Andrew Aigner-MuehlerChapter 17 - Forbidden City
April 21st 2009 12:35
This weekends plan was to head down to Zhengzhou for a day trip to see the Longmen Caves and Song Shan, but due to unexpected changes I did not go. Instead of wasting a weekend I chose to spend the day with in the Forbidden City, just one of the things that I wanted to see in China mostly.
But firstly, this weekend I learned a lesson, and that lesson was to pre-book my train tickets. From Beijing, there are trains every hour from Zhengzhou, but they are totally full. The trains leave from Beijing West which is around a 20 minute walk from the Military Museum stop on the subway line.
I only tried to book my ticket 9 hours in advance and I could only manage to get a standing only ticket, that is if I wanted to buy. I could have got a hard seat ticket for 270 rmb which you can get for 72rmb, but 272rmb seemed to much for me, so I decided to stay in Beijing for the weekend.
I thought straight away if this line is full and it is not a national holiday, on May day, the Datong train will be totally full, so I tried to pre-book my tickets for that weekend from Beijing. Just to let you know, you can pre-book train tickets for more than 10 days in advance. Luckily, I was staying at the Sanlitun hostel, and they have a tour desk where you can pre-book tickets. I still could not pre-book my tickets but I was able to pay for my tickets as the hostel has something going with the train station in reserving tickets. Since, that day my tickets have been booked and paid for and now I just have to pick up my tickets from the hostel when I go into Beijing. I am now assured of tickets on the train to Datong. I am also assured of a sleeper and a hard seat, and do not have to stand up the whole way, and better still I do not waste a 4 day weekend.
Anyway, moving on to Forbidden City, like any major attraction in China, it is packed full of tourists, it is even worst on a China national holiday.
On this day, I was actually greeted by what I thought was friendly locals at the Tian'anmen East subway station who asked me if I was interested in seeing a art collection. They showed me around their little gallery area full of Chinese art, but it clicked to me, I am a foreigner, I apparently have money, they want me to buy art, which was a case, but did not buy. I also was stopped numerous times with in the Forbidden city but was not going to waste any more time checking out art. I have nothing against art, but if you have been to the Forbidden City or plan in going to, you need a full day there, it is huge inside.
I have been in China now for eight months and did not realise that you can actually walk into the Forbidden City for quite a long way before you actually have to pay to view the museums as such.
The Forbidden City is open from 8:30am until 6:00pm and it cost 60rmb for a ticket. You can borrow a electronic tour guide in many languages for 40rmb with a 100rmb deposit, but once inside all the buildings have what the building was used for in both Chinese and English, as well as everything on display.
Once inside, it can be quite tiring to walk around, by the end of the day or after 4 or 5 hours you are feeling tired. To actually see and read everything that has a caption, you will probably need a couple days there. You do see Chinese in there taking photos of almost everything on display, why? I do not know. There are millions of things on display from gold to silver to bronze to art to terracotta to jade which includes plates, vases, chopstickes, cups, jewellery, headwear, clothing and much more.
But, when you come to China you need to visit the Forbidden City, this is China's history as long as the Great Wall. It is well worth the money.
But firstly, this weekend I learned a lesson, and that lesson was to pre-book my train tickets. From Beijing, there are trains every hour from Zhengzhou, but they are totally full. The trains leave from Beijing West which is around a 20 minute walk from the Military Museum stop on the subway line.
I thought straight away if this line is full and it is not a national holiday, on May day, the Datong train will be totally full, so I tried to pre-book my tickets for that weekend from Beijing. Just to let you know, you can pre-book train tickets for more than 10 days in advance. Luckily, I was staying at the Sanlitun hostel, and they have a tour desk where you can pre-book tickets. I still could not pre-book my tickets but I was able to pay for my tickets as the hostel has something going with the train station in reserving tickets. Since, that day my tickets have been booked and paid for and now I just have to pick up my tickets from the hostel when I go into Beijing. I am now assured of tickets on the train to Datong. I am also assured of a sleeper and a hard seat, and do not have to stand up the whole way, and better still I do not waste a 4 day weekend.
Anyway, moving on to Forbidden City, like any major attraction in China, it is packed full of tourists, it is even worst on a China national holiday.
On this day, I was actually greeted by what I thought was friendly locals at the Tian'anmen East subway station who asked me if I was interested in seeing a art collection. They showed me around their little gallery area full of Chinese art, but it clicked to me, I am a foreigner, I apparently have money, they want me to buy art, which was a case, but did not buy. I also was stopped numerous times with in the Forbidden city but was not going to waste any more time checking out art. I have nothing against art, but if you have been to the Forbidden City or plan in going to, you need a full day there, it is huge inside.
I have been in China now for eight months and did not realise that you can actually walk into the Forbidden City for quite a long way before you actually have to pay to view the museums as such.
The Forbidden City is open from 8:30am until 6:00pm and it cost 60rmb for a ticket. You can borrow a electronic tour guide in many languages for 40rmb with a 100rmb deposit, but once inside all the buildings have what the building was used for in both Chinese and English, as well as everything on display.
Once inside, it can be quite tiring to walk around, by the end of the day or after 4 or 5 hours you are feeling tired. To actually see and read everything that has a caption, you will probably need a couple days there. You do see Chinese in there taking photos of almost everything on display, why? I do not know. There are millions of things on display from gold to silver to bronze to art to terracotta to jade which includes plates, vases, chopstickes, cups, jewellery, headwear, clothing and much more.
But, when you come to China you need to visit the Forbidden City, this is China's history as long as the Great Wall. It is well worth the money.
The front or entrance of the Forbidden City
Inside of the Forbidden City
Once in the paid part of the Forbidden city, you will walk down the steps and to the left is the giant carving
These gold pagodas are on show with in the gold room inside of the Forbidden city, as well as much more gold ordaments
Inside of the Imperial Garden with in the Forbidden city
The art room is down the left hand side of the paid part of the Forbidden City
The Terracotta room is on the right hand side once in to the paid part of the Forbidden City. There are three buildings side by side, with so much Terracotta on display.
One of many alley ways with in the Forbidden City
These gold pots are situated all over the Forbidden City which held water and were used to distinguish fires with in the Forbidden City.
Riding equipment from the Ming Dynasty
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