Brogan Family Blog: The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Jingshan Park, and Hutongs

Today was our most busy day yet. We met up with our guide early in the morning. After having been reprimanded yesterday for not eating breakfast we made a point to try and run out to pick something up before the tour. Unfortunately there were no breakfast options readily available with in walking distance of our hotel. The only coffee shop we could find didn’t open until 10am! What kind of coffee shop doesn’t open until 10!?!? Thankfully we located a little hole in the wall bakery. We had no idea what we were ordering (in fact I tried to point to one thing and the women wouldn’t give it to me. Instead she handed me a buttery looking croissant type thingy). We paid a whopping $0.16 for it. I was a little hesitant but it was by far the best breakfast roll I have EVER had! Inside the delicious butter bread was more butter with sugar and cinnamon! YUM! We made a point to get up extra early for the rest of our trip to ensure we could pick up more rolls!

Our first stop of the day was Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen square is the second largest city square in the world. It is located directly next to the Forbidden City as well as Mao’s Mausoleum. We didn’t go inside the Mausoleum as we would have had to wait in the LONGEST line I have seen. According to our guide people will wait in line 3, 4 or 5 hours just to see the Mausoleum. Instead we ventured across the square and through the 5th gate into the Forbidden city.

Monument to the People's Heros

Government Building

Mao's Mausoleum

People EVERYWHERE

Fifth Gate of the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is almost 600 years old and was home to the Imperial family. It was protected by 5 gates. Your rank determined how far you were allowed to venture into the city. Today it is the world’s largest surviving palace. It covers over 78 acres and has 980 remaining buildings. All of the buildings and the grounds are still “kept up” the same way they were originally, using ancient techniques (including painting the walls red with pigs blood…). It was incredible! Here are some pictures from the Forbidden City.

Totem Pole!

Mao's Picture is repainted EVERY year

The emperor's walkway

We were almost trampled trying to get this picture.
Now I can't even remember what it is suppose to be a picture of...

Lightning Rod in the shape of animals

Yellow was considered the Imperial Color.
Anyone found wearing the color was automatically decapitated

More Rockery

View of Jingshan Park from The Forbidden City

From the Forbidden City we hiked up to Jingshan Park which is a man made hill directly next to the Forbidden City. It was built as the laws of “Feng Shui” states it is favorable to reside to the south of a hill. The view was breathtaking!

View from part way up the hill

View from the top

Peonies!

After our hike up the large hill, we stopped for a quick lunch at a local restaurant. From there we took a Rickshaw ride through Hutongs. I felt bad for our driver. I am pretty sure Sean is probably the largest man he has ever had to pull. We were definitely passed by several other carts, and each time out driver would point at us and laugh.