Beijing day tour to Forbidden City and other attractions in Beijing
April 17th, 2006
Day tour to Beijing including excursions to the Temple of Haven, Tienammen square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Peking Opera Theatre. A long and intense day discovering some of the attractions in Beijing known worldwide for their immense historical and cultural value.
The day tour in Beijing starts with a visit to the Temple of Haven, surrounded by vast and beautiful vegetation. The function of this temple was mainly religious, to offer sacrifices to the haven.
Photos of the Temple of Haven in Beijing. The wide and long way connecting the various buildings between them.
The juniperus of 9 dragons, a tree more than 500 years old, found in the Temple of Haven in Beijing.
Photos of the buildings in the Temple of Haven complex. In the bottom-right picture, the bricks are kept together with a natural glue produced from cereals. The particular shape produces a special echo, depending on the exact point of origin of the sound.
On the top picture: the central structure of the Temple of Haven in Beijing, with the central stone raised in order to be closer to the sky. On the left picture, the cauldron used to make sacrifices.
The day tour to Beijing continues visiting the immense Tienammen square, that can hold up to one million of people.
Photos of Tienammen square in Beijing.
Two guards (see the corners of the picture) protect the flag.
From Tienammen square, the day tour in Beijing continues to the perimetral area of the Forbidden City. The main access bridge (bottom-left picture) is aligned with the Mao memorial in Tienammen square and with all the access gates to the palaces. It is called Forbidden City, because until 1918, when the last emperor died, it was forbidden to every citizen to enter here.
The main entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing.
The entire structure composing the Forbidden City is really immense, with palaces and courtyards one inside another.
Pictures of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
More photos of Forbidden City taken between palaces and courtyards.
During year 2006, some buildings inside the Forbidden City was in the process of restoration, while others were restored just recently. In these photos, some particulars on recently renovated palaces.
A huge door.
More photos of Beijing Forbidden City. Some views between the immense courtyards separating the palaces.
These columns are in wood and made from a single trunk.
Some photos from inside the palaces of the Forbidden City.
This carving is made on a single piece of marble, about 25 meters long and weighting many tons.
On top-left picture: a container used to collect water. On the right: a male lion symbolizing the power.
On the top picture, a sundial.
The imperial gardens of the Forbidden City. The tree on the right, symbolizes the love.
On the left picture: the dragon tree. On the right picture: a view on the gardens.
A gazebo in the middle of the imperial gardens, still within Forbidden City's boundaries.
An artificial mountain, that was normally climbed by concubines, prisioners of the forbidden city.
The exit from the Forbidden City, with the huge perimetral wall and the canal with water.
The Beijing day tour continues now with a visit to the Summer Palace, home of the emperor during summertime.
On the right picture, a female lion (has a cub below a paw).
Several structures of the Summer Palace in Beijing are currently under maintenance. On the top picture, recently renovated paintings.
Pictures of the marble boat. As to the concubines it was forbidden to leave this place, a fake boat was built to let them to see the lake, but without moving.
The day tour in Beijing finishes with a visit to the Peking Opera theatre. Here the actors are preparing themselves for the next show.
Some pictures from the show in the Peking Opera theatre.