Chinese characters were orignially
written vertically because they used
strips of bamboo, unrolled with one
hand while writing with the other.
The Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors.
The kneeling elephant symbolizes the power
of the emperor.  Even elephants respect his
strength!  The last emperor abdicated in 1912.
The exquisite building corners – traditional
Chinese palatial architecture at it’s best.
The door to the Forbidden City!
As mere commoners, we would have
never been allowed to touch it.
The center of ancient Beijing, it
covers over 1200 acres with 9,999
rooms.  UNESCO lists this as a
world heritage site.  Some parts
date back to 1406.

 

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