2015 - Four trips.(Revised)

 

2015 - Four trips.(Revised)

Interactive Map go here.

Four Trips of the Year.

1. Calcutta - Andaman Trip. 01 Jan  - 08 Jan 2015.

2. MUMBAI. 2 May - 7 May 2015.

3a. JAPAN. 8 May 15 - 13 May 2015. CHINA - JAPAN TRIP.

3b. CHINA. 13 May - May 2015. CHINA - JAPAN TRIP.

4. KERALA  - 20 June - 28 June 2015.

8.China - Japan Trip : DAY EIGHT : BEIJING SIGHT SEEING .Day 8.Part I - Govt Jade Factory.

DAY EIGHT- 15 May 2015. BEJING - SIGHT SEEING.

Part I - Govt Jade Factory.

MAP OF SIGHTS SEEN ON DAY EIGHT : 15 MAY 2105 .

This is the screen shot of the map . To see interactive map , go to https://goo.gl/T5TNCr
OR
https://goo.gl/T5TNCr
copy the link Below and paste it in URL bar.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zhhZ6ZYYuJgw.kF3O15TjpoKY

This will open interactive map.Any clarifications about how to use this map , just send me a mail.

This was our second day in Beijing .  
This day Government Jade Factory , Balding section if the Great wall Of China , Summer Palace in Beijing City and the Olympic Village were the main sights to be seen on the day's itenerary 

Personally we go on these trips to see the historical sites,world heritage sites monuments,beautiful natural scenery, etc and experience the Cultural atmosphere of that country , cities etc . However in our every group trip the local guide makes it a point to take you to at least one Mall , Shopping lane , Tea shop etc for shopping . Priti and I are not much interested in shopping and we had said so many times . However it is quite surprising , at least it was for us , that some people come on these trips only for shopping and they are very serious about it.If shopping is missing from day's itinerary,they raise a hue & cry and ensure that the shopping trip for the day is not missed.
But to carry on with the travelog,
First place to be visited was the Governmant Jade Factory . My knowledge about Jade was that it was considered a gemstone , was green in colour and used by Emperors of China . The factory was about 50 odd kms from our hotel and took us about an hour in the light morning traffic . First look of The Government Jade Factory was quite all right .

Government Jade Factory. 

        
Another view .Government Jade Factory. 

Main entrance . Flanked by impressive 

looking Lion Statues . No , they were not in jade but in white marble :-)

 Immediately after entry , one could see the craftmen creating Jade jwellery , statuttes and other art objects for sale . It was facinating to watch them work with electrical drills , cutters , shaping and polishing tools . One marvelled at their expertise and delicate touch with the tools in creating such beautiful and some really delicate looking jewellery and small statuettes.

Mastercraftman at work.  very intrciate & tricky work.It was very facinating to watch them work . Converting a lump of Jade in a thing of beauty!!!

Mastercraftman at work. Balls within Balls ,

Inside the hall , and display area was even more impressive . It was huge .The floor area was full of display cabinets loaded with Jewelly , statuettes , display and decorative items etc. There were statues of various sizes . Some so big they they had to be displayed on the ground.I saw articles of colours other than green and had doubt whether these different coloured items were also made of jade . My doubt was answered by one of the salesman . I was informed that "Jade is found in various colours .Though , Green Jade retains its popularity .Lavender jade continues to be admired and adored. The value and desire for red jade, yellow jade, black jade, and especially ice jade continues to increase . Not only this , there are about 49 shades in various colours of Jade with different translucence and texture . To know more details go to this link .

THESE PHOTOS GIVE SOME IDEA OF THE HUGENESS OF THE STORE 

WITH THESE PHOTOS GET SOME IDEA OF THE VARIETY OF ITEMS.

Pure white Jade.






SOME DISPLAY ITEMS TOO BIG TO BE KEPT ON / IN CABINETS.

Look at that size. Cost Y 6880000 ₹ 7 crorer.(to be excat 70421622)
Title of this work : Aquarium of Five Dragons playing with a ball.
It took three three Masters 15 months to sculpture.

BELOW : THE AQUARIUM BY ITSELF 

Another BIG Fellow. ALSO AN AQUARIUM

Huge engraved wall mounting panel.

Some sculptures were in fact so huge that they must have weighed more than couple of tons and were displayed out side the main shop in a shade. Have a look :

The Horses .

Pride Of Lion.They look three seperate Statues,but are made from a single Jade rock .

Still bigger Aquarium !!!!

As we are not interested in shopping , normally we do not like to visit shopping malls . Though lot of people from the group bought jewllery items , small decorative items etc . For a moment we were also tempted.However what jewellery or statuettes we could afford we did not like . What we liked was so , so costly that they were just beyound our purchasing power.

