Ara's Travels: Beijing, August 2010: Forbidden City, White Cloud Temple

The Imperial City, or the Forbidden City, is found at the center of modern day Beijing. It was established by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty between 1406 and 1420. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty emperors continued to govern China from there until the revolution of 1911 which ended dynastic rule in China.
The Forbidden City got its name due to tha fact that commoners were not allowed inside the city walls, and this for 500 year until the revolution of 1911.

The moat surrounding the Forbidden City.

Imperial Garden in the Forbidden City, close to Shunzen Gate, North entrance.

One of the two famous bronze elephants, at the Shenwu gate.

Red balcony.

Roof ornaments on one of the buildings. The greater the number of mythical creatures between the 1st statue (man on phoenix) and the last big dragon, the higher the status of the person living within the building. The emperor's buildings had nine creatures, the maximum number possible. For example, the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City has nine.
Also note the yellow color of the roof tiles in the City. Yellow was the color of the Emperor. The library had a black roof, black being the color of water in Chinese philosophy; water was to protect the books in case of fire.
The buildings in Forbidden City are made of wood, and therefore fire was a common threat.

More rooftops. Notice the dragons at each corner of the center building's rooftop.

Old couple being photographed.

Plaque writing in Chinese and in Manchu language. Manchu was the primary language of the Imperial Court during the start of the Qing Dynasty.

Vat that used to contain water, to put out fires.

In the photos above, various halls and buildings inside the Forbidden City.

Two peeing outside the wall surrounding Forbidden City.

Mao and me.

Interesting face.

A replica of the famous statue, Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow. The original bronze statue was unearthed in Wuwei County, Gansu province in 1969. It's and extremely interesting piece, made some 2000 years ago that portrays an anatomically and proportionally correct representation of a heavenly horse that flies, and by doing so, surprising the swallow onto which it has stepped while in air. This statue has become the symbol of tourism in China. I photographed this replica in Beijing's Xicheng district close to a subway exit. It was when I visited the White Cloud Temple.

A bixi, yet another mythical creature, used for supporting stelae.

The three photos above were taken at White Cloud Temple, founded in AD 739. It is still an important Taoist center where long haired monks still live.
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