Monday, October 13, 2008

Visit the Forbidden City in China

If you are looking for exotic locations to visit, one place that tourists have been flocking to for many years is the beautiful city of Beijing, China. Beijing, China just recently hosted the 2008 Olympics and offers a wide variety of Chinese culture and landmarks to visit. One of the landmarks that is incredibly beautiful, but holds some mystique is the Forbidden City.


The Ming Dynasty in 1407 built the Forbidden City in the city of Gu Gong which is now Beijing. The Forbidden City gets its name from the fact that no one was allowed to leave or enter without the permission of the emperor. The Forbidden City is incredibly beautiful and staggering in its size. It is said to have 9,999 rooms and over 1 million pieces of art- many of which are priceless. It was built with the labor of 1 million men including about 100,000 skilled artisans.


For those that are interested in visiting the Forbidden City, you should know that from 1407 till 1912, the Forbidden City was the seat of emperors, after this time, it was opened to the citizens of China and only about 30 years ago was it finally opened to all citizens of the world. If you are interested in this remarkable palace, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an excellent article on the subject. Please read it today at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

Forbidden City, Phantom of the Opera, Glacier National Park, Quincy Jones, Diane Arbus, Parthenon

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