After visiting the Old Summer Palace on Monday, 6th June, I went to the hutongs with a Chinese English teacher on Tuesday, 7th June (see post). On Wednesday 8th, I finally took the opportunity to cross off another famous Beijing site – the Forbidden City. It was a bit smoggy that day, but quite interesting all the same.

The City itself is quite spread out – lots of open space within it. You pass through the Meridian Gate – the one with the picture of Mao above it – and you enter a courtyard. You can go up to the roof of this Gate, which I did, and took pictures of Tiananmen Square, which is across the road, and across the courtyard towards the Palace Museum.

When you cross the courtyard you enter the Gate of Supreme Harmony. You are then in the Palace Museum which is quite large and you could spend a long time pottering around, as I did. It was also very hot!

Back of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the entrance to the Palace Museum.

Facing one of buildings in the City.

Info sign.

I wouldn’t call this a mountain but…

Ditto.

Green area in north of City.

Elephant statue in green area at north of City.

Info about sundial.

The sundial.

Statue of a crane, maybe, or a heron.

If you rub the gold handle, I think this also brings you luck.

Another building in the Palace Museum.

I didn’t go into the hall, but I believe that there are lots of clocks in the hall.

Roof of the Meridian Gate.

The North exit of the City.

The North exit of the City, with moat.

Across from North exit of the City is a park, with this building in it.

Map of the Forbidden City.

Facing the museum.

Some buildings in Palace Museum.

Information about it.

Courtyard at Palace Museum.

Information about a poetry exhibition.

Courtyard at the Palace Museum.

Courtyard.

I think they used these to fight fires.

Roof of building at the Palace Museum.

Statue of lion at Palace Museum.

I’m not sure what this is.

Information board.

From top of Meridian Gate, facing towards the Palace Museum.

Tiananmen Square taken from the top of the Meridian Gate (one with piture of Mao outside it). This is facing Tiananmen Square. See how smoggy it is.

A metal pot, or maybe an incense burner.

More buildings within the Palace Museum.

One of the buildings within the Palace Museum.

The Meridian Gate.