Tour of the Forbidden City

If you want to take in all the attractions of the Forbidden city, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Lama Temple, you will definitely need more time than just one day. The Forbidden City alone would take you almost half a day to cover the place thoroughly. So make sure you only try 2 or 3 sites at the most each day.

The Forbidden City, which is known as Gu Gong, was home to 2 dynasties, the Qing and the Ming. This is the grandad of all preserved buildings in all of China. The Ming Dynasty built it with the help of over 1 million labourers. Most of the buildings have been rebuilt due to Chinas tumultuous history.

The palace is gigantic and one is wise to join a tour group so that you do not miss a thing. An audiotape tour is also available. There are many grand temples and halls, but the main ones are the Three Great Halls, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The latter was used for ceremonies, such as the Emperors birthday.