Experience travel on the Silk Road

What is the Silk Road?

The Silk Road was also a network of overland trade routes extending over 6500 kilometers that connected China to the Mediterranean over 2000 years ago. The route started in the ancient Chinese capital of Xian, crossed mountain ranges, deserts, steppes and oasis’s and finished in Levant, an ancient region now covered by Lebanon, Syria and Israel.

It was also instrumental in the development of ancient civilizations such as Persia, Arabia, Rome and China and was a critical influence in the development of the modern world.  It was also the source of legends and the inspiration of ancient explorers and traders such as Marco Polo and Friar John of Pian de Carpine.

From Europe to Aisa

Not all of the exchanges on the Silk road were positive and the Silk Road was responsible for the spread of the bubonic or black plague that wiped out up to 60% of Europe’s population.

Trade on the Silk Road was not continuous and goods and ideas exchanged hands many times through a series of oasis town market places and bazaars in many different countries before reaching their final destination.

History of the Silk Road

The Silk Road began around 329 BCE when Alexander the Great conquered all of the known world, built the City of Alexandria Eschate and promoted trade to the east.

The next major development in the Silk Road was when the Han Dynasty wiped out the inhabitants of the Taklaman Desert, started settlements and established trade and diplomatic relations with countries to the west

After the Roman empire conquered Egypt in 30BCE, trade between China and Europe along the silk road boomed. Large numbers of ships sailed from Egypt to India every year to exchange goods on the lower Silk Road.  Growth in the trade of silk on the Silk Road was driven by strong Roman demand supplied by the Parthians (a silk road intermediary). Roman demand for Chinese silk was so strong that the balance of trade was in the red and Rome’s coffers were running dry. The Roman senate responded by sulking and prohibiting the wearing of silk.

Xian's Bell Tower

Silk Road Revival – Modern trade on the Silk Road started again when China and Kazakhstan connected their railway systems in 1990 you can now travel from Urumqi in Xinjiang to Almaty and Astana in Kazakhstan. The establishment of a freight rail link in 2011 between Chingqing and Duisberg in German was a much needed boost in Silk Road trade. Freight between German and China by train on the Silk road takes 13 days compared to shipping that takes 36 days.

Travelling the Silk Road

Silk Road travel begins in Xian (called Chang’an in ancient times), passes through Dunhuang and Urumqi and ends at Kashgar.  Depending on how much time you have, your budget and your method of travel, your trip can vary from see every major spot on the Silk Road to seeing just the key spots such as Xian, Urumqi, Kashgar and Jiayuguan Pass.

Key spots on the Silk Road in China

Xian – Is over 3’100 years old and was one of the four great Ancient Capitals of China. Xian, formerly known as Changan was the capital of China during great dynasties such as the Tang Dynasty. When you travel to Xian, you can see the famous Terracotta Army, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Bell Tower and ride a bike in the city wall. Xian is

Jiayuguan Pass Fortress and Great Wall

Lanzhou – Is the capital of Gansu Province, is on the Yellow River and a major Silk Road travel hub. Near Lanzhou are classic attractions such as the Thousand Buddha Caves that are over 2’000 years old and the Labrang Monastry.

Jiayuguan Pass – Jiayuguan is a fortress on the Western end of the Great Wall of China guarding the strategic Shanhai Pass which is a critical Silk Road pass. The fortress is enormous, very well preserved and magnificent. The fortress is easily one of the most impressive spots on the Silk Road.

Dunhuang – Dunhuang’s claim to fame is it’s a trading hub and oasis on the Silk Road and its Magao Caves. The Magao caves are a series of Buddhist temples built on caves. Great to see but one of the less important spots on the Silk Road.

Flaming Mountain at Turpan

Urumqi – Located in the foot of the Tianshan Mountains in far north west China, Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang and famous for being a major city furthest from any ocean. The two main ethnic groups in Urumqi are the Uyghur who are native to the area and Han who are migrants. There is often tension and political turmoil between these two groups. Islam is the dominant religion in Urumqi and the Islamic influence is visible in the architecture, food, dress and behaviour of the Uyghur.

A Urumqi Mosque

Urumqi is regarded as a beautiful city and it also has famous tourist attractions such as the gorgeous Heavenly Lake on a mountain peak east of the city (not to be confused with Heavenly Lake in Jilin Province) and Southern Pastures, a famous resort cum pastures to the south. Urumqi is not one of the key spots on the Silk Road but it does provide a fascinating insight into the ethnic make up of China.

Kashgar – Kashgar is the Muslim center of China and one of China’s most inaccessible cities. This gives Kashgar a look and feel different from any other Chinese city and different from the rest of Xinjiang. Kashgar is also an oasis city with a population much less than half a million which is tiny by Chinese

A Kashgar market

Apart from colourful and fascinating culture and environment, Kashgir also has a number of attractive sights such as the Id Kah Mosque which is the largest Mosque in China and the Sunday Bazaar which is an enormous market typical of Silk Road bazaars.

Kashgar embodies the spirit, culture and environment of the original silk road and is a must see for anyone travelling on the Silk Road.

Taklamakan Desert – This desert separates the Silk Road, is China’s largest desert and the world’s second largest shifting sand desert. The continuous sand dunes in the desert are around a 100 meters high and can go to over 300 meters in height. The desert is ringed by bustling oasis towns supplied by rainfall from the nearby mountains that were key stops for the Silk Road caravans. Two cross desert highways have been built that link the oasis towns of Aksu to Hetian and Korla to Minfeng. Silk Road

Recommended Silk Road Route

Ideally you’d want to start in Xian, finish in Kashgar and see every spot on the Silk Road. Most of us can’t do this so I have listed recommendations below for getting the most out of your Silk Road trip.

Must see sites

Xian – Xian alone is an incredible city to visit and the starting point of the word’s most famous road. You cannot do a Silk Road trip with out seeing Xian.

Kashgar – This city embodies the history, spirit, terrain and cross cultural nature of the Silk Road.

Jiayuguan Pass – This is most western end of the Great Wall and an incredible fortress.

Taklamakan Desert – You can’t really know what travel on the Silk Road was like until you see and cross this desert.

The Taklamakan Desert

Urumqi – This city provides an incredible contrast to the rest of China and will give you a unique look and at ethnic heart of western China.

Turpan – A multitude of ethnic groups, great food and desert location make Turpan a unique and compelling site.

This is my recommended route

Xian – Jiayuguan Pass – Urumqi – Turpan – Kashgar – Hetian (desert crossing) – Aksu – Dunhuang

From Dunhuang you can either fly to the international airport you’ll use to leave China or fly to another city such as Hanzhou where you can continue your travels in China.

How to Travel the Silk Road

You have three main choices for seeing the Silk Road 1 – A tour from Beijing, Shanghai or Xian 2 – Independent travel and local tours 3 – Complete independent travel.

