Accidental overlay
Possibly due to the late night, we accidentally overlaid this morning. As it was close to noon, we shot up and began getting ready. The Forbidden City was today’s agenda; it was of course too alluring to ignore on our visit to Beijing. We left the hostel and got some breakfast en route, the standard steamed snacks. As we finished breakfast, we waited for the bus that would take us nearby to the Forbidden City.
Thankfully the bus journey was quite short and all of a sudden we were outside the City walls. An impenetrable fortress that has stood tall for centuries, playing host to numerous Emperors of the past. Mat and I had a short walk to get to the entrance of the Forbidden City, this was called the Meridian Gate. We had pre-booked our tickets online (which you can find here) so all we had to do was show the ticket and our passport to the ticket booth. Despite the madness because it was Saturday, it didn’t take us long to get in. As always, we had to put our bags through a scanner.
Standing where Emperor's stood
When we first entered the Forbidden City, it was a very humbling experience. I looked around at the expert craftsmanship and all the intricate details, I was in awe of it all. To think I was standing where a multitude of Chinese Emperors stood and lived, enough to send shivers down my spine! Before coming to the Forbidden City, I thought there was just one palace/building, but it turns out there are a number of them. Each one more beautifully crafted than previous one.
Again, it was absolute mayhem, but it doesn’t really matter at a time like this. As long as you don’t jump into a crowd and get carried away, you’re fine. The centre palace, known as the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is the main attraction, how exquisite it was in all its glory. An absolute masterpiece. Truly an experience I won’t forget. It’s just how it looks on the pictures you see, and the architecture is the same as the Chinese ninja movies set hundreds of years ago.
Terrific timepieces
Included in our tickets was entrance to the Hall of Clocks. At first I thought this might be a bore, but I couldn’t believe what I saw. There was an abundance of clocks on display, but no ordinary clocks. All these clocks were masterpieces, gifted to previous Emperors by famous craftsmen from all over the world. Words can’t describe the intricacies that must be involved to create such wonderful and incredible clocks. If not for the name, I would have just thought these were remarkable sculptures, not actual clocks with moving pieces.
We were also able to visit the Treasure Gallery. This particular building was home to a wide variety of artworks which comprised of gold, silver, jade, and numerous other precious gem stones. These too were excellent exhibits to witness, perfectly preserved from times gone by. Photos can’t do any of these treasures or sculptures justice. I really recommend for people to come and see the Forbidden City for themselves!
A change of scenery
The last place we visited in the Forbidden City was the Imperial Garden. This space was a distinct contrast compared to the rest of the complex. You wouldn’t imagine somewhere so serene could be nested within the Forbidden City. This provided an area where you could sit back, relax, and have a break from the hustle and bustle of the Forbidden City and the tourists within. We had a brief visit on the City walls themselves which gave a good overview of the City and also Beijing itself. After coming down from the walls, we exited the Forbidden City.
We noticed that Tiananmen Square was very close to the Forbidden City, so we decided to visit whilst we were here. Mat and I had a short falling out because he consistently kicked my heel trying to trip me up (a very funny one sided joke I’m sure). I blew my lid and swore if he did it again I’d kick his foot off his leg. Don’t worry though, he’s still walking to this day (with both feet). When we arrived at the square, we even had to have our bags scanned and our bodies searched. No other way into the Square.
Tiananmen Square was quite large and relatively empty. The most prominent feature was the memorial that stood tall, as a remembrance to the events of the past. Just knowing what cracked off here gave me goose bumps. We only spent a brief time here as we were already pretty tired from the Forbidden City. During our visit to the Square, the pair of us made up and carried on having a laugh.
Tip!
If you travel with someone for an extended period of time, it’s only natural that there are some things that each of you do that annoys the other person. Thankfully, Mat and I are best friends of several years, exact same sense of humour, upbeat, and adventurous. Thanks to these attributes, even when one of us annoys the other, we’re able to get over it quickly. The key to surviving travelling together, is communication. If you don’t say anything, then they’ll keep unknowingly (or perhaps they do know) annoying you. This could lead to either spoiling your travels, or breaking apart. Mat and I know each other’s limits, so we’re able to adjust accordingly and crack on having a good time!
To find out more about the story of Mat and I, check out the About page.
A dire situation
We started walking back to our hostel. The pair of us were starving, so we had some food on the way back too. We were pretty exhausted, so we just took things easy and chilled out a bit. The food was nice, I’m really enjoying the food now, and I’m getting quite proficient in the use of chopsticks!
The day was going so well until it came to getting pudding. The bakery from yesterday was on the way home, and they had plenty of profiteroles left. We knew exactly what we were getting. That was until the heartrending sight of some random dude taking all but 3 of them! It was like being punched in the stomach, like my entire world came crumbling down. We took the remaining 3, and then had to select some other subpar pastry.
Before going back to the hostel, we nipped next door to pick some supplies up. All sorts of bizarre and weird snacks in Chinese shops. Well, weird to Westerners at least. Snacks such as shrink wrapped pickled eggs, squid, chicken feet, and more! I finished off the day with a nice and cleansing shower before turning in for the night.
Extras
