly Purity is the largest of the three buildings and served as the Emperor's residence and audience hall. In the Ming dynasty, it was the residence of the Emperor.  For security, the Emperor would randomly sleep in one of the 27 beds in the palace.  Beginning with Yongzheng Emperor whose reign started in 1723, the Hall of Mental Cultivation became the Emperor's residence and the Palace of Heavenly Purity became the Emperor's audience hall.   It was here that the Emperor frequently met with the Grand Council and received ministers and emissaries. It was also used as a banquet hall.

The Hall of Union stored the Imperial Seals of the Qing dynasty and ceremonial items.

The Palace of Earthly Tranquility was the residence of the Empress during the Ming dynasty and was converted for Shamanist worship during the Quing dynasty.  Two rooms were reserved in the palace for use by the Emperor on his wedding night.

Inner Court - The Forbidden City

We spent the afternoon at the Summer Palace which is a vast expanse of lakes, gardens and palaces not far from The Forbidden City.  A canal connecting the two would bring the Emperor to this beautiful site which was his residence during the summer months.  The development of Kunming Lake began around the year 1271.  The lake was hand dug by thousands of laborers.  It was filled with water via waterworks drawing from nearby springs.  Surrounding the lake are gardens, palaces and pagodas.  The Marco Polo Bridge and Stone Boat made of marble are destinations for tourists at the Summer Palace.  Last year it rained on the day we visited the Summer Palace.  This time, the sky was overcast but there was no rain and it was warm.  It would be wonderful if we were able to enjoy an entire day here when the sun was shining.  Maybe, someday.

Marco Polo Bridge and Tour Boat

Bev and Dwayne - Summer Palace - Tower of the Buddhist Temple