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Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet

August 5, 2009 by

One of the most fascinating places I have traveled is Tibet. Having gone to cities with progressively higher altitudes in the days before arriving in Tibet, the group was prepared for the rarefied air of Lhasa whose elevation is 3650 meters (11,975 feet) above sea level. Normally visitors are unable to tour on the first day there and must rest, but we “hit the ground running” much to the consternation of the local guide who thought he would have the afternoon and evening off.

I had many adventures in Lhasa and took a large number of photos. One of the most interesting places we visited while there was the Sera monastery. It was founded in 1419, during the Ming Dynasty and the name means “wild rose” in Tibetan. It was named Sera because the hills behind it were filled with wild roses at the time it was being built.

It may be only a coincidence, but the young monks who now study there wear robes that are rose colored. A study session of theirs is fascinating to watch. They gather outside, under the trees in dyads or triads. They refine their knowledge of their faith by asking questions of one another. The questioners stand and the answerers sit. If the answer is deemed good and satisfying based on the traditional sources, the questioners indicate that through a hand gesture signifying approval. If not, they continue to question. Questions are punctuated with slaps on the questioner’s arm. To the observer, it is a somewhat disconcerting sight. Some are standing, some are sitting, there is lots of noise as all of the dyads and triads are constantly speaking, and there is an unpredictable cacophony of slaps.

It is, however, both fascinating and beautiful. Here are a couple of images:

Monks at Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet

Monks at Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet

Monks sharing a moment at Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet

Monks sharing a moment at Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet

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The Private Area of the Forbidden City

May 22, 2009 by

The area behind the ceremonial part of the Forbidden City is where the emperor and his family and concubines and the eunuchs and servants lived. Unlike the official area where guests were greeted, ceremonies performed, examinations given, laws pronounced– where the terrain consisted of building after building with no greenery, the family area had greenery and at the very back, a lovely garden.

After passing the giant stone carving, to the north- in the direction we have been walking, there is a plaza and the entrance to the private area.

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This is simply a wall we walk by, but it stands out against all of the other walls we have seen in the Forbidden City which are “purple.” Now what the Chinese call purple, we might term terracotta, but the Chinese name for the Forbidden City is actually “the purple Forbidden City.”

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Even walking through the private area, it feels different– smaller in scale, quieter, calmer. It’s easy to understand why the emperor would want such a division between the official area and the private area.

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This is one of the bedchambers. It was probably used by one of the concubines. The emperor and the empress had their own buildings where they lived and the concubines lived in the equivalent of elegant dorms.

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This is the bridal chamber, the place where the emperor and empress would spend their first night together. Traditional Chinese beds are like elaborate boxes that have one side cut out. They have walls on three sides and a ceiling. It is possible to see it in both pictures above. In the bridal chamber, the bed is just to the left of the red column.

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Even in the picture, you can feel the release of tension as you see the softness of the flowers and trees in the imperial garden . The garden has a path running through it that is a kilometer long and it is made of mosaics that contain 720 pictures and patterns. Among the pictures are historical stories, people, and animals. The garden dates from 1417.

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This garden, like other formal Chinese gardens, contains the four essential garden elements: Buildings, water, greenery, and stones. Chinese people have always loved stones. They think of a garden as representing the world and the stones are the mountains. They also like to choose stones that have shapes reminiscent of animals. In this garden, they have taken stones from other places in China and piled them one on top of the other to form “the Hill of Accumulated Elegance.”

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A beautiful and fascinating place to visit– and I only have scratched the surface.

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Into the Forbidden City, Beijing, China

May 11, 2009 by

Finally we approach the entrance to the Forbidden City with its picture of Chairman Mao. Every time I have been there, crowds of people are entering. Most of the tourism in China is Chinese. When you think about it, it makes sense. It is a country of about 1.3 billion people. If only 1% of them travel, that’s 13 million people! And with the Forbidden City being the heart of China, it is understandable that it would always have a large number of visitors. Thankfully, the area it occupies is very large. It is about 750 meters (820 yards) across and about a kilometer (1093.6 yards) long. We have entered at the south end through the Tiananmen Gate.

Once inside, we are in a public area of the Forbidden City. In this area there are shops and souvenir stands and until recently, there was even a Starbucks. It offended the sensibilities of some of the Chinese and it eventually closed. Somehow, I agree with them. The beauty of the Forbidden City and other Chinese sites is their uniqueness and their strong ties to Chinese culture and history. In this area there are trees and plants. There are no trees and plants in the official area of the Forbidden City.

Behind us, Tiananmen Gate; ahead of us, Meridian Gate

Behind us, Tiananmen Gate; ahead of us, Meridian Gate


This area has almost a fair-like quality. People walk slowly, sit on benches, and children play. Once we pass through Meridian Gate, everything changes. That is the entrance to the official part of the Forbidden City- a place where one only could enter with an invitation. Those with requests of the emperor often waited from four or five o’clock in the morning with a letter of reference, many of them only to be turned away hours later. It was there the condemned criminals’ sentences were announced and there the results of the examinations for mandarin service were reported.

