A wide canal surrounds the Forbidden City; all the soil from it's excavation was piled to the north to offer protection from cold winds and also a convenient viewing spot for the entire city. (Let us know if the video works!)
Our first visit, with our intrepid TSE group, began from the north gate on an afternoon when we had just returned from visiting The Wall. The north entrance meant a focus on the imperial household -- tales of concubines were a highlight -- rather than on administration. Formal gardens and residences were what we looked at.
There did not seem to be a large palace as such; most of the residences were relatively small, with quarters for the servant women and eunuchs dispersed towards the side but still quite close to the central buildings.
On our second visit, with our new and less weary group, we entered from the south, moving through the more public squares and courtyards -- set up for the mass of officials and visitors seeking to do business with them -- and towards the completely private household areas. The result was a little more on how the imperial court worked ... to the extent that hundreds of years of history can be summarized by a guide who may have missed the original point of the question.
Much of the City is rather dusty, dulled by time and empty of much. Other parts have been restored in detail, but progress is measured. Beijing has more important public works than here...
Some buildings now display former imperial treasures or regalia. Others provide opportunities for purchasing important keepsakes for which your descendants will be forever grateful.
Of the thousands of tourists shepherded through the buildings and the wide open spaces they surround, most are from within China, although even compliant Indian visitors can be found among the crowds these days.
- Posted from Da Nang, awaiting our train
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