Tours – I’m not a big fan of tours and normally avoid them like the plague BUT they are the easiest and most efficient way to see the Silk Road. If you do take a Silk Road tour, start and finish in Xian. Tours from Beijing and/or Shanghai will cost a lot more and waste 2-3 in the starting city before reaching any of the Silk Road sites. If possible, also choose a tour that has more emphasis on overland travel and less on plane travel.

Independent travel  and local tours – Making your way independently to Xian, Urumqi, Kashgar and the other major Silk Road sites by train or plane is easy and there will be many travel agents offering tours ranging from one day to over five days. This is the way I’d travel the Silk Road because you have the freedom of travelling independently and choose where you stay and for how long without the hassle and danger doing every thing yourself.

Complete independent Travel – Travelling independently and making all your own arrangements is difficult because you require local knowledge, a LOT of time and patience, a way to deal with multiple language barriers and a willingness to rough it.  Many of the ethnic minorities have their own spoken and written language so even if you speak fluent Mandarin, communications can still be very difficult.

On the bright side most travel agencies and hotels will hire cars and minivans with drivers at reasonable rates and buses between the larger cities are easy to catch. The three day bus trip from Urumqi to Kashgar provides spectacular views and a must do for independent travellers.

camel road trip

Western China has seen a lot of development and improvements in transport infrastructure so travelling by road is now practical, easy and reasonably safe. I’ve listed below the times and distances of key road routes.

Train Travel in the Silk Road

Travel by train in the Silk Road is by far the best way. It is cheap, convenient, very comfortable with hard or soft sleepers, you get to see and mingle with the locals and see the landscape as you roll through the country. Trains go directly from all major cities to Xian and there are direct trains to Urumqi from Xian, Lanzhou, Beijing and many other cities. Every other city on the silk road from Kashgar to Dunhuang is connected by train.

If you are making a long train trip from east to west such as Beijing to Urumqi, make sure you take enough food and drink to last the trip because food and drink available on the train is often sold out after the first day, poor quality or very limited. Also make sure you bring plenty of entertainment, toilet paper and other toiletries.

Travel by train on the Silk Road

Best Time to Go – Around May and October are the best months to go because summers are scorchers and winters are freezing.

Things to Bring – Even around May and October temperatures can vary a lot so bring clothes for summer and for a mild winter. Much of the Silk Road is at a high elevation where UV light is a problem so bring sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen.

Islam – Xinjiang is a Muslim dominated area so you will need to be respectful of the locals religious beliefs, don’t expect to eat pork and be suitably dressed if you visit any of the mosques. Women’s dress should be modest with legs and shoulders covered. Woman are not permitted in some mosques so be careful.

No McDonalds – Western food will be available in the larger cities such asUrumqi Kashgar but most places, especially in the rural areas will only have local food. You need to adapt to local cuisine which is includes a lot of fruit, beef, mutton, noodles and bread.

Avoid politics – Many Xinjiang people from ethnic minorities are not too fond of the central government so politics is a very sensitive subject. Best to play it safe and avoid politics all together.

Tigers resting between bus attacks

I have included below a recent report on a group of lucky tourists in Shandong and their action packed and complimentary tiger attack.

"A group of tourists visiting a wildlife park in eastern China had a narrow escape after bengal tigers attacked their bus, puncturing its tyres and destroying the windscreen, state media said.

A worker in charge of the enclosure at Jinan Wildlife World in Shandong province was at lunch when the incident happened last Saturday, and it took officials 10 minutes to open a gate so the tourists could escape, reports said.

None of the 27 tourists on the bus was injured, but the driver's hand was hurt when the tigers jumped on the vehicle and broke the windscreen, the official Xinhua news agency said.

An appetiser before the main course arrives

Terrified visitors hid under their seats as a group of up to eight tigers bit the vehicle's tyres, destroyed its windshield wipers and broke windows, the Global Times reported.

Attempts to call police failed because there was no mobile phone reception, it added.

"We are deeply sorry for the accident," Wu Yanfei, deputy manager of Jinan Wildlife World, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

The park has launched an investigation into the attack and compensated the tourists, Xinhua said.

China says it has nearly 6,000 endangered tigers in captivity, but just 50 to 60 living in the wild in its north-east.

A number of attacks on humans by captive tigers have been reported in recent years.

Last year, a tour bus driver was mauled to death by a siberian tiger at a breeding centre in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang after he got out of his vehicle to check on a mechanical problem.

In 2010, a zoo keeper was killed by a bengal tiger at Shanghai Zoo after apparently forgetting to lock the animal's cage."

Source

Crazy & Funny China Photo Gallery One (click to view)

Optimism at work

Crazy and Funny China Photo Gallery Two (click to view)

Dangerous mobile phone use

Crazy and Funny China Photo Gallery Three (click to view)

No translation needed

Crazy China Photo Gallery Four (click to view)

Panda jail break

As unreal as some of these photos may seem, rest assured that they are real and if you are lucky or unlucky enough, these are the kind of sites you can expect to see when you are here.

China is Crazy and you see things like this daily

You stop saying sorry or excuse me when you accidentally bump people

You allow your children to openly urinate on the street

You always take the front seat when you catch a taxi

You never use the seat belt when you catch a taxi

You never ever leave home with out toilet paper/tissues

You never clean up your dog’s poo when walking it in the street

You stop cleaning your tray at McDonald’s or KFC

You stop smiling or being friendly to service staff

You no longer feel that yelling into a mobile phone at restaurants is rude or unusual

You start littering and dumping your trash on the street instead of the bin

You automatically haggle when ever you buy something

You now believe that queuing and waiting in line is for losers

You give in to peer pressure and start smoking every where. Lifts, restaurants, taxis…..

You have adopted the habit of loudly hawking and spitting

You never used to use your car horn, now you use it constantly at the slightest provocation

You are no longer worried about disturbing people and make as much noise as you want when ever you want where ever you are

You have given up on direct communication and are always looking for the implied meaning

You can no longer understand why copying and bootlegging is illegal outside China

Purpose & Function

Throughout China’s history from the unification of China in 221 BE by the King of Qin to the fall of the last emperor Yuan Shikai in 1916, China’s emperors were referred to as the son’s of heaven. The emperor was heaven’s representative on earth and administered earth on behalf of the gods. Part of the emperors duties as the son of heaven was showing respect to the gods by making sacrifices to heaven.

The Temple of Heaven was built so the emperor could make sacrifices to heaven and pray for the god’s benevolence. Two key ceremonies were held at the Temple of Heaven on the Winter solstice and in Spring when the emperor, the court and Beijing’s royal A list would dress in their Sunday finest, leave the Forbidden City and travel to the Temple of Heaven where they would set up camp for the ceremonies duration.

The outer temple park

History

The temple was built from 1406 to 1420 by Emperor Yong Le of the Ming Dynasty who died four years after construction was complete. When the temple was built it was called the Temple of Heaven and Earth. Later in the 16^th century a Ming Emperor Jia Jiang built the Temple of Earth in the north of Beijing so the Temple of Heaven and Earth had to be renamed as the Temple of Heaven.

