Website of Joe Landsberger

If you would be a
real seeker after truth,
it is necessary that
at least once in your life
you doubt, as far as possible, all things.
Rene Descartes (1596 - 1650)

Travel Index:

Beijing, China,
November 16 - 30, 1999

The Forbidden City and Imperial Palace

On the coldest day of my trip, I ventured alone to city central for about a six hour's walking tour. Not brisk, but wandering. Tiananmen Square is the enormous entry courtyard for this Imperial City residence. This architectural wonder covers 178 acres, 9,999 rooms, housed 8-10,000 servants, administrators, and royals. It is said the city was designed to keep the Emperor in, and the people out. After I got in, and past the crowds of mostly Chinese tourists, I pretty much got lost and wandered alone.

 One highlight official exhibition was meeting a student artist from Xian who was selling art to go to Marseilles. I bought.

forbidcity1.jpg (146056 bytes)


China index | The local park | Chinese friends | Peking Opera & Peking University |
The Great Wall | Tiananmen Square | The Forbidden City and Imperial Palace |
Imperial Palace, Confucius Temple, Ming Tombs, Buddhist temples |
Imperial and Summer Palaces, Confucian Temple | Summer Palace, Confucian Temple |
University of International Business and Economics; self-portraits!