Looking up at Meridian Gate

Looking up at Meridian Gate

Back of Meridian Gate

Back of Meridian Gate

Inside we find the Hall of Supreme Harmony which was where the emperor used to greet dignitaries.
The emperor had many many concubines and a staff of hundreds of eunuchs. In fact, they were the only men aside from the emperor who were permitted to remain in the Forbidden City overnight.

The number 9 is very important in Chinese folklore. It is considered the luckiest number and is the Imperial number. The Forbidden City is rumored to have 999 buildings. Some say it has 999 rooms. I never counted, but there are an enormous number of buildings, all of them impressive. Here’s just one view of an area that was recently restored.

Inside the Forbidden City

Inside the Forbidden City

And here we are walking through another gate to yet another area. The enormity of this complex, built between 1406 to 1420 is breathtaking!

A gate in the Forbidden City

A gate in the Forbidden City

One of the more amazing things in the Forbidden City is this piece of carved stone. It is over 16 meters long and 3 meters wide and 1.7 meters thick. It weighs more than 200 tons! The stone dates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was quarried in the western suburbs of Beijing. It was brought to the Forbidden City by sprinkling water on the way in order to make and iced road and pulled along the iced road. It was re-carved in 1761.

Large stone carving

Large stone carving

We have been walking through the official area of the Forbidden City- the place where the emperor carried out his official duties. There are, in this area, several museums including a museum of clocks. The Chinese imperial family loved western culture. Among their treasures are clocks made in Germany and France.

Below is the entrance to the private area where the emperor, the empress, the emperor’s concubines, his children, and the eunuchs lived.

Entrance to private family area of Forbidden City

Entrance to private family area of Forbidden City

Next time I will show you some of the private area of the Forbidden City, but, of course, to really experience it, you must visit it in person.

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The Forbidden City- Beijing, China

May 4, 2009 by

Before we actually enter the Forbidden City, it’s important to know that this is not the first Forbidden City in China. It is one of many that existed over the years in places like Xian (where the first Emperor lived), Kaifeng, and Nanjing. In fact, the name Beijing means “northern capital” – just as Nanjing means “southern capital.” Even in Beijing, this is not the first Forbidden City. The Yuan Dynasty which ruled from 1271 or 1279 (depending on which source you trust) to 1368 which preceded the Ming Dynasty had built their own Forbidden City within the city of Beijing. When the Ming Dynasty came into power, they very much wanted to negate the former dynasty in large part because they were not of Chinese origin, but Mongol. The Emperor and others in the Ming Dynasty not only decided to build their own Forbidden City, but they arranged to eclipse the former Forbidden City by constructing a hill in front of it, destroying its Feng Shui and forever remaining ascendant. The name of this hill and the park now surrounding it is Jing Shan and the view from there, looking north, of the former Yuan Forbidden City is most fascinating.

Looking toward the Yuan Dynasty Forbidden City

Looking toward the Yuan Dynasty Forbidden City

However, it is also possible, from this hill, to view the Ming Dynasty-built Forbidden City. This is the one that served as home to 24 Emperors, fourteen of the Ming Dynasty and ten of the Qing Dynasty.

Looking south over the Forbidden City

Looking south over the Forbidden City

This picture, taken in August of 2007 captures the scaffolding around parts of the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City has been undergoing renovations for many years and each year it is more beautiful. Word has it that the reconstruction may take as long or longer than the original construction that took from 1406 to 1420. The silver dome-like object in the upper right is the brand new Beijing opera house.

After the Qing Dynasty was overthrown in 1911 and the young Emperor, PuYi was forced to abdicate in 1912, the Forbidden City became known as “The Palace Museum” and it houses many of the treasures of the Chinese people.

And now, let’s visit the Forbidden City.

We are lucky. The reason the Forbidden City has its name is that quite simply, if you weren’t invited, you didn’t enter it. Fortunately for us, there are no more Emperors to keep us out and we can enjoy strolling through this awe-inspiring structure.

The Forbidden City is in the center of Beijing which is, according to the Chinese, the center of the world. Hence, China is termed “The Middle Kingdom.” It lies at the crossroads of east/west, north/south. South of the Forbidden City is Tiananmen Square, a huge open plaza, the largest of its kind in the world. It was in front of the square, at Tiananmen Gate on October 1, 1949 that Mao ZeDong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China. His picture still appears on the outside wall of the Forbidden City.

Tiananmen Gate

Tiananmen Gate

As with other Chinese structures, the Forbidden City is entered from the south and one proceeds northward through successive gates. Here is another picture of the entrance to the Forbidden City.

Entrance to the Forbidden City

Entrance to the Forbidden City

OK, we’re at the threshhold, but you must have patience. Next time, we enter the Forbidden City!

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