Forbidden City - southern gate
by extrajoce
The Forbidden City is the number one attraction of Beijing, in my opinion. It is easy to visit palaces, and the Great Wall is more original, but this is where one can grasp what makes the Chinese civilisation unique: its history, its depth, its power, its refinement, but also what caused its downfall in this unbelievable replica of a world cut away from everything. From sheer size to fine detail, it has everything, and can only be compared to Rome, in the sense that it channeled the artistic talent of generations from a grand civilisation. Today, Mao's portrait on the main gate, the communist flag on royal roofs, are more symbols of China's nature, however much paradoxal it may appear at first.
visit the awesome Forbidden...
by Krystynn
visit the awesome Forbidden City! Here's the much-awaited answer (from the previous question):
The answer is 27 years and 4 months plus! This is because the Palace has 9,999 rooms. It was designed to have 9,999 rooms because the pronunciation in Mandarin echoes the auspicious 'forever, forever, forever, forever'.... :-)
Believe you me, the Chinese (no matter how westernized they appear to be, still very much believe in the ancient art of numbers bringing GOOD LUCK). For e.g., another 'hot' number in Chinese is the no. 8. Its literal translation means 'Good Luck'. The Chinese absolutely dislike the no. 4. It means 'die' which they consider a curse and terribly bad luck. So if a house has a no. 4 for its address, you can bet a million bucks a Chinese won't be living in it!
Bike rental at Houhai
by mke1963
Bikes can be rented from the shop (in photograph) at the eastern 'corner' of Houhai..just 100 metres round from the Silver Ingot Bridge.
Cost varies enormously, depending on the type of bike, but expect to pay upwards of RMB50 for one hour with RMB200 as a deposit.
Tandems and three-seaters are also available. Use a bike helmet! Be extremely careful if you go out beyond the alleyways around the Houhai area.
Ya Show
by mojo1980
This place is especially popular with foreigners, which is why owners tend to jack up the prices. Thumb of rule: bargain below 70%.
Also, at the food court on the top storey, a particular store sells delicious food on sticks (something like Malay Satay or Turkish Kebab)
A carnival of lights reflect off a lake at night.
by rsleisk about Houhai lake area
Houhai was a very elegant contrast to the seedy Sanlitun Bar district. There were many different bars and restaurants that lined the shores of the man made lake.
I went to one place...can't remember the name exactly "dragon something" anyway it had a spot light in the shape of a dragon that illuminated on the sidewalk. The place was interestingly decorated and there was good music with a small dance floor.
The area is a good spot for people watching and taking a stroll, although on my particular night there it was mysting that only added to the ambience. Styling and profiling.
Sign in with Facebook
Marble Boat - Summer Palace
Shirley it is a little cold....bbrrrr
Taste Beijing Duck
hungry
