The Forbidden City, one of the first place we think of when we think of Beijing. Well, you can find all the information about it online or in an innumerable amount of books. However, I will describe in here how my experience was when I visited it.
First, you have to go see it. It is an important historical site and you should at least know a little about it. Second, you will walk a lot so if you are not feeling too well that day, it is not a good idea to go. Third, you will not see as much as you wish. There is a enormous amount of people visiting the Forbidden City everyday. There are usually more than 80,000 people visiting the place even though the maximum capacity is only 60,000 people. You can imagine how difficult it would be to get that perfect picture in the middle of so many tourists.
When you go visit, do not forget to take your student ID, you will get a hefty discount. Expect to stay there for at least two hours. Remember that everything inside the museum is overpriced so you should have a full belly before entering. Take your time exploring the ins and outs of the place and if you like to know a bit more, get the audio guides, they are more reliable then the people outside trying to give you tours.
In the end, it is something you have to experience. The Palace Museum is beautiful and a good place to take lots of touristy photos. Enjoy your visit to the Forbidden City!
By Larissa Sales, Loyola University Chicago, TBC Communications and Social Media Intern and Fall 2015 Student
This is the first American edition of Anderson’s fascinating account of Britain’s first diplomatic mission to China in 1792. By the end of the eighteenth century the East India Company had been trading with Chinese merchants for two hundred years, but in a strictly limited way.
At the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, as the 18th century drew to a close, the Western world was eager for knowledge—driven by a philosophical movement that championed reason and science. King Louis XV of France asked for the advice of his trusted Minister of State, Henri Bertin, about how to reform the spirit of the nation, after giving it some thought, Bertin famously responded, “Sire, to inoculate the French with the Chinese spirit.”