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The Forbidden Palace In China ( Amazing Pics )

The Forbidden City (Zijincheng) (also known as the Imperial Palace (Gugong) and the Palace Museum) is the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China. The entrance to the Palace is through Tian'anmen gate. Once you reach Wumen (Meridian Gate) you enter the heart of the Complex and this is the place to buy your tickets.

After passing through Meridian gate, there is a huge Palace courtyard. Hereafter, the complex is divided into two sections: the Inner Court or the living quarters, and the working area also known as the Outer Court. The Palace courtyard contains the "stream of golden water" and five bridges, all decorated with carved torches, traditional symbols of masculinity. The Outer court is guarded by a row of lions protecting the Gate of Supreme Harmony.

The Outer Court starts at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the greatest and largest of all the halls in the complex. This was the most important building for the emperor and the place where all official business was done. Ceremonies such as the enthronement of the Crown Prince, the Emperor's birthday, imperial marriage ceremonies, and the initiation of military expeditions all took place here. The Emperor would arrive at the Hall of Supreme Harmony amidst ceremonial music, drum-beating and firecrackers. He would then take his place on the throne and listen to a reading of congratulatory messages from his palace courtiers. Civil and military officials would all kneel before him proclaiming, "Long Live Your Majesty." The building itself is decorated with thousands of dragons, the traditional symbol of the Emperor's power.

The Midway Hall of Harmony is a smaller hall where the emperor would prepare for the ceremonies to be held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The Midway hall was also used by the Emperor to examine agricultural instruments and discuss techniques. This was an important duty as the responsibility for a poor harvest fell largely on his shoulders.

The Inner Court begins at the Hall of Celestial Purity. The inner court was where the emperor, his concubines and Eunuchs lived. Approximately half of the six thousand people at the Imperial court were Eunuchs. Eunuchs were seen to improve the emperors position and ensured that his children were just that, HIS own! There were similar numbers of Concubines in the Palace. In this way, any aspiring courtiers or women who fancied they may rise up the social ladder a little were taken care of! The Emperor was definitely THE BOSS.

The Gate of Celestial Purity was where the emperor attended to state affairs. The Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong attended to business here on a daily basis. After these three emperors died, standards fell and by the time the Qing dynasty came to power in 1644, corruption was rife.

During the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, the emperors lived in the Hall of Celestial Purity while the Empresses inhabited the Hall of Earthly Peace. The Hall of Union and Peace was the area where the emperor and empress could live together. In later periods, the Emperor and Empress moved to the Six West Palaces. The Emperor's choice of a son to succeed him is said to be kept in a secret box in the Hall of Celestial purity.

Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, two concubines tried to kill the Emperor with a rope. As they were very nervous, they accidentally tied a quick release knot. Another courtier watching brought help and the quick release knot was enough to save the Emperor from death. The women involved in the assassination plot were killed and their bodies dismembered and displayed as a lesson to any other would be troublemakers!

The Hall of Prolonged Happiness is known for the Western style crystal palace contained within the Hall. After the original Hall was destroyed by fire, the Emperor Xuntong began constructing a fireproof palace made from white marble and glass in its place. When the palace was half completed, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown and the project stopped.

South of here is the Yuqing Palace, the Palace for fasting. The Emperors were expected to fast the night before they offered sacrifices to Heaven. As a general rule, the emperors stayed here for the first two days of their fast and then moved to an imperial residence within the confines of the Temple of Heaven. During the fast the emperors abstained from wine, onions, garlic, chives, praying, involvement in petty affairs and making love. It must have been quite a task for them!

Emperor Qianlong built the Hall of Peaceful Longevity and made it into a Palace for the Emperor Dowager. Each year, on New Years day of the lunar calendar, the emperor would entertain ministers in this pavilion. Cups filled with wine would be placed on the water in the lake of the gardens. If the floating cup stopped in front of you, you were asked to drink the wine and make a poem!

The best way to approach a trip to the Forbidden City is to first examine it in detail, either with an audio tape or some reference and then to double back on yourself and just enjoy wandering and imagining what life must have been like there. In order to fully appreciate the majesty of the Forbidden City, try to allow at least half a day for the visit.

You can take bus No.1,4,52,103,111 to get there.

Ticket Price: RMB40 in the off-season (from Nov.1 to Mar.31), while RMB60 in the peak season (from April.1 to Oct.31).

Opening Time:
8:30--16:30 from Oct.16 to April 31. Latest time for ticket purchase: 15:30
8:30--17:00 from April.16 to Oct.15. Latest time for ticket purchase: 16:00

Note: The prime area for sightseeing is the center area of the Imperial Palace, however if time permits, you could also have a walk and visit the west areas.

The Jayuguan Pass, beginning of the Great Wall ( Amazing Pics )

Jiayuguan, one of the most grandiose ancient forts on the Silk Road, is a significant fortification on the western section of the Great Wall. The city and fort have their present name from the pass that runs through this area, at the foot of the Jiayu Mountain. This area, not so much the town, is a good place to visit for those, with time on their hands,  making their way up to either Dunhuang and Xinjiang.

Founded during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), there was originally just the Fort here, built onto an existing watchtower and completed in 1372. With primitive working tools it took thousands of laborers dozens of years to complete the project. Goats, and even ice, were used to convey building materials to the site. With completion, the fort became the strategic end of the Great Wall, demarcating the apparently advanced east from the allegedly desolate and dangerous west. Many Chinese still feel this way today, even after the completion of the Gansu Expressway.

The town itself grew up around this Fort, thriving from both its protection and location on the Silk Road. Nowadays, however, the town has lost much of its charm, bisected by main roads, including the expressway, and plagued by uninteresting buildings. Most of the sights that tourists will want to see are out of the city, so that the only plus side to stay in the place are views of the snow-capped mountains surrounding it.

The Three Gorges, Congqing City ( Amazing Pictures 17 )

The Yangtze is by far, China's longest river and the third longest in the world. The river starts in Qinghai, travels through Tibet and seven provinces and ends just north of Shanghai in the East China Sea.

This turbulent and powerful sight and journey, has been the source of artistic inspiration for numerous poets and artists over the years. Negotiating the River is no mean feat either, with the twists and turns along the way being incredibly hard to push through, and the current of the River so powerful that it manages to divide the high mountains in the region.

The "Three Gorges" along the Yangtze River are Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge, all providing a stunning array of sights and scenery. These are the main Three Gorges, stretching 192km from Baidicheng (White Emperor City) in Chongqing in the west, to Yichang in Hubei Province in the east. In addition to these main monsters are three smaller gorges, located along the Daning and Madu River.

Currently the only dam along this stretch is the Gezhou. However, the "Three Gorges Dam" at Sandouping is under construction, causing much controversy as it goes up, destroying homes and villages at random in an attempt to keep back the waters. The dam will eventually ruin a great deal of the beauty of this spot so get here while there is still something worth seeing. The dam is scheduled for completion in 2008 but the scenery may be devastated well before that date.