by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
We are touring the best-preserved imperial palace in all of China, the five-century-old Forbidden City located in the center of Beijing. Our guidebook, Beijing Encounter (by Lonely Planet), says that the 14 Ming emperors and 10 Qing emperors “became absorbed in the splendor of life inside the palace. The royal mealtime took up much of the day. By the time Empress Cixi took power, she was getting twice-daily meals consisting of over 100 dishes” (p. 11).
Just as in other countries (such as Istanbul/Constantinople, Turkey) the “lap of luxury could be a detriment to imperial rule and Chinese leaders were often ignorant of the living conditions outside the palace walls” (p. 11). The dull task of actually ruling the people was turned over to court eunuchs. Emperors, instead, spent their time eating, collecting concubines, and writing poetry. Many [emperors] died at a young age because of poor diets, no exercise, and a life in the lap of complete luxury. Who would trade a longer life for such self-indulgence and immoderation — total hedonism!
We visited few of the 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City. We did, however, wander off the main walkway to see some of the museums located at the sides of each open square. More than a million workers built the City, and workers, to this day, are thought of and treated as the bottom rung of the economic ladder.
An example of how workers are viewed is revealed on Chinese currency. The 5.00 RMB note comes in 2 sizes. The large one, with Mao’s picture is truly worth its value (about $.74 U.S.), but the small 5.00 RMB note, which depicts a beautiful young man and woman (workers), is nearly worthless (pennies), according to Michael Ye, our previous tour guide in Beijing. And as Ye pointed out, it is clearly a political statement. (As an aside, we did not know the difference between these bills, and a taxi driver refused to take our small 5.00 RMB note, and we didn’t know why until it was explained to us by one of the Marriott employees who could speak English clearly. If Beijing wanted another problem to solve that would make the City more “user/tourist friendly,” it would be: Get rid of the small 5.00 RMB note! Take care of the basics.
To show how the belief in symbols and colors dominated the life of the Chinese, we saw colors, symbols, and animals that are believed to bring peace, prosperity, happiness, longevity, and a continuance of ruling the people in every square and outside every pavilion. Their beliefs were clearly revealed as we walked the main path through the Forbidden City.
We began our tour of the Forbidden City by walking to, and looking into — from barriers outside swarmed by hoards of pushing and shoving Chinese tourists — the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the palace’s biggest structure, which was the site of the imperial’s grandest events.
Inside the hall, the throne is guarded by two luduan (beasts which can detect truth) — mythical beasts that can understand all languages and cover a distance of 9,000 leagues in a day. Outside some buildings at the Summer Palace, we saw cranes, elephants, and lions. And a male and female (the female is always on the right) lion can be found guarding the outside of many buildings to help ward off evil spirits.
Following the Hall of Supreme Harmony was a Hall of Central Harmony and a third called the Hall of Preserving Harmony. Behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is a 55.77-foot-long marble carriageway, the wall of which supports a large, carved dragon. A dragon represents power and the authority of rulers.
The Palace of Heavenly Purity housed Ming and early Qing emperors, and the Palace of Earthy Tranquility served as the empresses’ quarters. Many of the present museum buildings along both side of the various squares, were the halls formerly used as the concubines’ or eunuch’s living quarters. One emperor is known to have at least 3,000 concubines.
At the northern end of the Forbidden City through the Gate of Terrestrial Tranquility is the Imperial Garden. Built in 1417 during the Ming dynasty, it was the private garden of the imperial family, and it is the most typical imperial garden in China. At a Chinese website, in an essay on “The Forbidden City,” it says, “This garden was used exclusively by the imperial family to sip tea, play chess, meditate and generally relax.” The garden included rockeries, walkways, pavilions, carbuncular and deformed cypress trees, and, I might add, based on our visit, wall-to-wall tourists.
We left the Forbidden City very tired of walking, and we were pointed in the direction of a taxi stand. We walked a long way to a corner where taxis were forced to stop, and there, a Chinese lady who spoke flawless English helped us secure a taxi, made certain the driver knew where we were going, and even came over to make certain everything was fine as we departed.
