Forbidden city

Last week we have seen the Great Wall of China. Today, I will take you to the capital city - Beijing, to visit one of the most famous places in China. We will start next to the Tiananmen Square or the Square of Heavenly Peace.

On one side, you will see buildings belonging to the modern Chinese government.

On the other side, the Tiananmen Gate will allow you to make a journey to the past and visit the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is a palace complex which used to be for almost 500 years (between 1420 and 1911) the house of the Chinese emperors. In total, 24 emperors from Ming and Qing dynasties have lived there. In 1987 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The Forbidden City, was named so because it could only be accessed by the emperor, his immediate family, his women and thousands of eunuchs and officials. It was difficult for an ordinary male to enter the Forbidden City. Today, it is a museum that can be safely accessed by anybody. Let us enter inside through the Meridian Gate. On top of the Gate, you may recognise Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China.

The Forbidden City is organised along the North-South axis that aligns with the pole star, emphasizing the emperor’s position as the son of heaven. It is divided into two parts. The Outer Court, located in the southern part, was used for ceremonial purposes. The Inner Court (located in the northern part) was the residence of the emperor and his family.

Let us come to the Gate of Supreme Harmony.

This is where the emperor was reviewing his troops and made some official appearances. You may notice that there is a special road, paved with stones, that runs through the middle of the courtyards, then through the entrance to each Hall in the Forbidden City. In the old days, only the emperor himself was allowed to use this path.

It will lead us to the biggest and most important building in the Inner court - the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It is located around thirty meters above the surrounding square.

The Hall is surrounded by bronze incense burners.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest building in the Forbidden City, where most of the official dealings took place. Inside, the emperor used to sit on his golden throne, called dragon throne.

You will notice that there are two dominant colours in the Forbidden City. The first is yellow, which is the symbol of the royal family. You can see it in many decorations and even in special yellow bricks.

The second imperial colour is purple. Ancient Chinese Astronomers believed that the Purple Star (Polaris) was in the center of heaven and the Heavenly Emperor lived in the Purple Palace. The Palace for the emperor on earth was so called the Purple City. You can see both main colours when turning back to look at the backside of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Then comes the Hall of Central Harmony, where the emperor used to rest before or between official ceremonies.

Its central element is, again, a golden throne. A bit more modest than the previous one.

Finally, we arrive in the Hall of Preserving Harmony, the last in the Inner Court. This is where the Chinese officials were passing their exams.

It is guarded by animals with which the emperor wanted to be associated. A golden dragon, being a symbol of prosperity and good fortune ...

... a turtle, symbolizing longevity, power, and tenacity ...

... as well as a crane, standing for immortality. Honestly, I do not know who would really, but like really really, wants to live forever.

Inside of the Hall of Preserving Harmony you will find, yes you guessed it right, another golden throne.

In the Inner Court the buildings are smaller and less spectacular. They are surrounded by cypress trees which are known to be able to live for a few thousand years.

Out of all the buildings in the Inner Court I liked this one best. This is the pavilion in which the emperor was choosing his concubines. To make sure that he has made the right choice, he was helped by this mum. Yes, the mother of the emperor was there when he was choosing his consorts.

Finally, we arrive to the northern gate, called Gate of Divine Might.

If you turn your back to the Forbidden City, you will notice a hill, positioned in the same axis, with a temple on top.

Let me take you there. The climb is not too difficult and trust me, it is worth it. The temple itself is maybe not so amazing. It is also forbidden to take pictures inside.

Still, you need to realise that you are in the very central point of Beijing.

Now, turn back to the temple and take a look at the Forbidden City. It took one million workers to build it, when the emperor Zhu Di decided to move the imperial capital from Nanjing to a place then called Beiping, renaming the city to Beijing or “the northern capital.” And I must say the result of his vision is breathtaking.

In 1911, an uprising forced the 5-year-old emperor Puyi and his Dowager mother to flee the Forbidden City. He formally abdicated the following year and China would never have an emperor again. In 1925 the Forbidden City was turned into the Palace Museum.If you ever pass by Beijing, I strongly recommend you to book half a day for a visit there.

