The Forbidden City is probably one of the most famous sights in China and a place you must see if you travel to Beijing. Several years ago when I visited I was shocked at the amount of tourist at this site but I think on my second visit there were even more! It was a hot summers day when we visited The Forbidden City or Palace Museum as it's also know by and it's called a city for a reason, it's absolutely humongous! I'm not quite sure how we walked through it all so quickly last time but I recommend at least half a day to experience it and to bring lots of water if it's sunny!
As I was there with my parents who are a little less energetic than me we decided not to walk through the whole city as it was far too hot that day however we got lost trying to find an exit as you can't exit the way you came in. None of the signs weren't really helpful in out quest to find an exit and none of us could speak Chinese but eventually after a lot of walking and a shuttle bus trip we finally made our way out.
I was glad to get the chance to re-visit The Forbidden City again in the summer as they colours of all the buildings were so vibrant, one of the things I love most about Asian architecture is just how bold and colourful it can be, of course a lot of the buildings have been renovated as you could see just how faded some of the older buildings are, there was also a lot of construction happening inside and with the size of this place I can imagine the upkeep on all the buildings is pretty much constant.
Looking back on the photos taken on my last trip it's strange to think how much I've changed in both appearance and personally. China was the first trip I had taken abroad on my own and it helped me learn so much about myself and my capabilities and I also learned so much about other cultures and how to be more understanding and less ignorant.
Visiting here a second time I felt more relaxed and prepared as I had a better understanding of how things worked like queuing for example, people in China sometimes just barge in and push you aside so you just have to go with the flow, don't let it get to you and be a bit more pushy yourself or you'll never get in anywhere! What you may view as rude may be common place in another culture so it's important to travel with an open mind, be observant and be kind.
What's the biggest lesson that you've learnt from travelling?
Love & Luck
Cate
xoxo
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