The Forbidden City (Zi jin cheng), for those unfamiliar, is a huge, nay, city like complex in the heart of Beijing which used to be the imperial palace of the Qing and Ming dynasties. It's probably most famous as the backdrop to the film "the last emperor" and after the 1911 revolution was used to house the last emperor of China before he was deposed.
It's now a vast tourist attraction and on a sunny day can be stunning (and exhausting). The Chinese tell me that apparently when the Queen visited China the she wanted, but wasnt allowed to visit the forbidden city due to the filming of the movie. Bet she was a bit non plussed eh?
You can start at one of two ends of the Forbidden City - and work your way round to the other. I began at the east gate and between me inspecting every bit of the elaborate rooftop architecture and visiting the hall of clocks (more on this later) it took me about 5 hours.
One of the best things about the place is the view from the top of Jinshang park which gives you an almost birdseye and panoramic view of the city. Pictures below.
I think I took more pictures here than anywhere else in China so far. My second favourite part was looking right through the Forbidden City from the Hall of Supreme Harmony. You really get an appreciation for its size.
The best thing to do is to actually wonder off the beaten track a little. Some of the more interesting stuff is not on the main trail of the city. I managed to blag my way into the "hall of treasures" by attaching myself to a group of Chinese tourists and feigning ignorance when thy asked for my ticket (you have to buy another ticket).
It was here that housed some of the many treasures of the previous dynasties. The clocks were impressive and a sign of the opulence of the dynasties long gone. There was one clock that was as big as a horse drawn carriage - and it was a horse drawn carriage.
To be honest, and I say this somewhat as an idiot abroad, once you've seen one temple or great hall, you've seen them all. Well, that's not strictly true but you can definitely get "templed out" after a whole day of looking at them.
My favourite part of the Forbidden City? It has to be the winding gardens at the side of the city. There's a strange tranquility to the place in the centre of the madness that is Beijing. Enough about the FC. The pictures below give a better impression than I could with words.
Beijing is peppered with a panoply of markets and shops but perhaps most famous amongst them (San li tun aside) is xiu shui - silk market. Haggling is taken to a new level. Pian yi yi dianr (give me a cheaper price) is the phrase of choice and the rule of thumb is try to get 1/3 of the original price offered.
I have to say that the clothes here are absolute crap. Stalls and stalls of Ralph Lauren imitation polo shirts. They're good imitations, don't get me wrong, but unless you want to look like cheap eurotrash I'd suggest shopping elsewhere. Oh, and being a 20 something male doesn't stop stallholders offering dresses, ladies jewellery and children's clothes. If the Chinese can sell it to you, they will.
Nonetheless there are some smashing bargains here. I got a pair of Nike running shoes for 15 quid and a collection of posters, trinkets and all the usual tourist guff that I seem to be attracted to. And a new pair of fraybans (fake raybans) to add to my growing collection.
If you want to see how capitalism has been injected Into the veins of Beijing, go to xiu shui. There's a Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Subway and countless other western brands all next to each other next to the Market. Great if you're Russian. More in the Russians later.
Beijing has been described by some as a concrete jungle. (When my Chinese is good enough I'll try translating the Alicia Keys "empire state of mind" song for the Chinese to see if they think it applies to the "Big Jing"). It's a, perhaps, unfair moniker as the city has some fantastic green spaces and parks. My favourite so far has to be Ho Hai in the north of the city. Prepare to be hassled by street sellers and boy children trying to pull you into the bars surrounding the lake with promises of cheap beers. But that aside, it's a really beautiful and buzzing place at night. My two bosses (married to each other) took me out here for a birthday meal here and there are some great eateries (first time I've found decent fish in Beijing).
A word on waitresses and ordering here. You get the waitresses attention by yelling "fuwuyuan", which literally means waitress, (or fuwuyuar in Beijing as people here swap the n for an er - say "are"). You say "Wo Yao" - I want, or bring - "Lai". It takes a bit of getting used to for a meek and polite Brit like me who practically apologises forthe trouble the waitress has gone to when food is brought to the table in England.
Later that evening my housemates and I went to Wudaoying Hutong, which is near where I live, to a bar called ""vampire bar". Think of it like this. Someone has made a bomb with Robert pattison, all the vampire movies ever made, and the colour red inside, and exploded it in an empty room with a bar. Hey presto, you have vampire bar. Drinks were themed as such - apart from the Mojito which I think came as rum and coke. A couple of bars later and a Chinese Muslim meal on the way home, the skies opened and he heaviest rain Beijing has seen in ages. Nice way to end my birthday lol.
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