The Temple of Heaven was renovated and extended in the 16^th century and renovated again in the 18^th century by the Emperor Qianlong.

In 1900 a group of foreign nations that included USA and the UK took over the Temple of Heaven and used it as a headquarters for a year during the ill fated Boxer Rebellion. Later in 1918 the Temple was turned into a park and opened to the public for the first time in history. In recognition of the temple’s unique architecture and key role in China’s history, UNESCO listed it as a world heritage site in 1998.

The gorgeous architecture and paint work on the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

As the son of heaven, the emperor was not able to make his home bigger than the symbolic home for heaven so the Temple of heaven covers 2.73 square kilometres which is over three times larger than the Forbidden City. The Temple of Heaven itself is divided into two parts, the inner temple and the outer temple. The outer temple is mainly heavily wooded parkland that is now used by Beijing locals for recreation and sport. If you visit the temple early in the morning, you will see many people out and about enjoying themselves in the outer temple parkland.

The inner temple is built on a straight line running from north to south and holds the temple’s main buildings which are the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Circular Mound Alter.

A map of the Temple of Heaven

You can see from the map that the part of the temple holding the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is enclosed by a wall. The northern part of the wall that holds the hall is circular which symbolizes heaven and the southern part of the wall is square which symbolizes earth that ancient Chinese believed to be square. Very similar to the European belief at the time that the world was flat!

The hall is 38.2 meters high, has a diameter of 24.2 meters and built on a raised 3 tier marble terrace with eight stairways. The terrace elevates the temple to show that heaven is high and earth is low. The hall and was used during the Spring ceremony to pray for bumper harvest.

The hall was first built in 1420 as a rectangular hall called “Great Hall of Sacrificial Rituals”. It was rebuilt in 1545 and named “Great Hall of Offering Sacrifices”.  Keeping the same basic design, it was rebuilt again in 1751 and named the “Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

The Imperial Hall of Heaven is just north of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. This hall is often called the Heavenly warehouse because it stored the stone tablet of “the God of Heaven” and the tablets of the Emperor’s ancestors. The tablets were transferred to the Hall of Prayer for rituals and ceremonies then returned again at the end.

On the day of ceremonies the emperor would come here to burn incense and pay respect to his ancestors before officials from the ministry of rituals transferred the tablets to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

The Imperial Hall of Heaven and gate

The Dianbi Bridge is a 360 meter long 4 meters high raised walk way connecting the Hall of Prayer and the Circular Mound alter. The bridge is also called the Sacred Way because the emperor used the bridge during the ceremonies.

The Dianbi Bridge

The firewood stove was used for burning offerings to heaven. Before heaven worshipping ceremonies began, a washed and shaved calf was placed in the firewood stove and burnt to welcome the god of heaven. After ceremonies were complete, all offerings such as placards and silk scrolls were burnt in the stove while the emperor stood nearby keeping warm and watching. This was a ritual called “Observation of the burning”.

Next to the Fire wood stove is a pit called the Pit of Blood and Hair because the hair and blood of sacrificial victims was buried there. Given China’s history of human sacrifices and references to the Pit of Blood and Hair, there is a strong possibility that the Temple of Heaven used human sacrifices before 1464.

The 8 stoves were used to make offerings to the first 8 generations of the Qing Emperors.

The Firewood Stove and Pit of Blood and Hair

8 burning stoves

The Imperial Vault of Heaven was first built in 1538 and called the “Hall of Appeasing Gods. It was later named Vault of Heaven in 1538 and rebuilt to its current state in 1752.

With a height of 19.5 meters and a diameter of 15.6 meters, the Imperial Vault of Heaven is the least imposing of the three main structures in the Temple of Heaven.

The vault is surrounded a 3.72 meter high 90 centimeter thick and 65 meter long circular wall called the Echo Wall that is famous for its acoustic properties that can transmit sound over long distances.

The Imperial Vault of Heaven

The Circular Mound Alter was built in 1530 and used to for holding the ceremony to worship Heaven at the winter solstice. The Circular Mound Alter is also called the Heaven Worshipping Terrace and was later redesigned and enlarged in 1749.

Like the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the Circular Mound Alter is built on a three tier marble terrace. The bottom terrace represents hell, the middle terrace represents the mortal world and the top terrace represents heaven. The top terrace has an alter stone called the Heaven's Heart Stone that is surrounded by 9 rings of stone slabs.

The Circular Mound Alter

The subway is the easiest way to get to the Temple of Heaven. Catch the subway on line 5 then get of at Tian Tan Dong Men station and use the A exit.  You’ll exit the station near the east gate of the Temple of Heaven.

There are also many buses that run to the Temple of Heaven and the best buses are buses 6, 34, 35, 36, 106, 110, 687, 707 or 743 that stop at the temple’s north gate.

If you are coming from the centre of the city near Tiananmen Square, walking is by far the best way to get to the temple which is less than four kilomters from the Forbidden City.

How the emperor got there- The emperor travelled from the Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven and back on a 12 meter long, 2.8 meter wide and 3.6 meter high sedan that was carried by 36 bearers. There were over 10 groups of bearers and thousands of officials, eunuchs and royal guards. Traffic was not a problem because commoners where not allowed to see the emperor and his entourage.

Tips for visitors to the Temple of Heaven

Do the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City on the same day – The Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City are connected and complement each other so if possible, see both on the same day.  See the temple in the morning which should take no more than 2 hours, walk from the temple to the Forbidden City which should take around 40 minutes then enjoy the rest of the day in the Forbidden City. If the emperor and his entourage could do it, so can you.

Walk through the hutongs – If you walk from the Temple of Heaven to the Forbidden City, walk through the hutongs which are a fascinating and hidden part of Beijing. You can reach the hutongs from the northern entrance of the temple and follow them north for at least one kilometer.

One of the hutongs to the north of the Temple of Heaven

Tickets and hours

Entry to the outer temple and parklands cost 10rmb and entry into the inner temple is 20rmb.

The outer temple is open from 6am to 8pm and the inner temple opens at 8am and closes at 5pm.

Temple of Heaven LInks

More Temple of Heaven Photos – My entire Temple of Heaven Photo Collection

Wikipedia on The Temple of Heaven – Dry, dull and very few pictures but may have a few facts I missed

The Forbidden City – A guide to the Forbidden City to help you with your visit when you leave the Temple of Heaven

Gotta match?!?

Partly due to tradition but mostly because playing with fireworks during the New Year celebration is a lot of fun. Admit it or not, there is a big kid in all of us that just loves playing with fire and making things go bang. New Year in China is the time when that big kid is allowed to play with fireworks and have fun.

Plumes of sulphurous smoke cover streets and buildings, showers of sparks surround you, multicoloured lights bursting in the sky overhead, round the clock continuous cacophony of percussive explosions and every where you look, fireworks are going off with ear shattering frequency. Celebrating New Year with fireworks is fun!!!

