Day 12 – The Forbidden City

May 26, 2017

Today, the group began the day earl as we had to be on the tour bus by 8:00 am sharp. We began the day by taking a tour of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. This location marks a crucial time in history as it is where the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 occurred. The date was made famous by the iconic image of a man standing in front of a line of tanks driving down the street. As part of the tour we saw the Great Hall of the People, The National Museum of China, The Monument to the People’s Heroes, and The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. All of these structures make up Tiananmen Square. This area is a very popular tourist destination. At the north of Tiananmen Square we saw the Heavenly Peace Gate. We approached the gate and entered to explore the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City

Inside the Forbidden City, there are 9999 rooms in total. It was said that Heaven held 10000 rooms so 9999 rooms was seen as the max number of rooms the emperor could have. The site was constructed in the 1400s and took over 20 years to complete. Since its initial construction, the Forbidden City has been mostly rebuilt and restored to preserve its history and integrity for tourism. It was said that a lightning strike burned the initial structure causing massive damage to it that prompted the first of several rebuilds and renovations. The last emperor lived in the palace of the Forbidden City until 1925. Since then, the structure has been vacant and left as a landmark of China. It is said that the palace of the Forbidden City is one of two palaces left standing in all of China. In the center square of the Forbidden City there are many bricks making up the ground. The bricks were used to stop assassins from entering the palace via underground tunnels. There were also no trees in the center square of the Forbidden City; this was to ensure that assassins couldn’t hide in trees. As part of the Forbidden City, we also walked through the Royal Garden which contained a rich and diverse array of plant life as well as rock formations. We exited the Forbidden City through a gate known as the Gate of Divine Prowess. The walk from the Tiananmen Square to the exit of the Forbidden City was 2 kilometers. This concluded our sightseeing for the day.

Tea Ceremony Impresses our Palates

Following this activity, we visited a shopping center known as The Silk Street where there are shops for nearly every good imaginable. We spent two hours shopping  and many of us walked away with a variety of purchases that we were happy to bring back to the states. It was here that many of us bought our souvenirs for either ourselves, friends and/or family. Following shopping, we visited a temple-like structure where we took part in a tea ceremony that consisted of trying a variety of different flavored teas. Among the teas we tried were ginseng oolong tea, green jasmine tea, medicinal black tea, lychee black tea, and fruit tea. Upon conclusion of the ceremony some of us were so impressed by the taste of the teas that we purchased them in bulk from the tea shop. We then took some time to explore this particular area of Beijing by taking a stroll down streets to get a taste of common life in the city. Some of us did some more shopping, while others chatted with locals or got refreshments from local businesses.

Memories to last a lifetime

We concluded the day with an extravagant meal hosted by a restaurant near the hotel that specialized in preparing Peking duck. Our dinner consisted of this dish as well as a variety of other interesting yet tasty foods. It was at this meal that we took a toast to our good fortune and the many good memories that we all shared on this trip. This marked our last dinner before the group disbanded and most members traveled back to the states, while a small group of others left for a side trip to X’ian. It was a bittersweet night as we were sad to be wrapping up the main leg of our trip with so many great experiences had, but happy to be returning back home to our families and friends.

by guest blogger Kyle Spegal and Jackson Russell