Forbidden City, so named because it could only be accessed by the emperor, his immediate family, his women and thousands of eunuchs (castrated male servants) and officials. - See more at: http://www.livescience.com/40764-forbidden-city.html#sthash.TGDa8uBP.dpuf

Forbidden City, so named because it could only be accessed by the emperor, his immediate family, his women and thousands of eunuchs (castrated male servants) and officials. - See more at: http://www.livescience.com/40764-forbidden-city.html#sthash.TGDa8uBP.dpuf

is a 72-hectare (178 acres) palace complex in Beijing that was used by the emperors of China from A.D. 1420 to 1911. - See more at: http://www.livescience.com/40764-forbidden-city.html#sthash.Wpg0GYkx.dpuf

The Forbidden City (also called Zijin Cheng) is a 72-hectare (178 acres) palace complex in Beijing that was used by the emperors of China from A.D. 1420 to 1911. - See more at: http://www.livescience.com/40764-forbidden-city.html#sthash.Wpg0GYkx.dpuf

The Forbidden City (also called Zijin Cheng) is a 72-hectare (178 acres) palace complex in Beijing that was used by the emperors of China from A.D. 1420 to 1911. - See more at: http://www.livescience.com/40764-forbidden-city.html#sthash.Wpg0GYkx.dpuf

The Forbidden City (also called Zijin Cheng) is a 72-hectare (178 acres) palace complex in Beijing that was used by the emperors of China from A.D. 1420 to 1911. - See more at: http://www.livescience.com/40764-forbidden-city.html#sthash.Wpg0GYkx.dpuf

Liechtenstein

Today I am really excited. Not only will I take you to a new country. I will take you to a country that is not that easy to be visited because it is one of the smallest in the world - Liechtenstein.

Next to the Tourist Information you will find the "0" point, from which all distances are calculated. Not that they are long of course, after all Liechtenstein has only 160 km² of surface.

The capital city of Liechtenstein is Vaduz. It is the seat of the most important institutions in the principality. This yellow building is one of them.

You may think that it is rather small for a parliament, but remember that the parliament in Liechtenstein includes only 25 people.

Next to it, comes a different type of power place - the National Bank. 13% of the country's GDP is created by the financial industry so one should not underestimate its importance.

Just next to it you will see the seat of the government. This one is also modest since it includes only the prime minister and 4 ministers.

On top over the main entrance you will see the coat of arms of the principality.

Just a few steps further another important place of power - the cathedral. Roman Catholicism is the official state religion of Liechtenstein.

Next to the entrance you can see the previous rulers of the country, Prince Franz Josef II and Princess Gina. Now the country is officially ruled by his son, Hans-Adam II but in reality the current Prince has retired and passed most of his power to his son, Alois.

The cathedral is of course not too big but it is surprisingly full of light.

In the back you can see, of course, the organ. Since we visit the cathedral on a Saturday morning, we can assist a last rehearsal for a wedding ceremony. This is promising to be an unforgettable day.

Alright, let's move out on our tiptoes. And admire the cathedral again. If you look a bit upwards you will for sure notice a building on the top of the hill. This is actually the most important place in the city and the entire country - the palace of the Prince.

We will try to get closer to it. Let's take the main road first. You will see there a number of museums - the historical museum ...

... the art museum ...

... and even the post museum.

But what I really liked was that the main street of Vaduz is by itself a piece of art and an open-air museum.

These nice gentleman live next to the parliament. They are a symbol of the bitter truth that politics are a difficult balancing act.

Look, there is also a horse! Look like my uncle Rusty who used to serve in the army.

Here it is at last - the pathway to the castle.

Don't worry, it is an easy one, even for those who are not fans of hiking.

On the way you can admire some small waterfalls ...

... and discover important facts about Liechtenstein and its history.

I propose we stop for a second to admire the panorama of Vaduz. Unfortunately, it is already foggy autumn. If we were here on a sunny summer day you could see the Alps all around. Now you will have to believe me that they are here.

Finally, we reach the last turnaround. Here comes the Vaduz castle.

The castle is much older than the state of Liechtenstein, which you can easily guess by its medieval style.

Unfortunately, the castle is not open for the public since the princely family still lives there. You can only try to stretch your neck and look inside the garden.

What is quite amazing is that just on the other side of the street you can see the house of a local farmer.

Now the last point of our visit. Apologies if not all of you were on my address list this time but it really took me over half an hour to write all these down.

And here they go!

I hope that you have enjoyed this trip. I must admit that Liechtenstein has stolen my heart.

I hope that I will be able to come here once again on a sunny day. Just to see this ...

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