Beijing day 1-Forbidden city

As we made our way to the fortified red wall with a stern looking, listless Chairman Mao in a larger than life potrait, I couldn't help but smile and felt a sense of euphoria about what lays beneath the red walls, the Forbidden City! The city where men apart from being the Emperor, or high ranking officials either doesn't get admitted or had to be "minus" an important anatomy, now here I am walking leisurely into the "city" without having to part with some family jewels. kekekeke. What a wonderful world! I wonder how it feels like? Most definately painful, OUCH!!

Coming back to the city, it was humongous, and there were forts within forts and doors and buldings and words cannot describe it apart from a singular vocabulary, au magnifique! Everything about it is larger than life, from the chairman's potrait to the rediculously oversized door that even Andre the Giant would be pleased, everything comes to be as being larger than life! Perhaps that was the initial purpose of building this palace, which is to awe the public, looks like it is doing an exceptional job in "aweing" me.

The entry fee was 40 yuan and as commercial as China is lately, everything is priced, from taking pictures in Imperial Robes to locals touting to be tourist guides. I reckon capitalisme is alive and well in China! As I pass through the main gates into the inner courtyard, numerous flashbacks of the scene comes into my mind, courtesy of the TVB and it's never ending stream of Chinese serials, also this courtyard was where Bertolucci's The last Emperor is filmed. I cannot imagine that in it's yesteryear glory, the whole place is filled with mandarins, courtiers and eunuchs! It must be such a spectacle then.

The picture above is one of the many "reception" areas that the Emperor meets his ministers. I remember counting a total of 3 major ones and one after another bigger and more impressive. There are ornate carvings and antiques placed all over the places with strict adherence to the principle of Feng Shui, the art of geomancy and tranquility. Everything placed has a specific role and meaning. The whole city is so huge that one day is simply not enough to explore all the treasures that is hidden within it. The cold and inpersonal wall has stood the test of time, having many stories to tell.