Beijing Day 2: Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City

On Monday morning, we were wide awake at 4:00 am. Despite our best attempts to sleep in while on vacation, each and every morning in China, we would wake up long before the sun rose. Even on days when we went to sleep after midnight:)

Jane and Hong met us at 9 am to begin our day with a trip to Tian'anmen Square, which lies in the center of Beijing, just south of the Forbidden City. We entered through the Qianmen Gate, formerly the front gate (Zhengyangmen) to the Inner City of ancient Beijing. Although a relatively quiet day, we noted the heavy security both in police and military presence, and in screening and bag check points we were required to pass through in order to enter.

Qianmen Gate

Tian'anmen Square is surrounded by the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall to the south, the Great Hall of the People to the west, the National Museum of China to the east, and The Forbidden City to the north. In its center stands the Monument of the People's Heroes.

To enter the Forbidden City, we passed through Tien'anmen Gate, built during the Ming Dynasty, the location where common people could stand to listen as proclamations were issued to the whole nation. The iconic photo of Mao Zedong, first chairmen of the Chinese Communist Party, has hung above the central gate since his death in 1976.

Tien'anmen Gate - Gate of Heavenly Peace

The Forbidden City, once the home of 24 emperors - fourteen of the Ming Dynasty and ten of the Qing Dynasty - is surrounded by a city wall and a moat. It is full of symbolic detail that clearly reflects the majesty of Imperial power. With Jane's guidance, we noted that almost all the roofs were yellow glazed tiles, the color of the Emperor. Group of three (representing Heaven), six (representing Earth) and nine (representing the Emperor) were also found throughout. And the Dragon and Phoenix, symbols only used for the Emperor and Empress respectively, were seen again and again.

We spent a number of hours exploring Forbidden City's outer and inner courts, and the Palace Museum, filled with bronzeware, paintings, ceramics, timepieces, porcelain and jade and Palace artifacts.

And taking countless pictures, of course:)