Traditionally people believed that the fire and noise from fireworks scared away evil spirits and bad luck in the New Year. Chinese are very big believers in luck and make sure the New Year starts with lots of very noisy and exciting fireworks.

If you are lucky enough to be in China during the New Year celebrations, you will feel like you are in a war zone on New Year’s eve.  You will be surrounded by the continuous deafening explosions and flashes of cascading light.

The firework peak is New Year’s eve but fireworks will be going off regularly from 15 days before New Year’s eve to 15 days after. Sleep can be a little difficult with fireworks going off all hours of the day and night but that is just part of the fun. If you are a light sleeper, best to buy earplugs.

The Downside – Fireworks are dangerous

Fireworks were banned in most cities until 2006 and are now only legal during the New Year period when licensed street side stands like the one above sprout like mushrooms. Every year people are killed and injured and numerous blazes started. In the first 32 hours of the New Year holiday last year there was over 6,000 fires reported from fireworks and a five star hotel was destroyed in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province here in north east China. Luckily there were no casualties at least in the hotel fire.

So get New Year is a great time to get out and enjoy this fantastic part of Chinese culture and have fun with fireworks. Just remember to be careful.

The blue and red posters below from a project by Yang Liu are a brilliant illustration of key cultural differences between Chinese and the western cultures. These posters as a generalization are amazingly accurate and extremely helpful in explaining cultural differences.

The blue side is the western side and the red side (politically correct) is the Chinese side.

Transportation

In the west bicycles are becoming more popular because they are more environmentally friendly and healthy alternative to vehicles. In China on the other hand in the mad rush to modernize and embrace new wealth, people have been dumping their bikes in droves and switching to vehicles.

20 years ago in Beijing bicycles were every where, they had their own dedicated lanes on all major roads and private vehicles are a rarity. Now Beijing and every other major city private vehicles congest roads, bring traffic to a crawl where drivers thump their horns at the slightest provocation and riding a bike is only for the fearless and insane.

Only poor people, crazy people and foreigners ride bikes

In China light skin is beautiful and brown skin is avoided like the plague. Chinese women use skin whitening beauty products and avoid the sun while western women use tanning products and embrace the sun. Travelling around China you will often see Chinese women out and about with an umbrella to protect their delicate white skin from the ravages of the sun.

In ancient times white skin was a sign of wealth and status and brown skin was a sign of poverty and labelled you as a low class labourer or farm hand. Hundreds of years later this belief still dominates perceptions of beauty.

Only white is beautiful

Queuing is for the weak and pushing and shoving are the norm. This sounds very harsh but you will see the reality of it when you go to banks, train stations, shop counters and most other places where people would normally queue in the west. Chinese are slowly improving and you can see nice orderly queues at many bus stops but the general rule in many places is that if you want service, you will have to join the pack and fight for it.

Queuing is for suckers

Noise and restaurants

Chinese people love to talk loudly and constantly while they eat and meals in a Chinese restaurant are very noisy and boisterous affairs. Restaurants should be noisy and the noisier it is, the better it is. If you like don’t mind the noise, share meals with the Chinese you meat during your travels and you’ll have a great time. If you prefer a quiet peaceful romantic candlelit dinner while you travel in China, order room service.

The louder the better

Though not as bad as Japanese, Chinese seem obsessed with photographing their travels and spend more time posing for photos than enjoying the sites. If you look at the photo collection of a Chinese persons holiday, just about every photo will invariably have them in it making the compulsory peace sign. Scenic shots will be few and far between if any.

See the world through the lens of a camera

This one is so true. Go to most Chinese parties and you’ll see every one involved in a group activity instead of smaller clusters like we are used to. This comes back to the collective nature of Chinese culture were people see them selves less as individuals and more as members of a group. In terms of travel, you’ll see very few solo Chinese travellers compared to solo western travellers.

Expect group activities at Chinese parties

Opinions and feedback

Often getting a straight answer out of a Chinese person is like getting blood from a rock only more frustrating.  You can ask a western person what they think of your new outfit, business proposal or travel pic and  they are likely to tell you it is great or it is horrible. A Chinese person will either tell you it is great when they think it is horrible or give you an indirect and noncommittal answer.

One reason for this is to avoid offending you or making you lose face by giving a negative answer. Very thoughtful but also very confusing. The trick is to interpret their indirect meaning which can be very hit and miss.

Don't expect direct answers - you will rarely get them

Chinese are born networkers and thrive on meeting people and building complex webs of relationships. The expression it is who you now not what you know is especially true in Chinese culture where complex circular relationships involving many people are the norm. This can be very beneficial in your travels as you start to know people and your tour guides, hotel staff and translators can be an invaluable source of contacts and travel information. If they don’t know how to get some where or where to stay, their sister will have a colleague who’s cousin’s brother in law's…………… has the answer you need for the next step in your travels

The Chinese art of Guanxi or networking

In most western countries children are raised and cared for by their parents with limited help from their grandparents. In China a child is looked after by two parents and two sets of grand parents who often compete fiercely to be the child’s favourite. This is mainly due to the one child policy that left less grand children to be shared amongst grandparents in a society that has always adored grandchildren.

In your travels you will often see young children spoilt rotten by their doting grandparents with too much time on their hands and a burning desire to make a contribution to the family.

4 grand parents + 1 granchild = trouble

1 – Ebook reader

They take up very little room in your backpack, you can download books while on the road, carry a whole library with you AND swap books with fellow travellers. An ebook reader is one those unconditional must have live saving items for travel in China. Ideal for when you are stuck on a train for 30 plus hours from Beijing to Guangzhou, waiting for a plane at Shanghai’s Pudong airport or chilling out at one of Suzhou’s classical gardens.

If your ebook reader can use external batteries, take them. Try to have at least 10 hours of battery life.

any old ebook reader will do

If you don’t know Chinese and rely on sign language and pained facial gestures, you may end up with roast dog instead of pork dumplings or directions to the local police station when you desperately need a toilet. When you just need a few words of Chinese a Chinese dictionary is a life saver.

3 – Paper reading material

Ebook readers are great but there will be times when your batteries are flat or you are on a plane taking off/landing or in customs queue where electronics are not allowed. For these kind of situations, a tattered novel or magazine are great to have as a back up. Also good if your ebook reader has an unforseen accident and goes to digital heaven.

they are ancient but useful at times

A travel nightmare is a night in a dorm or on a sleeper train when one of your companions keeps you awake and drives you insane with the most ear shattering snores. Instead of lying there fantasizing  about smothering them with their drool soaked pillow, pull out a set of ear plugs, carefully insert them, roll over and sleep like an angel.

Also great when you have the misfortune of sitting next to a screaming infant on a long haul flight. Plug them in, pull a few faces at the squalling tot, smile at their suffering parents, sit back and enjoy the flight.

5 – Tissues

Most Chinse public toilets have no toilet paper. Yeah, I know, pretty horrible and something that glossy travel brochures and websites forget to mention. So how do avoid being caught with your pants down in a very awkward situation? ALWAYS take at least one pack of pocket tissues with you. They are also great for cleaning chopsticks and cups in less savoury restaurants, cleaning up accidents and for helping out with the screaming infant sitting next to you on that long haul flight.

