Once when I was at my younger age, I felt at awked when I first see the picture of the forbidden city. I told myself that, how nice it would be if I could go there one day.
And true enough, now I get my chance to finally set foot at this so called Forbidden City. I was very thrilled to learn that I will go there on this company trip.
My first impression of this old palace, is that, it is not that magnificent after all. In fact, it is not as big as what I thought initially. The throne where the emperor once sat, look so dull and smaller than size. The palace ground, at most place, are actually over grown with unkept grass. The beams, wooden window, all look so bad shape.
There are actually very little thing that resemble how it use to be once upon a time ago. The furnitures settings were all taken off to somewhere, where you need to pay more for to look at it. Most of the buildings are empty.
Here and there, we get to see small scale of restoration on it, but this will be carried on until 2008 for the Beijing Olympic. In fact, many of the old buildings are being restored now. So don't be disappointed the next time you find yourself travelling all the way there, only to find that the place you want to visit is closed for restoration.
However, I still manage to get a glimpse on how the royalties lived during the pass. This place is mostly a serious administration fortress, there are very little for fun here. Perhaps that is why they have few summer palace here and there.
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