Cara checked out the Forbidden City on Monday with Natalie (a new friend from our congregation. Natalie is here teaching English). This is the main entrance on the south side. You can see the Forbidden city in this map. This is where the emperor use to live.
Here is Natalie and some carved dragons in the Forbidden City. There are dragons everywhere, they represent celestial and terrestrial power, wisdom, and strength.Elephants represent strength, sagacity, and prudence.
This is an electrified dragon. It is not actually labeled that way, but it was our best guess :)
The Forbidden City is huge and there is building restoration going on everywhere. Here is one newly retouched. They are hoping to have more buildings ready to be seen by 2008.
This was a carving near the emperors’ private quarters.
This cool tree was at the south entrance of the main garden.
This warning sign means 'please don't vandalize' only it is much more elegant. People touch everything here. In the stores, they open up containers to check what is inside. In this palace, Chinese people will touch the walls, the paintings, the sculptures - everything.
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More on the figures on the top of the roofs:
Traditionally they are a tyriannical prince who was overthrown and hanged from the roof of his palace. The prince is mounted on a chicken, unable to fly down and escape. He is chased by all sorts of animals with the terrifying dragon called a chiwen always last.
From Beijing by Cadogan
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