Only in China can you find tissues as tacky as these

A durable heat resistant water bottle will make your travel in China a lot more comfortable and minimize your dependence on environmentally unfriendly bottled water. All Chinese trains, train stations and airports and most hostels and hotels will have hot water dispensers where you can top up your trusty water bottle. A word of warning: never top up your bottle with tap water while in China. Always use boiled water.

7 – Money belt & zip lock bag

Losing your passport and cash in a foreign country a traveller’s night mare and when you travel in China using train stations, budget accommodation and eating at restaurants, a money belt is the only way to be safe and avoid this nightmare.

You will often need to wear your money belt under your clothing while sleeping, hiking and flying so make sure yours is comfortable. They are not water proof and my last passport was destroyed from water damage so keep your passport in a tough zip lock bag inside your money belt.

Don't forget the zip lock bag!

8 – Roll on insect repellent

Mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies can be annoying and gorgeous travel spots such as Hangzhou’s West Lake are home to swarms of them. A good insect repellent such as tropical strength Aeroguard will keep blood sucking parasites (the insect ones) at bay.

To avoid problems with airport security and hand luggage, make sure you take bottles with less than 100ml. 50ml bottles are ideal.

9 – Flip flops or Thongs

Ideal for showering in grungy shared hostel bathrooms, hanging out on one of Sanya’s glorious beaches and killing bugs in Hong Kong’s Chunking Mansion. Chinese are not big on using thongs in public so try to avoid wearing them off beaches or outside your hostel.

for laid back comfort

A pocket torch is ideal when you are trying to pack or unpack in the dark in a crowded dormitory late at night, on a train with the lights out or when you are staggering down one of Beijing’s dimly lit hutongs trying to find your hostel after a good night out.

What else would you pack with you for travel in China?

The western section of Mutianyu

The Great Wall of China is an ancient network of walls, earth works and fortifications that stretch from one end of China to the other and cover over 8,000 kilometers. The oldest sections of the wall were built over 2,200 years ago while the newest sections are only 400 or so years old. The wall is an engineering marvel, a historical monument and a testimony to the might and ingenuity of the ancient Chinese empires.

Walking the wall is an incredible experience and an opportunity to see Chinese history, an unrivalled feat of engineering and fabulous mountain scenery. A visit to the Great Wall will be one of the highlights of your time in China and no trip to China is complete with out at least one trip to the Great Wall.

Most people will only have the opportunity to visit the sections of the wall near Beijing so this guide will focus on these sections.

The Beijing sections of the Great Wall of China

There are over 10 sections of the Great Wall that are all north of Beijing within a maximum of three or four hours travelling. I have listed the six most popular or impressive sections below with the distance from Beijing then given detailed information on each of the six sections.

Badaling 80 Km
Jiankou 73 Km
Mutianyu 70 Km
Gubeikou 120 Km
Jinshanling 125 Km
Simatai 120 Km

Badaling Great Wall of China 八达岭长城

Back ground – In Chinese badaling means reaches in eight directions. Badaling was given this name because this section of the Great Wall is built on a series of mountain ridges that head off in many different directions. Badaling’s commanding position on head of these ridges, its excellent defensibility and convenient transport routes made Badaling a key strategic position in Beijing’s northern defense.

Badaling is the most popular, most crowded and most accessible section of the Great Wall. For at least half the year from mid Spring to mid Autumn, Badaling is so crowded that walking in some sections is brought almost to a standstill.

History – Badaling is a Ming Dynasty wall that took eight years to build and was completed in 1505. It was the first section of the Great Wall of China to be fully restored and it was opened to the public in 1957 during Mao’s disastrous Great Leap Forward.

Size – The Badaling section of the Great Wall is 3,741 meters long with 12 watch towers in the northern section and six towers in the southern section. The average altitude of Badaling above sea level is around1,000 meters and the highest point of Badaling is 1,015 meters.

On average the wall at Badaling has a height of 7.8 meters and a width of 5.7 meters. Badaling is rumoured to be wide enough for five horses to gallop on side by side. It is wide but five horses would be a very tight squeeze.

Difficulty and condition of the wall – Badaling is in excellent condition and very well maintained. The main section of the wall is from the ticket office to Tower 8 which is the top of the chair lift. Walking the wall in this section can be tiring but is not difficult and should not be a problem for the elderly or people with walking difficulties. The section of the wall from Tower 8 to Tower 12 at the end has steep sections and is more difficult to walk.

All sections of Badaling have a metal hand rail on either side which makes walking Badaling very safe. The chair lift at Badaling runs from the near the ticket office all the way to Tower 8 which is the highest and the most crowded part of the wall.

Getting there – Badaling is by far the easiest section of the Great Wall to visit and you can get there by train, multiple bus lines, taxis, private cars and with tour groups.

Train – Train is the easiest and most comfortable way to reach Badaling and method I recommend. The S2 train to Badaling runs from Beijing North train station to the Badaling train station. The easiest way to reach Beijing North train station is to catch the subway to Xizhimen on subway line two then use the A exit which is right in front of the train station. The train ticket is 6rmb and the train takes just under 80 minutes. The trains leave Beijing North train station at 6:12am, 7:58am, 8:34am, 9:03am, 10:57am and 12:43pm.

Summary – For convenience, ease of access and low difficulty, Badaling is the best section of the wall to visit. If you have walking difficulties then Badaling is also the best section of the Great Wall to visit. The very dense crowds that are like a train in peak hour do detract a lot from the experience of being on the wall so I would make Badaling the last choice for most people.

The crowds at Badaling

The beauty of the eastern end of Badaling

Jiankou Great Wall of China 箭口长城

Back ground – The meaning of Jiankou is arrow knock and Jiankou is given this name because the mountains it is built on are shaped like an arrow with a collapsed ridge resembling an arrow knock.

Jiankou is the most dangerous of the Beijing sections of the Great Wall, the most isolated and inaccessible and one of the most popular sections for photography.

History – Jiankou is a Ming Dynasty Wall built in 1368. Jiankou has not been restored and never officially opened to the public.

Size – The Jiankou section of the Great Wall is roughly 22 kilometers in length and consists of three parts. The western part from is from Nine Eye Tower which is the most western point of Jiankou to Jiankou watch tower is 12 kilometers. The middle part from Jiankou watch tower to the Ox Horn Edge is 3 kilometers and the eastern part from Ox Horn Edge to the beginning of Mutianyu is 7 kilometers.

Difficulty and condition of the wall – Jiankou is the most dangerous section of the Great Wall and normally called the “wild west” of the Great Wall. Jiankou is unrestored and in original condition which means many parts of it have been destroyed, eroded, are mounds of rubble or completely overgrown.

