To the Forbidden City, many tourists, Chinese and a few westerners.
Renovation and repair are constant.
7 marble bridges lead across the Golden Water River to Tiananmen Gate.
A carved huabiao pillar outside Tiananmen Gate symbolizes dialogue between emperors and subjects. The design reminded me of Mayan art.
The court of the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City, which was the center of the Chinese empire for almost 5 centuries.
The complex is said to have 9,999 1/2 rooms because only heaven has 10,000. In fact, the Forbidden City has 8,706 rooms.
Between 1406 and 1420, some 200,000 people worked to build the palace, which was occupied by the Ming rulers in 1421.
I was never overcome by the physical presence of people in China but I was very often overcome by the IDEA of 1.3 billion people. As Irene says, China has the 1.3 billion and we in the U.S. have the .3 side.
A counter-feeling to the idea of big population and big big buildings for everyone to live in is: at any moment, it is possible to stop and attend to the beauty, in human creation such as this, in nature. And you can take as long as you want; no need to hurry (as long as you can take the sun -- "very warm," as Jolanta put it).
The emperor could not leave the palace grounds without an official escort. The empress and concubines led even more sheltered lives and were not to be seen by any males outside the family circle.
The buildings of the palace are mostly wooden and fire always has been and is a threat.
When the emperor moved from one building to another, it was a major expedition involving many people -- including 9,000 maidservants in the Ming dynasty, and eunuchs -- and much organization.
The gridlike and geometric pattern of the palace complex reflects the strongly hierarchical structure of imperial Chinese society. Its fixed and ordered harmony aimed at expressing cosmic order.
The buildings are aligned on north-south lines, the most important facing south and the sun. / And look at this gorgeous deep coral, presented by greens.
The emperor held official audiences from this imperial chair.
Subject: RE: this summer
ReplyDeleteDate: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 09:48:37 -0400
Connie,
Not sure how to comment on your blog, so will do it here. I’m struck that you have nothing about Mao and the Little Red Book! Wondering if the traffic signals are still set up so that red is go and green is stop, as they were during the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution. Isn’t it amazing how many lives were destroyed then by Mao and how it all seems to be forgotten by the Reds now? Everything I know about China I learned in my Problems of Democracy class in high school, and some I picked up later.
Tony
Hi Tony,
I didn't notice the red/green trafficlight opposition so maybe it is the same as we are used to here.
My friend Irene said she had gone to Mao's tomb; how still and reverent it was inside, and how immediately the opposite outside where Mao memorabilia sales were loud and rampant. I asked her: How did you feel inside the tomb? Well, of course, she said, he was a despicdable dicatator.
So I thought I'd see it. Jola didn't care. Our guide that day, Ms. Lin (Yawen given name) said: Oh, my parents know about Mao. She had never been. She was in her 20s, very sharp. So I said: Well, I don't need to go.
Maybe the non-talking about the deaths is the way for a long time we never mentioned slavery and hangings. It was just not a word mentioned. Not that it is widely talked about today, but it is more acceptable. I would say that economic growth is the big topic today. (Not really knowing, since I don't speak or read Chinese.) Very capitalistic.
I really appreciated China Road by Rob Gifford. As I said, nobody could know less about China than me before I went.
Thanks!
Connie