Forbidden city
The Forbidden City is the largest palace in China, where the country's emperors of the XV - XX centuries were located. For at least 500 years, this mysterious complex in the middle of Beijing was the residence of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ordinary citizens had no right to visit the palace, and the daredevils who nevertheless decided to cross its threshold were to be punished to death. Nowadays, the forbidden city is open to the public, but it is still a mysterious structure.
This huge palace complex was listed by UNESCO as one of the first among all the buildings in China.
The palace of the Forbidden City in China can be compared to the famous Versailles in France for its size. The complex covers 72 hectares of territory, where there are at least 800 buildings, in which there are 9999 rooms. The whole city is surrounded by a huge wall, ten kilometers long, as well as a moat filled with water, which is called "Golden Water".
As befits a Chinese structure, its location was determined using Feng Shui to accumulate internal energy. Thus, the building is surrounded by mountains, a river flows on its territory, and the entrance itself is directed to the south.
The Forbidden City was under construction for 15 years, and about a million people and an immense amount of building materials were involved in its construction. The complex structure was completed in 1421.
Residents of the city always dreamed of seeing what was going on behind the high fence, but entry to the palace was strictly prohibited. Despite the harsh punishments, there were still some who couldn't resist trying the forbidden fruit.
In 1644, many of the people managed to cross the line of what was allowed, because there was an uprising of the inhabitants of the city. The ruler of the Ming at that time raised taxes so that he forced many to starve, and at the same time, he was bathed in gold. The angry people stormed into the Forbidden City and found the emperor drunk. Ming immediately killed his female entourage, and he hanged himself. After that, it was time for the Qing Dynasty, which also settled in this palace. At this time, the conspiracies of the eunuchs began, of which there were about three thousand. There are a large number of stories about such cases, which are very difficult to distinguish between true and fictional. In 1853, a young girl was brought to the Forbidden City in the form of a concubine, who turned out to be a very influential woman. As historical literature tells us, concubine Cixi is responsible for both the collapse of the Cixi dynasty and the entire empire. Her nephew, named Pu Yi, turns out to be the last owner of the Forbidden City.
In 1923, a fire broke out on the territory of the Forbidden City, which led to the destruction of the imperial warehouses. It is believed that the eunuchs themselves arranged it in order to avoid responsibility for the plundered local wealth.
The Forbidden City has been open to the public for 25 years. To get to the main entrance, you need to go through the Noon Gate. The entire palace grounds are divided into Inner and Outer Palaces. The most important events were held in the halls belonging to the Outer Palace. The relatives, as well as the concubines of the ruler, were located in the Inner Palace. Each hall of the palace had its own name, for example: "Tranquility", "Purity". The open-air territory is decorated with a wonderful garden, where magnificent gazebos are located. In the middle of the eight-kilometer axis that stretches among the Forbidden City, there is a Throne, which is a symbol of the mighty power of the emperor.
Nowadays, the Forbidden City is a magnificent museum with the most ancient valuable relics. Its walls are still covered with mystery, which gives the tour a special meaning.
