Forbidden City (Beijing)

...and see. Not surprisingly the Forbidden City was on the top of the list. When in Beijing you simply must visit it. It would be like going to London for the first time and not seeing Big Ben. (But on a grander scale…really)

Forbidden City is easily accessible by the City underground system or bus. For 2 or 3 Yuan (1 Yuan = 7 UK pence) you can get almost anywhere in the town centre. It’s so big, you cannot help but stumble across it. ...
...is the way to the Forbidden City; however you don’t actually enter the Forbidden City right there and then. First you pass through several gate towers which are separate attraction in their own right which you have to pay extra. But travelling in China you will soon learn that nothing comes free and everything has a price tag. We just ignored them (maybe until the next time). There is very little direction in English in this part of the complex but ... more

When we visited the Chinese capital in May 2004 believe me, I had a long list of things to do and see. Not surprisingly the Forbidden City was on the top of the list. When in Beijing you simply must visit it. It would be like going to London for the first time and not seeing Big Ben. (But on a grander scale…really)

Forbidden City is easily accessible by the City underground system or bus. For 2 or 3 Yuan (1 Yuan = 7 UK pence) you can get almost anywhere in the town centre. It’s so big, you cannot help but stumble across it. Once you get to Tiananmen Square (the mother of all pavements) just head for the biggest, longest and most guarded red wall with a humongous picture of Mao Tse Tung on the front. There will most certainly be crowds of Chinese tourists taking pictures in front of it. That is the way to the Forbidden City; however you don’t actually enter the Forbidden City right there and then. First you pass through several gate towers which are separate attraction in their own right which you have to pay extra. But travelling in China you will soon learn that nothing comes free and everything has a price tag. We just ignored them (maybe until the next time). There is very little direction in English in this part of the complex but by walking straight ahead until you can’t get any further without paying you strike gold.

I have always been interested in China and so I hyped myself up to be able to experience the Forbidden City for myself. People used to pay with their life for entering the most sacred and royal place in China. Now it costs you a mere 65RMB. Some might say - a little bit too much for a row of courtyards and dusty gazebos - but I say you are definitely getting value for your money. Oh, you can spend weeks in there and still find yourself discovering new courtyards, parks and palaces. It is very advisable to purchase a map in advance even though we have managed one, I know we got lost a few times and I suspect therefore we missed several parts. You could also hire an audio companion which would guide you through all the major points of the complex. Coming in many languages the audio guide comes at extra cost (around 30RMB) plus a possible deposit such as your passport (very common with any sort of rental in China). I believe that the English version is narrated by Roger Moore (James Bond) but I haven’t tried it myself.

I have somewhat expected to step back in time when entering the great gates. It didn't happen! Instead it was crowded, dusty and full of cameras, tourists posing, families having picnics on the benches and hawkers selling everything and anything to anyone. But once you get to one of the higher points, overlooking the sea of the royal rooftops, with intriguingly carved spirals and dragons and everything in bright red with gold, it is totally different experience! You feel somewhat small and petty as you are overwhelmed by the sense of royalty and perfection which just oozes out of the walls, courtyards, rooftops…. from everywhere. However, you might miss this experience in the nowadays hustle and bustle of hectic tourist attraction. One thing that really disturbed me was the fact that even the most regal place in China has been invaded by the Starbucks chain. It is not easy to do the following but try! Take your time, disconnect from now and listen to the stories that the walls have to tell you.

One really good thing that came out of such commercialization of this architectural gem is toilets. They even have four star rating. Well they were not four stars for me but they were clean and once you backpack through Asia and China especially you learn to appreciate a clean toilet.

As I have said before, it is a great tourist attraction and you have to approach it as such. You can buy a map or booklet about the Forbidden City and I highly recommend that as there is only limited amount of information in English available. If you were a person who enjoys raking through the history and likes to take away more than a postcard or a couple of cheesy pictures, there are tour guides available that explain things in more detail. However before you splash out and hire one, I would recommend having a quick conversation with your intended tour guide. From past experience it could be very difficult to understand a Chinese/English tour guide. No matter how much you appreciate their efforts in a foreign language it is generally hard to understand Chinese people trying to speak other languages. Do not worry too much about looking for your tour guide though. They will find you. Not one, not two but many off them will approach you on your way to the main gates. You just have to pick. And after you barter your rate (don’t barter too hard, Chinese tour guides are generally very knowledgeable about their subject and will expose you to hours of monologue on the topic) you are set to enjoy the ride.

My favourite bits were the front courtyard and the gardens. To enhance your experience and due to the early closing hours (around 4PM), I would recommend setting out quite early in the morning to miss the crowds. Also the heat in the summer, the sun reflecting off all the stone and with limited shade, the heat gets a little unbearable between 12 – 3PM. However you will find an ice cream stall placed very handily on nearly every corner. If visiting in summer, take a hat, sun screen and plenty of water. Believe me! It does get very hot!

Another good point! There is a big holiday in China beginning 1st May and usually lasting for week or two. During this time billions and billions of people move, travel, dine-out, and especially with the Chinese being Chinese, they support their national heritage by visiting the most famous jewels of their history. Forbidden City being one of them. You might want to avoid travelling anywhere in China during those days unless you enjoy being crushed to death or queuing for absolutely everything. Mind you, it is impossible to find anything in China that you don’t have to queue for. But at least you can stand on your own feet and walk freely without a mad stampede of people sweeping you in all directions.

Experiencing any Asian attraction makes me always think of hawkers. The hawkers just come standard with anything that comes in contact with tourists. The ones in Forbidden City were not as bad as some of the ones I have experienced before. Take it as a part of the culture. Even the Chinese tourists – although not as much - are approached by those street sellers. If things go too far and you really want to get rid of them “BU YAO” means “I don’t wont it!” in Chinese. It does work.

My main guide through China was the Lonely Planet. I found it very helpful, however some of the information was really dated (even being the most recent edition at the time), especially the chapters on eastern provinces. I wouldn’t blame it on the book though. Believe it or not - and despite the age old Chinese tradition - China changes very quickly and generally without any notice.

Forbidden City is a definite “must go” in Beijing and I look forward to my next visit.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

 

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