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Post by chefying on Jul 7, 2014 13:42:06 GMT
Within the Forbidden City, this is the serpentine Golden Water River that has to be crossed ....  ... to get to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, .... (note the number of people already inside the Forbidden City)  ... to see the roof top of the highest point in the Forbidden City...  ... to view the Duel that was not the real duel that really took place (if I remember my Lu Xiao Feng). |
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Post by siuyiu on Jul 7, 2014 14:50:49 GMT
yep, your memory of the duel is intact.  |
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Post by chefying on Jul 8, 2014 15:01:12 GMT
Very often, we read that the Emperor would hold audience with both the Military and Civil Ministers. As opposed to what we see on TV etc., not all the Ministers are cramped into the audience hall. I presume the highest ranking ones would be inside but the bulk of them would be outside the audience hall. This would mean they have to stand or kneel on the grounds outside the audience hall. This is a picture of the ground outside the audience hall - it is very uneven. I do not know how long it has been like this though. If it had always been this uneven, it must have been hell for the minor ministers who had to stand/kneel outside. The few bricks on the foreground have been repaired/replaced so that it is wheelchair friendly.  |
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Post by chefying on Jul 8, 2014 15:04:54 GMT
The floor of the terrace on which the audience hall is erected is slightly better maintained to the extend that they are not so badly pitted, but there are some grass and other plants growing from the cracks. Had the Emperor been alive today, I am sure he would be livid!   As a by the by, the dragon heads sticking out from the terrace are actually water drainage outlets. The water would drain by "spouting" out from the dragon's mouth. It must be quite a sight when there is heavy rain. |
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Post by chefying on Jul 12, 2014 10:35:57 GMT
The ridges of the eves of the palace buildings have interesting glazed figurines on them. The types of figurines on them vary with the importance of the building, and of course, its occupant.  The ones found in the Forbidden city are not too different from the ones found on the ridges of the temples in Wudang Shan - an example of the latter is below.  |
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Post by chefying on Jul 12, 2014 10:42:03 GMT
I remember somewhere in Jin Yong's Lu Ding Ji - Duke of Deer Mountain/Deer and the Caldron - that the character Wei XiaoBao told his rebel TianDi Hui members that he will lead them to their ultimate destination inside the Forbidden City; the routes inside are long and complicated, and it is easy to get lost. Here are some of the corridors and routes in the Forbidden City. I had a map but nearly got lost.   |
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Post by chefying on Jul 12, 2014 10:44:52 GMT
Meanwhile, this photo is an apparently that of a dead end - but it is not.  Some more corridors etc. - just imagine this place after dark, when it is cold and quiet...  |
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Post by Admin on Jul 13, 2014 4:01:46 GMT
Actually I have a plan to go to visit the Imperial Palace and remain there until it it closed and stayed there over night. But unfortunately none of my friends dare to receive that challenge. I believe that there must be a lot of ghost there. Who knows if I could meet the ghost of Qian Long, Yong Le, etc  Isn't that a good idea?  |
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Post by chefying on Jul 13, 2014 15:14:29 GMT
I don't think the curators/guards in the Imperial Palace would allow you to sneak in an overnighter in the Forbidden City at all! But if you actually do it, it might end up as a great adventure, with or without ghosts.
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Post by chefying on Jul 13, 2014 15:22:25 GMT
Xuan Wu Men 玄武门, which is the North entrance/exit of the Forbidden City. The South end entrance/exit is the Wu Men. By the way, XuanWu, the symbol for North, is depicted as a tortoise with a snake around it. The symbol for South is a red bird. There was a TV series called Jue Zhan Xuan Wu Men 決戰玄武门 but I don't know if it was based on a Wuxia book or not*. However, that story was set in the Tang dynasty, and at that time, this palace was not built yet.  This is the official blurb on Xuan Wu Men....  ..... and the close-up on the English text.  * siuyiu advised that the tvb series was "not based on a wuxia book but rather the historical conflict between tang taizong and his brothers for the throne." Thanks for the info, siuyiu. |
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Post by chefying on Jul 13, 2014 15:25:46 GMT
According to the official description of the North Gate of the Imperial Palace, the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty PuYi 溥儀 (who ruled under the name Emperor Xuan Tong 宣統), was driven out of the Forbidden City through this gate. He would have passed from his dwellings through this beautiful garden to reach the North Gate but I doubt he had the time nor inclination to admire it.   Perhaps it is symbolic that PuYi was to be driven out of the Forbidden City from this gate - the last Emperor of the Ming Dynasty left through this gate too. The Ming Emperor Chongzhen 崇祯 left this gate (chased out by the peasant rebel Li ZhiCheng 李志成) and continued northwards up Fragrance Hill where he hanged himself on a tree. |
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Post by chefying on Jul 13, 2014 15:48:46 GMT
And in the background with the pavilion is XiangShan 香山 - Fragrant Hill, viewed from within the Forbidden City.  XuanWu Men leads to a main street outside the palace. Cross the road and it will eventually lead to Fragrant Hill, apparently the favourite place for the locals to view the colourful autumn leaves. In the case of one Emperor, it was the perfect place to hang himself. |
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Post by chefying on Jul 13, 2014 15:51:55 GMT
I found another picture of the ornamental creatures at the ridges of roofs of the Imperial Palace. This is a minor "court" so there were fewer creatures and less elaborate.  |
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Post by chefying on Jul 13, 2014 15:57:30 GMT
This is a photo, taken in Beijing, is that of a Bingtang Hulu 冰糖葫芦 seller, the Chinese version of Sherlock Holmes' Baker Street Boys...  On the topic of Bingtang Hulu sellers, this photo was taken in TaiYuan, the capital of the Province of ShanXi. The Bingtang Hulu seller are often quoted in wuxia novels as collectors of information.  |
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Post by siuyiu on Jul 13, 2014 17:07:49 GMT
i'm always so envious when friends show me pics of places in china i have yet to go, but more so than any other place, the forbidden city ones really make me green with envy because even though i technically walked through it (from front gate to back one), i was completely gyped by our stupid tour guide. we got one hour there, which was enough time to walk the straight line from door to door, without any time to explore the massive space in between. why were we so rushed? she wanted to take us to a factory that sold ugly replicas so she could get her commission from them.
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