The Palace Museum

Step back in time and immerse yourself in the grandeur of Chinese history at The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, in Beijing! This majestic complex, situated in the heart of the city, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a treasure trove of imperial architecture and cultural artifacts. The Palace Museum is enormous, covering an area of 72 hectares. It houses a vast collection of over 1.8 million artifacts, including imperial treasures, ancient artworks, and cultural relics spanning thousands of years. From delicate porcelain and ancient calligraphy to stunning paintings and royal costumes, each exhibit tells a story of China's rich heritage. So if you want to have a thorough trip, you may need to spend one or two days here. Tips: 1️⃣ Wear comfortable shoes, as the palace complex is expansive and requires a fair amount of walking. 2️⃣ Consider hiring a knowledgeable guide or audio guide to gain deeper insights into the history and significance of the various buildings and exhibits. 3️⃣ Visit during weekdays or non-peak hours to avoid crowds and have a more immersive experience.

5 Things to Know Before Going to Beijing I look forward to winter in Beijing the most, walking through the hutongs with a smoky aroma, eating candied haws and watching people come and go in the hutongs. 1️⃣Transportation tips: Direct flight from Shanghai to Beijing, 300 yuan. Beijing has Beijing Capital Airport and Daxing Airport. The Capital Airport is closer to the city, recommended. You can reach the city area by 3 subway stations. 2️⃣Accommodation tips: I like Xicheng District, which has a very old Beijing feel. There are many quadrangles here. I live in a hutong on Yan Dai Xie Street, the feeling of an old courtyard, and I can chat with the old men when I go out in the morning. 250 yuan per night. 3️⃣Tour tips: Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Yan Dai Xie Street, Nanluoguxiang, Bird's Nest, Water Cube, Badaling Great Wall. This route is very suitable for friends who are visiting Beijing for the first time. Tiananmen and the Forbidden City are together, and you need to queue up to enter. The Forbidden City ticket is 40 yuan. Jingshan Park is a hillside park overlooking the panoramic view of the Forbidden City, with a good view, recommended. The ticket is 2 yuan. Yan Dai Xie Street and Nanluoguxiang are both centuries-old historical districts. Many famous hutongs are here, where celebrities gather and there are many snacks and delicacies. The Bird's Nest and Water Cube, take subway line 8, get off at the Olympic Sports Center, the ticket is 78 yuan. The Badaling Great Wall, the ticket starts at 35 yuan, the Great Wall is in the suburbs, and it takes a day to visit. 4️⃣Food tips: Recommend Baozang Roast Duck Restaurant, Liu's Restaurant, it's crispy and can be dipped in white sugar. About 200 yuan for one, and there are many Beijing special dishes. Qixun Baizhao Hutong Cuisine, Beijing cuisine in the old hutong, retro style, recommended almond tofu. Average 100 yuan per person. Huguo Temple Snacks, a must-visit halal snack shop in Beijing, with baked buns, pea yellow, donkey rolls, etc. Average 20 yuan per person. 5️⃣S2 train tips: The S2 train is a beautiful sightseeing train route, and it is also the most cost-effective transportation from the city to the Great Wall. The starting station is Huangtudian Station to Yanqing Station, passing through Nankou Station and Badaling Station. The round trip to the Great Wall is 14 yuan.

1. Guilin (Suitable travel time: 4-10 months) The landscape of Guilin is a unique existence in many people's hearts. The mountains and waters complement each other and form their own style. They are all natural and untouched by human hands, the most natural beauty. 2. Suzhou (Suitable travel time: 3-5 months) 'Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below', in the historic alleys of Suzhou, accompanied by the green-grey brick walls. Walking with parents, talking about recent life, and childhood fun, is a great joy in life. 3. Xiamen (Suitable travel time: 3-5 months and 10-11 months) Together with parents, holding hands and walking slowly on the clean streets of Xiamen, watching the scenes that once appeared on the big screen, the scenes in the movie are also interesting. 4. Chengdu (Suitable travel time: 3-6 and 9-11 months) This is a place with a slow pace and a leisurely city life, which is a good place to travel with parents. 5. Chongqing (Suitable travel time: 3-5 months and 9-10 months) The pace of life in the Sichuan and Chongqing region has always been slow. In such a city, even the restless heart can calm down. Just walk into a teahouse, brew a pot of fragrant tea, and spend time with a small dish of melon seeds. 6. Dali (Suitable travel time: 3-5 months) The beautiful scenery here is also extraordinary. Looking at the sea to the east and climbing the mountain to the west, Cangshan and Erhai, the former as the base and the latter as ink, that is a beautiful painting. 7. Xi'an (Suitable travel time: 9-11 months) There are thousands of years of ancient capitals here, through the wind and frost, many dynastic changes, the passage of time, the traces left behind, go to any scenic spot, you can dig out a lot of historical stories. 8. Beijing (Suitable travel time: 5.9.10 months) Go to Beijing with parents, watch the solemn five-star red flag slowly rise, see the majestic Forbidden City, climb the long and majestic Great Wall with a long history