In some of the steep parts where there is erosion, you have to climb up almost vertical surfaces where a fall will lead to serious injury and possibly death. The nearest hospital is at least one to two hours away and that is once you leave the wall. Very few foreigners visit Jiankou because it is remote and very difficult to walk and accidents are common with local visitors to Jiankou.

I’m an experienced rock climber and there were some parts of Jiankou that in hindsight I should not have climbed because they were just too dangerous so it very difficult and dangerous section to climb.

Getting there – The starting point for hiking Jiankou is a small village called Xi zha zi 5 that is around 75-80 kilometers north of Beijing and hard to reach. To get to the village you first catch the subway to Dongzhimen subway station on subway line two then catch the 916 express bus at Dongzhimen Wai long distance bus station. The bus station is right next to exit B at Dongzhimen station and hard to miss.

The 916 express bus takes around 90 minutes ands terminates at a small city called Huairou where you get off at the last stop. From Huairou you catch a taxi to the village and the taxi ride takes just over one hour.

There are a number of paths behind the village but only two or three of them lead to the Great Wall. Take the path that heads north west and reaches the wall at the Beijing Knot tower. If you are uncertain which path to take, ask one of the villagers for directions. They are friendly and used to giving tourists directions. The path from the village to the wall takes 30 to 40 minutes to walk.

So you can see Jiankou is called the wild west of the wall for good reason and if you get hurt climbing Jiankou, you are a long way from help.

Summary – Jiankou is an incredible section of wall for photography and the rugged beauty of the wall and the surrounding mountains is breath taking. Jiankou is extremely isolated and you will spend most, if not all of your time on the wall by yourself. Jiankou is also extremely dangerous, the steep treacherous sections should be avoided and it is only suitable for fit and experienced hikers.

One of the easier parts to climb at Jiankou

The rugged beauty and sheer drops of Jiankou

Mutianyu Great Wall of China 幕田峪长城

Background – After Badaling, the Mutianyu is the most famous and visited section of the Great Wall of China. Mutianyu is the longest restored section of the Great Wall, is highly developed and very easy and enjoyable to walk. Mutianyu is takes longer to reach than Badaling so most tours to Mutianyu do not include stops at numerous markets and factories along the way. This is a big problem with tours to Badaling.

History – The original Mutianyu section was built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557) and gradually fell into disrepair over the centuries. It was restored in 1568 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and served as protection against the defeated remnants of the Yuan Dynasty and Mongol hordes.

Mutianyu was restored again in 1986 after four years of restoration and opened to the public on the 1st of May 1986.

Size – The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is approximately 2.5 kilometers long, has 23 watch towers and an average height of 7 to 8 meters and an average width of 4 to 5 meter The west end of Mutianyu connects to the unrestored Jiankou section of the Great Wall at tower 23 and the east section of Mutianyu connects to the unrestored Lianhuachi section at tower 1.

Difficulty and condition of the wall – Mutianyu is harder to climb than Badaling because there are many steep sections, steep stairs and several areas where you need to use your hands to climb. Most areas do not have hand rails so you have to be careful and take your time. If you have any difficulties walking, I suggest you just walk the wall between tower 6 and tower 14. This still gives you an excellent Great Wall experience, awesome views and avoids the more difficult areas.

Even though the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is only 25 years old, you can see a number of areas that are damaged and very worn and looked much older than 25 years. Comparing the condition of some parts of the wall that are hundreds of years old such as Jiankou and in excellent condition to some parts of Mutianyu that are in poor condition, it is easy to see that the quality and craftsmanship of the original wall is superior.

Getting there – The best way to get to Mutianyu is by bus and the 867 bus goes directly from Beijing to the Mutiayu village and ticket office at the base of the wall. To catch the 867 bus, you catch the subway on subway line two to the Dongzhimen subway station and use the B subway exit. The Dongzhimen Wai long distance bus station is right next to the subway exit.

Most bus bays at the bus station are inside in a massive building. The 867 bus bay is on the outside and a little tricky to find. The easiest way to find it is to go to the main entrance then walk anticlock wise around the block until you get to the 867 bus bay. The walk from the main entrance to the 867 bus bay should take around 5 minutes.

There are two 867 buses in the morning that leave at 7:00am and 9:00am and two buses in the afternoon that leave Mutianyu at 2:00pm and 4:00pm. The bus trip takes two and a half hours and cost 16rmb.

Summary – The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China is an awesome section of the Great Wall to walk and vastly superior to Badaling. If you are not comfortable with a combination of buses, taxis and minibuses to visit the more remote sections of the Great Wall like Jiankou then Mutianyu is an ideal choice for you.

A watch tower at Mutianyu

A dangerous part of Mutianyu on the western end

Gubeikou Great Wall of China 古北口长城

Back ground – Gubeikou is one of the longest sections of the Great Wall near Beijing and after Jiankou, is the most isolated section. Gubekou has a western section that is in original unrestored condition and an eastern section that has been fully restored. There has been no commercial development of Gubeikou and there are no shops, toilets or other tourist facilities.

History – The Gubeikou section stands on an area of strategic important that has been the site of fortifications for over 2,500 years. The first section of Gubeikou was built by the Northern Qi Dynasty of 550-557. The wall was later rebuilt, extended and fortified during the Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644. Final reconstruction was completed in 1567 and there have been no renovations or changes made since then.

Size – Over 20 kilometers long and has 143 watch towers positioned at an average distance of 156 meters. Many of these watch towers are in ruins and hard to identify as watch towers. Gubeikou varies in width with the narrowest sections less than 40cm wide.

Difficulty and condition of the wall – The wall at Gubeikou does not follow any steep cliffs or ridges and all the important steps are fairly intact so walking Gubeikou is not dangerous or too difficult. There are some sections with steep drops but crossing these can be done safely. The most western section is difficult to walk and should be avoided unless you are fit and an experienced hiker. The western and eastern parts of Gubeikou are like two different walls. The eastern section is restored and very similar in condition to Mutianyu.

The beginning of the western section is in such bad condition that the wall is not visible at all and there is only the crumbling remains of two watch towers. The condition of the wall at the beginning is so bad that much of the trail is beside the wall because the actual wall itself is either in ruins or piles of brick and rubble. The condition of the wall improves as you head west and some parts of the wall and several watch towers are almost complete.

Getting there –Gubeikou is located 120 kilometers out of central Beijing and the best way to get there is by bus. To catch a bus to Gubeikou, you catch the subway on subway line two to the Dongzhimen subway station and use the B subway exit. The Dongzhimen Wai long distance bus station is right next to the subway exit. At Dongzhimen Wai you catch the 980 fast bus to a small town called Miyun and get of the bus in the center of the town. From there you can either catch another large public bus to Gubekou township or one of several minibuses.

Summary – Gubeikou does not have the crowds of Badaling or Mutianyu and it is not dangerous or difficult to hike like Jiankou. This makes Gubeikou and excellent section of the Great Wall to visit if you want a bit of adventure but don’t want to struggle or risk life and limb. The contrast between the original western part and restored eastern part is fascinating and great to see.

