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Day One

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Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are located next door to one another, which makes it easy to explore both on the same day. Beijing traffic is cumbersome at best, and if you can spend your day in a concentrated area, you are usually better off than trying to travel across town, especially during rush hour.

Tiananmen Square is the world’s largest public square, and it can hold 300,000 individuals at peak capacity. In the center of the square stands the 124-foot tall Monument to the People’s Heroes, a granite obelisk erected in 1958. Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum is the place to go to see the entombed leader. There are a few other sites in the square: the Great Hall of the People, the Museum of the Chinese Revolution, and the Museum of Chinese History. They are not considered top Beijing tourist attractions, however, so skip them if you want to.

One site that should absolutely not be skipped is the breathtaking and mind-boggling Forbidden City. This massive complex of red-walled buildings and pavilions stands at the city’s geographic center, and it is the largest palace complex in the world. It is currently under renovation, meaning some of the areas are closed, but there is still plenty to see. You can purchase an audio tour for a small fee that will guide you through the palace, or you can hire an English-speaking guide.

The place you will probably want to begin is at the Qianqing Men (Gate of Heavenly Purity). It serves as the entryway into the most significant portion of the complex. The gate leads into the Inner Court, beyond which lies the Quinquig Gong (Palace of Heavenly Purity) where the Emperors lived until 1720. Next are the Jiaotai Dian (Hall of Union) and the Kunning Gong (Palace of Earthly Tranquility). The Imperial Garden lies in the back.

Other interesting portions of the palace complex include the Zhenbao Guan (Hall of Jewelry) (where you can view the Qing Imperial Seals), and the Yangxin Dian (Hall of Mental Cultivation), where the family moved when they left the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Other notable sites include the Hall of Clocks and the Nine Dragon Screen.

Next Page: Day Two

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