Next time you come to Beijing, make sure to check in at these four places. Since you're here, leave an IP before you go 📍Photo spots: 1⃣Western Hills' Ghost Laughing Stone 2⃣The Palace Museum's Hongyi Pavilion 3⃣Wangjing SOHO 4⃣Guanghua Road 📸Photography: These four spots are quite niche but very photogenic. Use wide-angle and telephoto on your phone camera to avoid crowds, and be careful of traffic at spot 4⃣. 🚇Transportation: ✅Navigate to Yanxi Parking Lot ✅Recommended entry through Xihuamen ✅Exit C of Wangjing East Station on Line 15 ✅Exit D of Jintai Xizhao Station on Line 10

The Forbidden City (Chinese name: Gugong, 'the Former Palace', 故宫) was the palatial heart of China. Constructed in 1420, during the early Ming Dynasty, it is China's best-preserved imperial palace, and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world. The Forbidden City is an imperial palace complex of the Ming and Qing dynasties in Beijing, China. As one of the five most important palaces in the world, the grand halls and walls proudly display the essence and culmination of traditional Chinese architecture, fitting for the capital city of the world's largest nation. #urbanexplorer #themeparks#nationalpark#lakes#beaches#infinitypool

Touring the Palace Museum still leaves one in awe. Red walls and black tiles, with the play of light and shadow. Magnificent and splendid, with an imposing atmosphere. Despite the vicissitudes of time, its beauty remains undiminished. Each pause and stay is deeply captivating by the Palace Museum. Newly visited the Ningshou Palace Garden, this secret garden of the emperor truly reflects Qianlong's lifelong pursuit of art. ⚠️Tips: 1️⃣Be sure to remember to book in advance and bring your ID. If you can't ensure early entry into the Palace Museum, definitely choose the afternoon entry time. Morning tickets only allow entry before 11 am, while afternoon tickets are valid after 11 am. I chose a morning ticket and almost couldn't get in. 2️⃣Entry is only through the Meridian Gate! 3️⃣The most photogenic colors are white, black, or low-saturation tones~

Beijing! The Palace Museum with its quaint and charming architectural complex, seeing it is really shocking and I truly love it! I entered the Forbidden City at 2:30 in the afternoon, so I didn't go to very detailed places like the Eastern Six Palaces, thinking that it would be enough to just walk through the central axis. 😋 I visited once when I was a child, but this time as soon as I entered, I felt how immense the Forbidden City is! I always thought there was no more to see, but after passing through a large gate, another similar vast square appeared! This place is definitely a paradise for those who love ancient architecture, scenes that I usually see on my phone, I could get up close here! You can take many beautiful photos with just a phone, I really couldn't walk anymore! I originally planned to visit the Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery to find out what they were like, but I entered too late and missed them, next time for sure! (Everyone must remember to come in early to see these two places!) When I came out of the Xuanwu Gate, I looked up and saw Jingshan in the distance, suddenly feeling a sense of breaking through the clouds to see the sun! I quickly took out my phone and captured it, this is a memorable point in my memory!

📍Beijing I didn't manage to get tickets to the Forbidden City, so I went to Jingshan Park to satisfy the craving. The ox-tongue pastries from Daoxiangcun are very tasty, with a hint of pepper. The milk skin yogurt is very thick in texture, look for Ziguangyuan. I've eaten the fatty duck from Quanjude. 🦆 I visited Yonghe Temple, the Zhajiang noodles were very chewy. There wasn't enough time to visit many attractions, looking forward to seeing BEIJING again

You must visit the Forbidden City! Experience the vicissitudes of six hundred years and share the three thousand miles of Beijing. The Forbidden City in Beijing, also known as the Purple Forbidden City, began construction in the fourth year of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1406), based on the Nanjing Forbidden City, and was completed in the eighteenth year of Yongle (1420), becoming the palace of twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Forbidden City in Beijing is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden structure complexes in the world, and the largest royal palace in the world. It is a national AAAAA tourist attraction and was listed as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 1961; it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1987.