The desolation and spendor of Gubeikou

Most of Gubeikou is easy to walk

Jinshanling Great Wall of China 金山嶺长城

Background – Jinshanling means gold mountain and this section of the Great Wall was named after two mountains it was built on, Big Jinshanling and small Jinshangling. It is one of the least well known sections of the Great Wall near Beijing and normally used as a starting point for hiking to the more famous Simatai section of the Great Wall.

History – Jinshanling is another Ming Dynasty wall and was built during the period from 1368 to 1389. It was later rebuilt between 1567 and 1570 by the famous General Qi Jiguang. The original wall is in good condition and the west end has been partly restored in the last few years.

Size – Jinshanling section of the Great Wall is 10.5 kilometers long with an average height of 7 meters and width of 5 meters.

Difficulty and condition of the wall – From west to east, the first part of Jinshanling is in good condition but gradually deteriorates as you move eastward and becomes rocky with loose stones and bricks and some collapsed areas. Even with these tricky areas, walking Jinshanling is easy and should not be a challenge if you are in decent condition.

Getting there – The easiest way to reach Jinshanling is to take the 980 bus (same bus to Gubeikou) from the Dongzhimen Wai bus station to Miyun. Once you arrive in Miyun you can take a minibus, private van or taxi to Jinshanling. Most people use this method to get to Jinshanling, walk to Simatai then get back to Beijing from Simatai where there are more transport options.

Summary – A good section of the wall to visit but if you do go to Jinshanling, you should continue all the way to Simatai.

Simatai Great Wall of China 司马台长城

Background – Simatai is a wonderful section, said to be the best of the Great Wall and my personal favourite. Unfortunately Simatai has been closed for renovations since June 2010 and the Simatai authorities are not expected to open it again until at least mid 2012.

This means that there are no of transport routes to Simatai and the condition and difficulty of walking Simatai will not be known until after restorations are complete. I have included below basic information Simatai.

History – Simatai was first built during the North Qi dynasty in 550-557. It was rebuilt during the Ming dynasty during the period from 1368 to 1398. Until the current restoration, Simatai was one of the most original of the Ming Dynasty sections of the Great Wall.

Size – The length of Simatai is5.4 kilometers and the width of some parts of the wall is only 40cm. Simatai is divided into two sections by Lake Yuanyang Hu. The western section has 18 watch towers and is built on a shallow mountain ridge. The eastern section has 15 watch towers and the wall there is built on very rugged and steep mountain ridges.

Difficulty and hiking conditions – Prior to Simatai’s current restoration the western section was in good condition and easy to walk. The eastern section had breath taking views, was very narrow in some parts and very difficult to climb. The wall containing the last three towers on the eastern edge was considered to be too dangerous and not open to public. More adventurous visitors to the wall just ignored the closed sign and continued to the end which was one of the best parts of Simatai.

Getting there – Prior to the restoration, the most common method of getting to Simatai was to catch the 980 bus from Dongzhimen Wai long distance bus stop to Miyun. From Miyun, catch a taxi or minibus to Simatai. There were other buses from different parts of Beijing that operated at set times and went directly to Simatai.

Summary – Simatai was one of the best sections of the Great Wall to visit because the views were incredible, a lot of watch towers, no crowds and challenging but not too difficult walking.

My recommendation

The best part of the Great Wall to visit depends on your level of fitness, what you enjoy and how comfortable you are catching public transport in China.

For people with low fitness levels or who have difficulty walking, Mutianyu is the best section to visit. If you like crowds and value convenience, Badaling is the best section. For more adventurous travellers who want to see the original wall, Jiankou and Gubeikou are ideal.

My recommendation is to visit the safer eastern end of Jiankou that has some of the best scenery on the Great Wall and walk east to Mutianyu. This walk can be completed in a day and will provide you with the original and impressive Jiankou wall and the restored and relative uncrowded western end of Mutianyu.

Great Wal of China Links

Mutianyu Great Wall of China Photos
Jiankou Great Wall of China Photos
Badaling Great Wal of China Phottos
Gubeikou Great Wall of China Photos

Wikipedia on Great Wall of China – For facts and figures on the Great Wall of China

Hall of Supreme Haromony

The Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing is an enormous Imperial Palace that was the home of 24 Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors from 1420 to 1912. With spectacular architecture and grounds on a scale hard to imagine, the Forbidden City is stunning to see and walk through.

A trip to the Forbidden City will give you an incredible experience into Chinese culture and history. Without exaggeration, visiting the Forbidden City is a must for everyone travelling in China and the Forbidden City should be ranked high on every traveller’s wish list.

Names for the Forbidden City

The name Forbidden City comes from the rule that people were forbidden from entering the Forbidden City without the emperor’s permission and permission was rarely granted.

The Forbidden City is also called the Palace Museum because back in 1925 it was established as a museum by the warlords cliché who controlled Beijing at the time. The Forbidden City is still classed as museum and often still referred to as the Palace Museum.

The Chinese name for the Forbidden City is Gugong (故宫) which means old or ancient palace.

History

The history of the Forbidden City can be traced back to 1368 when Zhu Yuanzhang defeated the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty. Zhu’s first act as emperor was to move the capital of China from Dadu (modern day Beijing) to Nanjing and burn the Yuan palaces in Dadu to the ground. In 1413 Emperor Yongle named Dadu Beijing and made Beijing co-capital of China. Emperor Yongle then commissioned the building of the Forbidden City that took 15 years, required over a million workers and was finished in 1420. After the Forbidden City was finished, Emperor Yongle packed his bags and moved the home of the imperial family to the Forbidden City and made Beijing the primary capital of China.

The Forbidden City was the home of the Ming Dynasty from 1621 to 1644 until the Ming emperor was sent packing by rebels. Soon afterward the Manchus kicked the rebels out of Beijing, made themselves at home in the Forbidden City and established the Qing Dynasty that occupied the Forbidden City until the abdication of last Ming Emperor Puyi in 1912.

From 1912 to the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, Beijing and the Forbidden City were the focus of numerous struggles for power in China and changed hands many times. Luckily during this period of chaos, the Forbidden City escaped relatively unscathed and only suffered a minimal loss of national treasures.

After 1949 the Forbidden City was less fortunate and was damaged by revolutionary activities during the years that followed such as the Great Leap Forward. Luckily Zhou Enlai saved the Forbidden City from further damage during the Cultural Revolution when Mao Zedong made up for political ground lost at the end of the not so successful Great Leap Forward.

Later in 1987 UNESCO declared the Forbidden City a World Heritage site and the Forbidden City went through a number of restorations to return it back to it’s pre 1912 condition.

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Size and Structure

The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world and covers 720,000 square meters and holds over 980 buildings. The compound that houses the Forbidden City is a 961 meter by 753 meter rectangle that is enormous and you need at least a day to cover all the main areas.