On this day (Day 3 in Beijing), we walked to the Railway Station (just a ten-minute walk from our hotel), walked over the boulevard in front of the station via a pedestrian overpass, and had dinner of 2 spicy-chicken sandwiches and a vanilla milkshake at McDonald’s. Because you cannot drink Beijing water (discussed in my second Beijing essay), we chose not to trust the food at the numerous Chinese restaurants available. Why chance an intestinal problem just as we’re facing a long flight home the next day?
Our stay in Beijing has been delightful, and on the last day when we opened the curtains, we saw the sun for the first time in Beijing — or in more than a week. The weather while we’ve been here (late March-April 1st, 2010), has been refreshingly cool (especially after the heat and humidity of the early cities we visited on this cruise).
We exchanged our money back from Chinese yuen (about 522.50 RMB) to U.S. currency (about $76.00 U.S.) which took us about one-half hour at the same exchange center/bank we used when we first arrived in Beijing. It was a complicated, paper-heavy transaction which required the use of passports, numerous signatures, and money counted at least 3 times.
Princess cruise line provided the shuttle to the airport, and we discovered that Beijing has one of the most attractive, tourist-friendly airports in the world. It is clean, toilets are spotless, airport personnel are helpful and friendly, and the methods used for boarding the aircraft are efficient and effective. What a delightful way to end our Southeast Asian experience!
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At Wikitravel the essay on “Beijing” offers Beijing history, orientation, people, travel, climate, demographics, as well as where to eat, shop, and sleep. This is a complete website and is a good place to begin for its broad orientation.
At Epinions.com there is a very complete essay on Beijing, entitled, “Everything You Need to Know About Beijing,” that offers a lengthy review of the city covering such topics as A. Overview of the city; B. Weather; C. Money Issues; D. Transportation; E. Lodging; F. Dining;; G. Tourist Attractions; and H. Shopping.
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Copyright June, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
Showing posts with label the Forbidden City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Forbidden City. Show all posts
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Beijing III: Tackle the basics
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
On our third day in Beijing, we took a taxi to Tiananman Square and the Forbidden City. When you take a taxi you must have your present location as well as your destination written in Chinese so you can get to where you are going and return to your hotel. (Hotels provide this information as a regular and necessary part of their service.) Taxi drivers speak no English at all! Even with it written in Chinese, some drivers will refuse the fare because it is not enough. That is, they would prefer waiting for customers going a longer distance so they can make more money. For example, at the Silk Market, we were refused service back to our Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel by six taxi drivers before we found a seventh to return us to the hotel.
Also, before this trip by taxi, we were warned several times about taxi pirates. Reliable taxis, we were told, had four characteristics: 1) they must be of a Hyundai make, 2) they must have a “B” as a prefix on their license plate, 3) they must display the driver’s taxi-license number prominently on the dashboard, and 4) they must be metered. I explain all of this for the following reason.
At the Silk Market, visited on the first day we were in Beijing, after being refused service by six legitimate taxi drivers, we were asked if we wanted a ride by a fellow who came up to us. We asked to see his taxi, and with him we walked over to a nearby street, where he showed us a white van parked a short distance away. Obviously — given the four characteristics listed above — we said, “No, thank you.”
I realize this sounds like making a mountain out of a mole-hill; however, when given the four characteristics listed above, we were told of rickshaw drivers who will throw passengers’ directions away, take them to a remote location, and demand an exorbitant price.
We talked to one couple at the hotel who were charged 50 RMP (about $7.00 U.S.) For the same trip for which we paid less than 20 RMP (about $3.00 U.S.) — going from the Silk Market back to the hotel. This certainly merits listing pirates as the fifth problem this city needs to solve if it wants to be “user/tourist friendly.” Get rid of the pirates! Take care of the basics!
We traversed the massive Tiananman Square walking north in the direction of a large picture of Mao on the front wall of The Forbidden City. The square was full of people milling around, and there were numerous light poles to illuminate the area at night. On each of the poles, there were a minimum of 3 security cameras focused on the crowds. Also, the place was teeming with police, and we saw at least 3 groups of about 25 soldiers each, coming or going from the square in formation, just in our half hour or so there. We did not feel intimidated in the least, but we were aware of the tight, ever-present, security. (We did not visit the Mao mausoleum housed on the Square. The website ChinaTravelTourGuide describes the mausoleum: “The Chairman Mao's Mausoleum stands in the south of the Tian'anmen Square, between the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Zhengyang Gate. The Memorial Hall is to memorialize the founder and first Chairman of the People's Republic of China. It provides people with a place to show their respects to Chairman Mao.”)
