Monday, May 5, 2008Beijing
Before taking another step, you need to wrap your head around the hierarchy of gates, palaces, courtyards, and creatures here. The Forbidden City is, indeed, a city within a city, surrounded by sky-high fortress walls. Within that area are sub-sets of gates and palaces. As you move from the southern, more public end of the property toward the northern end that’s anchored by the Imperial Garden, you pass through a number of “gates,” or dividing line fortress walls that protect each new layer of intimacy.
The first courtyard you enter, between the Tiananmen Gate and the Meridian Gate isn’t actually a part of the Forbidden City at all, but merely an entrance to the Imperial Grounds, which explains the endless hawkers, kitch stands, ice cream carts, and carnival atmosphere that swirls around you in hyperactive speed. It’s nearly impossible to walk twenty paces without yet another entrepreneurial “guide” offering his services for a price.
Needless to say, not the experience I expected. Looks like once I pay for my entry ticket into the City, then pass through the Meridian Gate, the touristy sales stuff will vaporize.
Of course, not until after the entrepreneurs have had one last shot at all but tackling you to the ground as you pass through the ticket line.
Oh yeah. One other thing to wrap your head around. As recently as 1908, when the last Emperor ascended to the thrown, two months shy of his third birthday (yup...something else to wrap your head around), there were no “real men” allowed to live within the Forbidden City walls. Pretty much had to be one of the eunichs to get that p.o. address.
Yeeeeouch.
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