The Forbidden City

7th August 2004.

The Forbidden City is the largest and best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China. It gets its name because it was off limits for 500 years, when the Ming and Qing dynasties were in power.  These dynasties never strayed out of the city unless they absolutely had to like maybe if the Mongols needed a hand-slapping.

Here is the rammed courtyard that we had to make our way through. Two hundred years ago it would have cost you your life to get in here...now you had to fight for your life to get through the crowds!

Us with Ross, Lee, Michelle and Luke.  They had joined us from the Trans Siberian train and weren't used to the Chinese way.

They have no stamina! One museum and they needed a break.

This girl trys to vandal the several hundred year old statue.  Her proud dad watches in the background.

We are told that to proceed into the next part of the Forbidden city we had to wear these fetching blue shoes. Lee tries to blend in with the locals.

Claire was chuffed they matched her blue outfit.

Jason who had been in China for too long now doesn't care.

Shoes off and now time for cheesy photo.

Another China masterpiece.
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