Wall & Moat – The massive walls surrounding the Forbidden City that you can see from the outside are 7.9 meters high, 8.62 meters wide at the base and 6.66 meters wide at the top. The walls are also guarded by a moat that circles the Forbidden City that is 6 meters deep, 52 meters wide and 3,800 meters long.

The moat is so large that the earth excavated to make it was moved to Jingshan Park just north of the Forbidden City to make a large hill. The water in the moat is from the Tongzi River which enters the moat from the North West and drains out of the moat in the South East. During the peak tourist season, you can hire boats to paddle around the moat which gives a very interesting perspective of the Forbidden City.

Yellow – Yellow is the color representing the royal family so yellow is a dominant color in the Forbidden City. You can see this in the roofs that are made of glazed yellow tiles, yellow palace decorations and many of the ground tiles that are yellow. The only two buildings in the Forbidden City that do not have yellow tiles are the Crown Prince’s residence which has green tiles (green for growth) and the Imperial library. The library’s tiles where black which is symbolic of water and fire prevention.

Click on the map above to enlarge

Overall Structure

Beijing’s North-South Axis – Back in 1403 when Emperor Yongle was preparing Bejing to be China’s new capital, he started an enormous construction program that completely redesigned Beijing. The new design of Beijing was based on a north-south axis that went from the Temple of Agriculture and the Temple of Heaven in the south, to the Drum Tower in the North and directly through the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City is built on this axis that goes through the Forbidden City’s southern Meridian Gate, through the key buildings and through the northern Gate of Divine Prowess.

Inner and Outer Courts

The Forbidden City is divided into two parts, the Outer Court and the Inner Court. Each of the courts is very different in nature, function and visual impact.

The Outer Court

The Outer Court was used for ceremonial purposes to impress and/or intimidate guests and visiting dignitaries. The focus point of the Outer Court is three main buildings, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserved Harmony. When you pass through the Gate of Supreme Harmony and enter the Tianhedian Square, the view of the Forbidden City with the Hall of Supreme Harmony in front of you is incredible.

The Meridian Gate

Listed below are the main buildings features in the Outer Court

Meridian Gate (Wu Men) – The Meridian Gate is the formal entrance to the Forbidden City just north of Tiananmen Square and your entry point into the Forbidden City. It is a combination of fortress, palace and gateway and is 38 meters high, making it the tallest structure in the Forbidden City.

There are three passages/tunnels through the Meridian Gate. The western passage was used by princes of the imperial family, the center passage was used by the emperor and the eastern passage was used by civil and military officials. I’m guessing that the empress and other female members of the imperial family used the eastern passage.

Gate of Supreme Harmony (Tai He Men) – Is the entrance to the main area of the Outer Courtyard and faces the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The Gate of Supreme Harmony was used by the Ming Dynasty emperors for morning court.

Hall of Supreme Harmony (Tai He Dian) – The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the first of the three halls that dominate the Outer Courtyard and is the main building and the focus point in the Forbidden City. The hall is built on an imposing three tier marble base and has a height of 30 meters above the surrounding Tianhedian Square.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was used for coronation and wedding ceremonies and frequently used by the Ming Dynasty emperors for holding court. The hall had a string of bad luck over the years and was destroyed seven times by fire.

Hall of Central Harmony (Zhong He Dan) – Is the second of the Outer Courtyards’s three halls. It was mainly used as a resting place by the emperor on the way to ceremonies and during ceremonies.

Hall of Central Harmony

Hall of Preserved Harmony (Bao He Dian) – The Hall of Preserved Harmony is the last of three halls and similar to the Hall of Supreme Harmony but smaller in size. This hall had many different functions and was used as a VIP banquet hall, living quarters for the emperor, a changing room for the emperor, a wedding hall and as an examination hall for the Imperial examination.

Hall of Preserved Harmony

Sundial (Ri Gui) – This is a round marble structure at the front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The sundial symbolizes that the Emperor had the highest power to grant time to all people in the country.

Copper and Iron Vats – These were a part of the Forbidden City’s fire fighting system and held water to douse fires. In winter the vats were covered with quilts to stop the water from freezing and heated on very cold days. With the Hall of Supreme Harmony being burnt down seven times, the vats could not have been very effective.

Ri Gui Sundial

Copper and Iron Vats for fighting fires

Inner Courtyard

The Inner Court was basically the living quarters of the Imperial family and used for the day to day running of China. Not as stunning as the Outer Court but gives a more intimate view of how the Imperial family lived and played. Much of the Inner Court is made up of many small buildings accessed by small lanes which give a feeling of walking through a maze.

Most of the Forbidden City’s 980 buildings are contained in the Inner Courtyard. Far too many to describe so only a few of the key structures are covered here.

Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qian Qing Gong) – This is the palace where the emperor lived and worked and held the largest throne in the Forbidden City. When an emperor died, their coffin was kept in this palace to prove they were dead.

Hill of Accumulated Elegance – This is a small 10 meter high artificial hill in the imperial garden made from a pile of rocks with the Pavilion of Imperial Scenery on the top.

Hill of Accumulated Elegance

Nine Dragon Wall Screen – A 3.5 meters high 29.4 meters wide screen made out of 270 glazed bricks. The dragons on the screen are a symbol of the Emperor in ancient China and only three Nine Dragon Wall Screens were made. The other two are in Beihai Park to the west of the Forbidden City and in Datong in Shanxi province.

Nine Dragon Wall Screen

Pavilion of Reading – This is a three level pavilion with stages used by the emperor, royal family and high ranking officials for watching operas. Very similar to the Grand Stage in the Summer Palace.

Tips to Visitors to the Forbidden City

When to visit – If possible, try to visit the Forbidden City from March to early June and from the end of August to the end of November so you can miss the peak season crowds. Also try to avoid going on weekends or domestic holidays when the Forbidden City is packed with domestic tourists.

How long – Make sure you have at least 4 to 6 hours to relax and see the Forbidden City properly and pack a lunch. The gardens in the Inner Court are ideal for relaxing and having something to eat and drink.

Jingshan Park – After you finish visiting the Forbidden City and leave through the northern Gate of Divine Prowess, visit Jingshan Park which is just across the road. The views of the Forbidden City from the top of the hill in Jingshan Park are spectacular.

One of the classic laneways bisecting the Inner Courtyard

Getting There

The easiest way to get to the Forbidden City is by subway. On subway line one you can get off at either the Tiananmen West station or Tiananmen East station and the Forbidden City will be to the North. On subway line two you can get off at Qianmen station and walk north through Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City.

Tickets and Opening Hours

The Forbidden City is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm and tickets are no longer sold after 3:30pm. With so much to see, visiting the Forbidden City after 2:30pm is not recommended.

The tickets for the main parts of the Forbidden City are 40rmb from November to March and 60rmb from April to October. Tickets to the Clock and Watch Gallery and the Treasure Gallery that holds the Nine Dragon Wall Screen are 10rmb all year round.

Forbidden City Links

More Forbidden City Photos – My entire Forbidden City Photo collection

Wikipedia on Forbidden City – Dry and dull but with one or two facts that I left out