 Looking through the Gate of Heavenly Peace, Tianmen, to the next gate, Duanmen |
 Duanmen, the gate between Tiananmen and the Meridian Gate |
 Duanmen, the gate between Tiananmen and the Meridian Gate |
 Chinese soldiers, Forbidden City, Beijing |
 Meridian Gate, Forbidden City, Beijing |
 Meridian Gate, Forbidden City |
 Meridian Gate, Forbidden City |
 Door detail, Forbidden City |
 Meridian Gate, Forbidden City |
 East side of the Meridian Gate from outside the walls |
 Palace Moat and the east side of the Meridian Gate |
 Tower at the southeast corner of the Forbidden City, Beijing |
 Meridian Gate, Forbidden City |
 In front of the Tiananmen guard barracks |
 Forbidden City Ceremonial Guard |
 Forbidden City ceremonial guards being inspected |
 Someone is in trouble.... |
 Forbidden City Guard boots lined up outside their barracks |
 Waiting outside the Forbidden City |
 Map of the Tiananmen Square area at the Meridian Gate |
 Tiananmen Square map, Beijing |
 Chinese soldiers at the Meridian Gate, Forbidden City |
 Meridian Gate, Forbidden City, 17th Century |
 Opening Hours of the Forbidden City |
 Meridian Gate, Forbidden City |
 Inside the Meridian Gate, next is the Gate of Supreme Harmony |
 Bridge over the Golden Stream |
 The Golden Stream, shaped like a Tartar bow |
 Golden River Stream, Forbidden City |
 The Gate of Supreme Harmony, TaiHe Men undergoing restoration in preparation for the Olympics |
 Small gate to the west of Gate of Supreme Harmony |
 NW Tower next to Gate of Supreme Harmony |
 Zhao De Men, Forbidden City |
 The main courtyard with the Hall of Supreme Harmony, with a capacity of 100,000 |
 Chinese soldiers at the Forbidden City, Beijing |
 Rooftop details, Forbidden City |
 With the Hall of Supreme Harmony under restoration, I was able to get a clear shot up the central axis |
 Courtyard of Supreme Harmony |
 Hallof Supreme Harmony undergoing restoration |
 Roof tiles from the Hall of Supreme Harmony |
 Tower of Enhanced Righteousness |
 Painted beams, Forbidden City |
 Supreme Harmony Square |
 Tower of Manifest Benevolence, Supreme Harmony Square |
 East side of the Courtyard of Supreme Harmony |
 Side gate to the east of the Hall of Supreme Harmony |
 Eastern arcade, Forbidden City |
 NE Corner of the Courtyard of Hall of Middle Harmony |
 Tower, NE Corner, Courtyard of Hall of Middle Harmony |
 Courtyard of Hall of Middle Harmony |
 Raised terrace leading to the BaoHe Dia, Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 The pagoda of Beihai Park, north of the Forbidden City |
 Terraces and rooftops, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Middle Harmony |
 Hall of Middle Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Carved dragon ramp, Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Hall of Preserving Harmony - Bao He Dian |
 The sign reads "Huang Jian You Ji" - the Highest Norms for the Emperor to Found a Regime |
 Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Large bronze vessel, Forbidden City |
 Detail of the large bronze vessel, Forbidden City |
 Detail |
 The Forbidden City Starbucks, now slightly hidden without its sign |
 Carved marble ramp, Forbidden City |
 Carved marble ramp leading up to Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Dragon carved on the marble ramp, Forbidden City |
 Dragon carved on the marble ramp, Forbidden City |
 Dragon carved on the marble ramp, Forbidden City |
 Lion guarding the Gate lf Heavenly Purity |
 Lion guardian (male), Forbidden City |
 Lion at the Gate of Heavenly Purity |
 Lion at the Gate of Heavenly Purity |
 Tourist at the Forbidden City |
 Lion guardian, female (with cub) |
 Lion guarding the Gate of Heavely Purity |
 Gate of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Lions guarding the Gate of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Beijing |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Carved marble dragon, Forbidden City |
 Forbidden City |
