Travel Notes #故宫
China Knowledge
Forbidden City: A Wooden City Standing on Beijing's Central Axis
For two dynasties, China piled its most expensive timber, its longest central axis and its strictest rituals inside one walled rectangle. The Forbidden City grew out of a single decision to move the capital north, burned down four times, was rebuilt four times, and today is still the quietest large courtyard in Beijing.
China Knowledge
Beijing Travel Guide: Three Millennia of Capital, the Central Axis and Seven World Heritage Sites
Beijing has three thousand years of city-building and eight hundred years as an imperial capital, with seven World Heritage Sites inside and around it. Here is how to make sense of the city's grand axis and palace complexes — and its equally real daily life in the hutongs.