🌆I never got to see the first snow, and my annual pass to the Forbidden City is about to expire, so I took some time to visit the winter palace. There aren't many highlights in the Forbidden City during winter, but during the month of the winter solstice, many people come to admire the 'Supreme Brightness' plaque in the Qianqing Palace. · 🌄I love the light at 9 am and the light at 3 pm; the former is delicately soft and bright, while the latter is warm and ready to burst forth at a touch. Yesterday, when I went to the library, I happened to flip through an old book by Xiao Xi, which mentioned 'the most splendid sunshine of winter,' and these words just fit the moment. · 🌅If you don't know what to photograph in winter, come to the Forbidden City to capture the light! A one-meter gap of sunshine, the covered caisson ceilings, and the resplendent great halls. Here is a time map for you to follow, to be embraced by the warmth of affection. · 🕙15:00 West side of Qianqingmen Square: Longzong Gate The sharp-angled windows cast soft rays of light; at this time, you need to prepare a prop, with princes and princesses, emperors and empresses as the main characters, to highlight the plot and cast light on the cheeks, creating an enigmatic sense of immediacy. · 🕙15:10 Former Xingmen The scene is a bit like the shyness of a first encounter, little knowing that the setting sun is so ambiguous. · 🕙15:20 Xiangxumen Using the door crack, you can capture the stark contrast between the black shadows and the golden door studs, lintels, and nails. · 🕙15:30 The Treasure Gallery is also a place where you can make the most of the situation. At this time, the sun is just right, capturing the double-layered red walls, ridge beasts, totems, yellow glazed tiles, and green tiles in one's view. Red represents auspiciousness, blue represents all things under heaven, and green represents endless life; with the light of the setting sun, it's even more dazzling. · 🕙15:40 The charm of the Chinese Character Gallery probably lies in the double dragons, the colorful paintings of the Xuanzi, and the window patterns of the double-crossed four-leafed diamond windows. And the reflection formed by the marble columns next to it. At this time, the blue sky plays a significant role, allowing the window patterns to reflect the beautiful scenery outside the window, a touch of blue and a touch of yellow. · 🕙15:50 Right side of the Hall of Supreme Harmony The simple lines sketch out a picture with a full sense of layers, with the chi heads spouting warm sun, dignified and elegant. From below, photograph the 10 ridge beasts and the crane of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in response, and the golden light shining from the right side of the great hall adds warmth to the upcoming sunset glow. · 🕙16:00 Duanhong Bridge There are not many people walking on this road in the winter afternoon, a bit lonely and quiet. At this time, the sunlight is just right, making the little lion look spirited, and the red walls and yellow tiles behind it also come alive with vitality, which is just right to describe the most splendid sunshine of winter. · 🕙16:10 Eighteen Locust Trees The beauty of this road lies in the green lawn, a color that will never go out of style. At this moment (blue, green, red, yellow), all things under heaven meet again at this moment of sunset. 🌃Chasing the light, the scene is beautiful 🎆Just like when we first met

Please, guide! Please, guide! Please, guide! 1️⃣ Take a taxi to Donghuamen, walk a few hundred meters to the Meridian Gate, and queue up to check tickets to enter the Forbidden City (I went on a Sunday morning, and the queue was about 10 minutes) 2️⃣ Just past the security check, you will see the guide service counter (there are windows on both the left and right sides of the Meridian Gate), where you can rent audio guides and live guides (I do not recommend renting audio guides, as many are said to be broken, and they might suddenly stop working at some attractions, but it's a long way back to the service counter, and it's very troublesome to return halfway to exchange the device) 3️⃣ Here's an important note! Go directly to the window shown in picture 2 to queue up! The number of guides is limited, and you may see a sign on the window saying 'No guides available at the moment,' but be patient. We entered the Forbidden City at 10:30 and waited for 20 minutes before a guide arrived! 4️⃣ Attention! Make sure to hire an official guide from the Palace Museum, not a third-party one. The content they speak of is based on verifiable historical facts, and they won't tell those exaggerated 'made-up' stories! The guides will also share many interesting stories from the palace, but they use very precise language and never treat unofficial history as official history, which is quite suitable for parents who want to teach their children history. You don't have to worry about the content being dull, because the affairs of the emperor's family are truly never boring! The service attitude is particularly good, and they are very welcoming to questions, not only actively answering them but also always concerned about whether we missed any content! (The guide we hired was Mr. Bai, and I hope you also have the chance to meet Guide Bai, who is very nice) We took the 2.5-hour route along the central axis, the West Six Palaces, and the Treasure Gallery (recommended by the guide as the most classic), and the whole journey was very enriching, completely different from aimlessly wandering in the Forbidden City! 7️⃣ The price is really not expensive, for the 7 of us, it totaled 390, averaging 55 yuan per person! For this price, with personal service, it's better than eavesdropping on a tour, and it's very conscientious! (If you are in a small group, you can find others to join you on the spot)

In 2011, the nationwide hit Step by Step Shocking💥 made me always like Liu Shishi's portrayal of Maertai Ruoxi💕. Her appearance is very temperamental. In the early stage, she was a quirky and hardworking thirteen sister. In the later stage, she was a deep palace empress who was depressed in her heart (although she was not formally canonized). It is really a fine costume drama. The fourth master is restrained and affectionate, the eighth master is gentle and jade-like. I am not a fan of the fourth master or the eighth master, my favorite in my heart is Lin Gengxin's portrayal of the fourteenth master. I will always remember that he brought her favorite hibiscus cakes🌺 to Ruoxi who was kneeling in the rain☔️. Classic famous scenes haha. Taking a set of portraits in the Forbidden City is still very meaningful. When I look at these photos many years later, I will remember that when I was young, I was Ruoxi in the Forbidden City for a morning😘