More "Forbidden" Moments

Beijing's "Forbidden City" is enormous and much too laden with centuries of history to cover in a few short posts.  As a matter of fact, all of my posts about China collectively do not amount even to a drop in the very large bucket about that amazing country and the cultures within it.  Having never traveled to China myself, I am limited to commenting about photos from HWMBO's gallery taken at places he visited.  I am thankful to have shared his experiences vicariously and am very grateful for the photos.  There are a few more scenes from his visit to the Forbidden City that I would like to share.

We share a fondness for roof photos, especially for roofs as intricately ornamental as those in the Forbidden City complex.

Here is a close-up.

And here is another roof photo.

Material used in the construction of the Forbidden City included whole logs of precious wood from the jungles of south-western China and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing.  The floors were paved with specially baked paving bricks from Suzhou, known as "golden bricks."  There are special ceremonial ramps leading to the terraces that feature elaborate and symbolic bas-relief carvings.   The northern ramp, behind the Hall of Preserved (aka Preserving) Harmony, is carved from a single piece of stone, nearly 55' long, hauled from miles away during the winter, when it could be slid over the ice.  It is the largest such carving in China.

Another feature that is relatively recent is the Nine Dragon Wall, built in 1773 as part of an extensive renovation of the northeastern section of the palace to create a retirement villa for the Qianlong Emperor.

With much of the complex constructed of wood, large water urns can be found about the complex so that water was at the ready for fire-fighting. purposes.

There are lions everywhere, not simply in the Outer Court.  Some look more ferocious than others.

Many ceremonial rooms were also considered sacred.

And one's eyes could also be drawn upward, towards the heavens.

Of course, one of the most impressive sights for me was this one!

Even in the Forbidden City!