At the far northern end of Tiananmen Square and facing it lies the Forbidden City, and we entered with throngs of people through the Tiananmen Gate. Many people (like us) were wondering if our gate was the right one. Through the first set of gates, we then wandered along to and through a second set (without a ticket and still wondering if we were correct). Finally, there were ticket offices on either side of the wide terrace walkway, and we purchased two at 400 RMB ($59.07 U.S. for both of us) which included the Palace Museum.
When we walked through the “Southern Gate” — a huge, massive pagoda-like structure where they tore off the top portion of our tickets — we just continued walking straight ahead. (Incidentally, most of the visitors to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are Chinese. There are very few caucasians, and we saw no tour with only Americans, although we came upon 3 couples (out of thousands of people) who had an English-speaking guide in one of the many museums lining the large squares throughout the “City” structures.)
At AsianArtMall.com a portion of the description includes this paragraph: “The Forbidden City, ( so named because common people were forbidden to enter ) was indeed a city. Over 800 buildings containing 8,886 rooms, and covering 250 acres. The entire complex is surrounded by a 32 foot high wall which is protected by a 165 foot wide drainage ditch forming a mote. The city is only accessible by entering through one of four gates which span the water.”
One of the features of Chinese culture pointed out by our previous tour guide, Michael Ye, and revealed over and over in what we observed, was all the meaning the Chinese people give to colors, symbols, animals, and mythical creatures. At AsianArtMall.com some of the many symbols are explained. Michael pointed out that with a culture that dates back over 5,000 years, many of the philosophical beliefs have been handed down through generations, and although he (Michael) may be a progressive young person with modern ideas, he is a traditionalist when it comes to beliefs in all the symbolism.
All of the 800 buildings (originally built between 1406 and 1420) have been rebuilt more than six times throughout the centuries because of fires. They are decorated in bright, clean colors of yellow, red, green, and blue often with gold-plated highlights, however, as pointed out at the AsianArtMall.com website, “With the color yellow being the symbol for the royal family, you will find it to be dominant throughout the City. For example, the roofs have yellow glazed tiles, palace decorations are painted yellow, and the bricks found outside are yellow.” All the buildings that can be seen today are post-18th-century.
The Forbidden City was home to 24 different Chinese emperors, and it is the best-preserved collection of ancient architecture in China. Because of its place in history, importance, impressiveness, and my memories of our time there, I will continue my discussion of it in Beijing IV — my fourth Beijing essay.
-----
The website AsianArtMall.com has a great deal of information and it is a worthwhile and informative stop.
At the Kwintessential website the essay, “Chinese Culture Symbols,” begins, “Every culture has some identity forming symbols that are instantly associated with that culture. The Chinese culture being one full of symbolism has many prominent symbols that can be termed as the cultural symbols of the country.”
-----
Copyright June, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
On our third day in Beijing, we took a taxi to Tiananman Square and the Forbidden City. When you take a taxi you must have your present location as well as your destination written in Chinese so you can get to where you are going and return to your hotel. (Hotels provide this information as a regular and necessary part of their service.) Taxi drivers speak no English at all! Even with it written in Chinese, some drivers will refuse the fare because it is not enough. That is, they would prefer waiting for customers going a longer distance so they can make more money. For example, at the Silk Market, we were refused service back to our Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel by six taxi drivers before we found a seventh to return us to the hotel.
Also, before this trip by taxi, we were warned several times about taxi pirates. Reliable taxis, we were told, had four characteristics: 1) they must be of a Hyundai make, 2) they must have a “B” as a prefix on their license plate, 3) they must display the driver’s taxi-license number prominently on the dashboard, and 4) they must be metered. I explain all of this for the following reason.
At the Silk Market, visited on the first day we were in Beijing, after being refused service by six legitimate taxi drivers, we were asked if we wanted a ride by a fellow who came up to us. We asked to see his taxi, and with him we walked over to a nearby street, where he showed us a white van parked a short distance away. Obviously — given the four characteristics listed above — we said, “No, thank you.”
