Forbidden City: A Bit Disappointing. Am I Allowed to Say That?
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Well, this is a bit funny: I have been in Beijing for seventeen years, and except for a trip with my school when I was little, I never actually set foot in the Forbidden City until now.
It's quite different from the impression it left on me before.
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To me, it used to be known as the "Purple Forbidden City", which seemed regal and magnificent like an imperial place. Tourists could feel that solemn and grand atmosphere.
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Recently, however, it feels more like a national-level cultural relics museum. By the way, friends planning to visit should be aware:
- The best-preserved major halls are largely off-limits, surrounded by barriers (possibly due to the huge influx of visitors every day... or maybe because there are always lots of visitors).
You basically can only glimpse at their facades from afar, then enter some smaller side halls or rooms to admire the relics.
Only very few chambers are open to visitors.
- For instance, the Empress Dowager Pavilion has been transformed into an exhibition center for sculptures with all the original contents removed.
- There's also one hall where guests might take a peek through the barrier, but no entry, other than by far-fetched fantasies. And, truth be told, one may genuinely feel slightly disappointed.. (Purely personal opinion, please discuss rationally!)
I've visited plenty of palaces and estates around the world and what I'm particularly fond of seeing is how people lived and worked inside those places.
- What's the lifestyle or living habits differ among individuals with different social status?
- What kinds of entertainment were enjoyed in ancient times?
- What interesting stories revolved around famous figures in various corners?
All these aspects catch my attention as you stand where history happened, listening to old tales, looking out the window, there's a special feeling of traveling back in time by several centuries.
For example,
- In Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, you can see many ancient toilets and bathrooms, rather amusing.
- European palaces display Chinese porcelains collected by noble ladies.
- Pseudo-Manchuria Imperial Palace houses various fashionable western-like household items formerly used by Puyi, the last emperor of China.
- Many museums will employ replicas, videos, animations and even mannequins to re-enact historical scenes, which cannot be achieved through reading books or watching clips.
To guess, maybe, the Forbidden City doesn't think it is necessary to re-enact these well-known historical events for Chinese tourists? Besides, could the main focus of the Forbidden City be the preservation of cultural relics and exhibitions?
- In any case, you will constantly feel like you are walking in a modern museum with no aura of an old royal residence.
- Even if some chambers are restored with some replica furniture and scenery, the atmosphere would definitely be closer to history than a bare building facade.
However, it's the commercial vibe that feels quite strong.
- Reminder: souvenir shops (called "cultural creations stores") are abundant but lack novelty, selling similar goods.
- A coffee kiosk is so noisy about drawing customers, one couldn't imagine they would engage such activities in one of the most important ancient royal architecture cluster of China...
- Near the exit, there's a row of shops, including some on the sidewalk, selling cheap trinkets and second-hand books & magazines for $0.75 each...
Well, I'm just an average person, not a professional or expert, it's just what I think.
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All this publicity is great~ Keeps things neat and tidy~
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Not really. It's normal for popular attractions to be crowded. The challenge is figuring out how to balance public access with preservation when there are so many people. It's not about shutting everything down for protection's sake. Look at France and Italy—they get more international tourists than Chinese attractions. I think it's a gradual learning process for everyone; even the Forbidden City only recently made these changes.
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I feel the same way. Before I went, I imagined I'd get to see the living environments of ancient people and picture how they lived hundreds of years ago. But there was nothing like that, and I was instantly disappointed.
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@ISurfTheNetJustToMakeWeirdComments
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Never mind other things, the Forbidden City seems to have its own budget version of things. I went today, and so much was under repair they just showed you a cardboard cutout.
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That's pretty 'thoughtful' of them, even drawing on the cutout so you can use your imagination.
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As far as the eye can see on the Great Wall, it's all 'X was here' graffiti. I feel that protecting the Forbidden City this way is still necessary.
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You're talking about two completely different things. The other examples I gave aren't places where you can just scribble 'X was here' either.
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I think covering them up is good. It pains me to see all the messy carvings. Don't compare; many of Europe's Eastern collections were looted, so they don't feel the same pain. There's only one Forbidden City in the world.
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Are you saying the architectural civilizations of ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, and the Ottoman Empire aren't worth seeing? Saying that just shows you haven't bothered to learn about the history and culture of other countries.
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I totally get how you feel. I don't like this current operational model either, but there are just so many people in China; there's no choice but to protect these sites.
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Yes, that's one aspect. On the other hand, I think even if they don't open them up, there might be better ways to display things. At the Old Summer Palace, even though there's nothing left, you can still watch short films.
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The main halls in the middle are all like this. Although my colleague warned me beforehand, I was still a bit disappointed when I actually saw it.
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Yes, I was very disappointed too. I would have been content even if I could just peek in from the doorway, but you can't see anything at all.
