Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, Beijing (November 2005)
A beautiful fall day dawned crisp and cool as I headed for Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City (aka the Imperial Palace, now officially the Palace Museum). The Chinese government is preparing for the 2008 Summer Olympics by restoring many antiquity sites like the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Shrine in Behai Park. Many of the side buildings in the Forbidden City have a vibrant coat of fresh paint, showing off brilliant reds, blues and golds. The more main buildings must be on a later schedule as the have the weather-faded look of a paint job several years old. By the olympics, I am sure everything will be refurbished and ready for the throngs that will arrive in beijing for the Summer Games. If you plan to going for the sights and not the Games, I suggest anytime after the Games have ended. Everything will be beautiful and the crowds will have disappeared. I hope you enjoy this picture tour of the Square and the Forbidden City.
Tiananmen Square
Hall of the People Tiananmen Square.jpg
On Tiananmen Square
Military Museum on Tiananmen Square
Me on Tiananmen Square
Forbidden City from Tiananmen Square
The Forbidden City - aka The Imperial Palace or The Palace Museum
The First Courtyard
Across the First Courtyard
Playing Emperor and Empress
Progressing Toward the Main (Meridian) Gate
The Forbidden Citys Meridian (Wumen) Gate
Left Side of the Mereidian Gate
First Main Courtyard (Taihe Gate Square)
A Side Gate On Taihe Gate Square
Taihe Gate
Guardian Lion
Taihe Hall (Supreme Harmony Hall)
Side Gate Adjacent Taihe Hall
Flanking Gate Adjacent Taihe Hall
Taihe Hall (Supreme Harmony Hall)
A Guardian of the Hall
The Tortise Stands Watch
Baohe Hall Side Buildings
Zhonghe (Middle Harmony) Hall
Bronze Lions on Guard
Baohe (Preserving Harmony) Hall
Baohe Hall Interior
Kunning (Earthly Tranquility) Palace - Emperors Living Quarters