 Turtle, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Imperial throne, Palace of Heavenly Purity |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Sundial, Forbidden City |
 Crane, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Heavenly and Terrestrial Union, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Forbidden City |
 Roof detail, Forbidden City |
 Roof detail, Forbidden City |
 Roof detail, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Heavenly and Terrestrial Union with the Imperial Jade Seals |
 Gate of Tranquil Earth, leading to the Imperial Garden |
 Roof detail, Forbidden City |
 Imperial Garden, Forbidden City |
 Thousand Autumns Pavilion (Thousand Year Pavilion), Imperial Garden |
 Thousand Autumns Pavilion, Imperial Garden |
 Dragon on the ceiling of the Thousand Autumns Pavilion |
 Imperial garden detail |
 Imperial Garden, NW corner |
 Elephant, Imperial Garden |
 Twisted old tree, Imperial Garden, Forbidden City |
 Pavilion of Ten Thousand Spring Seasons, Imperial Garden |
 Pavilion roof detail |
 Shop of the Forbidden City |
 Hall of Receiving Celestial Favor |
 Forbidden City bronze collection |
 Bronze weapon of the Shang Dynasty |
 Detail of bronze container with three rams heads (ca 1500-1027 BC) |
 Bird shaped wine vessel (ca 476-369 BC) |
 Chime of bells, musical instruments with interlaced hydra design (ca 476-369 BC) |
 Northeast quarter of the Forbidden City |
 Roof detail, Forbidden City |
 Clothes of an Imperial Concubine |
 Clothes of an Imperial Concubine |
 Clothes of an Imperial Concubine |
 Gilded seal of the concubine Hui Fei, 1873 |
 Sedan chair, Forbidden City |
 Forbidden City |
 Bed, Forbidden City |
 Ruins of the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yan Xi Gong) destroyed by fire 1845 |
 Ruins of the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yan Xi Gong) destroyed by fire 1845 |
 Forbidden City museum of porcelain and caligraphy |
 The Palace Museum Center for Caligraphy and Painting Research |
 The Palace Museum Center for Caligraphy and Painting Research |
 The Palace Museum Center for Caligraphy and Painting Research |
 The Palace Museum Center for Caligraphy and Painting Research |
 "Door God" |
 Chinese porcelain, Forbidden City collection |
 Chinese porcelain, Forbidden City collection |
 Buddha riding an elephant, Qing Dynasty |
 NE Quarter of the Forbidden City |
 Map of the Forbidden City, Beijing |
 Door handle, Forbidden City |
 Tower on the Outer Wall, Moat, Forbidden City, Beijing |
 Chinese police jogging in formation, Forbidden City |
 Gate of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Gate of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Gate of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Female Lion Guardian before the Gate of Supreme Harmony |
 North side of Gate of Supreme Harmony |
 Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Dragon Carving, Forbidden City |
 Roof Detail, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City |
 Crane shaped Incense Burner, Forbidden City |
 Hall of Middle Harmony in front of the Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Corner NE of Hall of Middle Harmony |
 Roof detail, Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Imperial Throne in Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Dragon carved marble ramp to Hall of Preserving Harmony |
 Female Lion Guardian before the Gate of Heavenly Purity |
 Detail of Lion |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City |
 Palace of Heavenly Purity on a 1936 Central Bank of China 5 Yuan note |
 Detail of the Palace of Heavenly Purity |
 Imperial Throne in Palace of Heavenly Purity |
 The Imperial Seals in the Hall of Heavenly and Terrestrial Union |
 Imperial Garden, Forbidden City |
 Inner roof detail, Imperial Garden |
 Bronze Cranes, Forbidden City |
 Imperial Art Collection, Forbidden City |
 Starbucks of Supreme Misplacement, Forbidden City |
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