Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Forbidden City

I don't have anything exciting to say about Suzie (even the most enthralling text message conversations are limited by my time and Chinese ability), and I'm not sure that that kind of information is what people are interested in when they read this blog. So I'm going to talk about the Forbidden City.

It was a cool idea. "Let's make a city, but then decide that we're more special and live in a special inner city with our own walls and moat and not let anyone come in for hundreds of years." But then the exclusivity is over and everyone realizes that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil only features fruit.

There were some buildings. People used to live in them, like most old places I've visited in China. That's really all I got out of it. And Tiananmen Square, which is adjacent, was unrevolutionary.

They did have a garden there, where I posed.


And there was an artificial little fountain, with a sign on the side.


But this is the worst translated sign in all of Beijing, since they've gotten it together for the Olympics, and it's not even that bad.

I guess I should have one picture of the actual Forbidden City itself, though, so it looks like I've written a detailed review of the place.


It's a pretty popular spot for people to visit. But if I were a travel guide people trusted, I wouldn't recommend it.

2 comments:

Lauren said...

I thought there were some interesting things in Beijing which I hope you will get to.... the market stalls on the street which sell the exotic animals on sticks for eating... people dancing tango in some park... the upscale 'bar district' which was really pretty...

I hope you see these soon, if you haven't already. However I liked your "peace sign" smiley photos at the flowers of The Forbidden City.

Unknown said...

too bad that Jaimie from our Rick Steve's tour didn't take you around the Forbidden City. You would have learned so much and it would have been so interesting!