I realize this sounds like making a mountain out of a mole-hill; however, when given the four characteristics listed above, we were told of rickshaw drivers who will throw passengers’ directions away, take them to a remote location, and demand an exorbitant price.
We talked to one couple at the hotel who were charged 50 RMP (about $7.00 U.S.) For the same trip for which we paid less than 20 RMP (about $3.00 U.S.) — going from the Silk Market back to the hotel. This certainly merits listing pirates as the fifth problem this city needs to solve if it wants to be “user/tourist friendly.” Get rid of the pirates! Take care of the basics!
We traversed the massive Tiananman Square walking north in the direction of a large picture of Mao on the front wall of The Forbidden City. The square was full of people milling around, and there were numerous light poles to illuminate the area at night. On each of the poles, there were a minimum of 3 security cameras focused on the crowds. Also, the place was teeming with police, and we saw at least 3 groups of about 25 soldiers each, coming or going from the square in formation, just in our half hour or so there. We did not feel intimidated in the least, but we were aware of the tight, ever-present, security. (We did not visit the Mao mausoleum housed on the Square. The website ChinaTravelTourGuide describes the mausoleum: “The Chairman Mao's Mausoleum stands in the south of the Tian'anmen Square, between the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Zhengyang Gate. The Memorial Hall is to memorialize the founder and first Chairman of the People's Republic of China. It provides people with a place to show their respects to Chairman Mao.”)
At the far northern end of Tiananmen Square and facing it lies the Forbidden City, and we entered with throngs of people through the Tiananmen Gate. Many people (like us) were wondering if our gate was the right one. Through the first set of gates, we then wandered along to and through a second set (without a ticket and still wondering if we were correct). Finally, there were ticket offices on either side of the wide terrace walkway, and we purchased two at 400 RMB ($59.07 U.S. for both of us) which included the Palace Museum.
When we walked through the “Southern Gate” — a huge, massive pagoda-like structure where they tore off the top portion of our tickets — we just continued walking straight ahead. (Incidentally, most of the visitors to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are Chinese. There are very few caucasians, and we saw no tour with only Americans, although we came upon 3 couples (out of thousands of people) who had an English-speaking guide in one of the many museums lining the large squares throughout the “City” structures.)
At AsianArtMall.com a portion of the description includes this paragraph: “The Forbidden City, ( so named because common people were forbidden to enter ) was indeed a city. Over 800 buildings containing 8,886 rooms, and covering 250 acres. The entire complex is surrounded by a 32 foot high wall which is protected by a 165 foot wide drainage ditch forming a mote. The city is only accessible by entering through one of four gates which span the water.”
One of the features of Chinese culture pointed out by our previous tour guide, Michael Ye, and revealed over and over in what we observed, was all the meaning the Chinese people give to colors, symbols, animals, and mythical creatures. At AsianArtMall.com some of the many symbols are explained. Michael pointed out that with a culture that dates back over 5,000 years, many of the philosophical beliefs have been handed down through generations, and although he (Michael) may be a progressive young person with modern ideas, he is a traditionalist when it comes to beliefs in all the symbolism.
All of the 800 buildings (originally built between 1406 and 1420) have been rebuilt more than six times throughout the centuries because of fires. They are decorated in bright, clean colors of yellow, red, green, and blue often with gold-plated highlights, however, as pointed out at the AsianArtMall.com website, “With the color yellow being the symbol for the royal family, you will find it to be dominant throughout the City. For example, the roofs have yellow glazed tiles, palace decorations are painted yellow, and the bricks found outside are yellow.” All the buildings that can be seen today are post-18th-century.
The Forbidden City was home to 24 different Chinese emperors, and it is the best-preserved collection of ancient architecture in China. Because of its place in history, importance, impressiveness, and my memories of our time there, I will continue my discussion of it in Beijing IV — my fourth Beijing essay.
-----
The website AsianArtMall.com has a great deal of information and it is a worthwhile and informative stop.
At the Kwintessential website the essay, “Chinese Culture Symbols,” begins, “Every culture has some identity forming symbols that are instantly associated with that culture. The Chinese culture being one full of symbolism has many prominent symbols that can be termed as the cultural symbols of the country.”
-----
Copyright June, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
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