So even though it was a shopping center, Here it was a different story.The quality and colours of Jade were facinating and an eye opener.The variety,the types,the sizes,numbers,of the Jade goods on display and sale were simply mind boggling .We could have easily spent more than half a day looking around and admiring the displays . I therefore decidec to call this as a visit
to a "place of attraction" rather than to a "shopping center". As we had a full days programme still to go through,we left the place to go to The Great Wall of China after about an hour or so .    

DAY EIGHT TO BE CONTINUED WITH : part ii 

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. 

7.China - Japan Trip - PART TWO : DAY SEVEN : BEIJING SIGHT SEEING day 7.

DAY SEVEN - 14 May 2015. BEJING - SIGHT SEEING.

MAP OF SIGHTS SEEN ON DAY SEVEN : 14 MAY 2105 .

This is the screen shot of the map . To see interactive map , go to the link Below

https://goo.gl/8TmX5s
OR

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9144494,116.3692395,13z/data=!4m2!6m1!1szhhZ6ZYYuJgw.k1kCoFnJ5wFc?hl=en

Once the map of area of interest opens , click  " Open Original Map " at the bottom of the tab , in blue colour.This will open interactive map.

Full days sight seeing was palnned . We started the day with Tianaman Square . Only thing I new about this palce was vaguely rememberd memories of news items about public demonstrations and rutheless way those peaceful demos were put down by the Communist Government . Even battle tanks were utilised to terrorise the demonstrattors . Other than that the knowledge was nil . Kesari tour manager and the local guide were no help . They took us to the square , gave us reassembly time and the place and left us to our devices .

Any way now I have done some googling and here is the gen on Tianaman Square.

Tianaman Square

Tianaman Square was construted in 1451 and used to be the entry gate for the Imperial City and further to Forbidden city . Over the years it has undergone reconstructions and expansions to such an extent that is is today unrecognisable from what it was in 1451. 

Following the vision of  Mao Zedong who wanted it to become the largest and grandest square in the world , expansion work was sterted in November 1958 and completed in August 1959 . 
Today ,Tiananmen Square is the largest city center square in the world, covering an area of 44 hectares. It is the place where numerous significant political and historical events occurred. It is also the witness of China's History from declining to rising. In 1986, it was selected in the '16 scenic spots in Beijing'. Having a capacity of one million persons, Tiananmen Square is 500 meters (601 yards) wide from east to west and 880 meters (962 yards) long from north to south. The whole ground is paved with light-color granite stone strips processed through special technology. The main road in the central part of the square measures 390 meters (427 yards) long and 80 meters (87 yards) wide.
Important landmarks , monuments , tourist attractions etc are covered below .

Tiananmen Tower 

It is located North of Tiananmen Square and facea all the other monuments and Landmarks of the Tiananmen Square .

To call it a tower is actually misnomer . It is actually a gete giving access to the old Imperial City and further to The Forebidden City . It is more commonly known and called The Gate of Heavenly Peace . To the south of the The Gate of Heavenly Peace and Tiananmen square is a river named Jishui River (Golden Water River), over which were built 7 stone bridges with railings carved with white jade. Of them, the widest one in the middle is called 'Yulu Bridge (imperial road bridge)', especially built for emperors. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the area outside tower served as a court square, where was forbidden for ordinary people. 

Tiananmen Tower is 34.7 m (113.8 feet) high, comprising the base and the superstructure upon it. The base or platform is vermilion, which is also the major color of the whole tower.

 the two-storey building on the platform is nine rooms long from the east to the west and five rooms wide from the south to the north. It was so built, for according to the Book of Changes, the number nine and five, are believed to be the symbolic of the imperial throne.

In the past Gate Of Heavenly Peace was witness to most grand ceremonies were held on Tiananmen Tower, such as emperor's enthroning, wedding, and expedition ceremonies, and interviews of new officials by the emperor. It was a forbidden zone for common people. More recently, in 1949, it was here that Chairman Mao declared the founding of the People's Republic of China and raised the first Chinese National Flag .At Bottom , part of the jade & marble railing of Bridges on Golden Water River.

Monument to People's Heroes.

Established on April 22, 1958, Monument to People's Heroes lies in the center of the square. It was built in memory of the people's heroes who laid down their lives in the Chinese People's War of Liberation and the Chinese People's Revolution. In 1961, it was listed as one of China's foremost protected monuments by the State Council of China.

Eight unusually large relief sculptures show to the people the development of Chinese modern history. Two rows of white marble railings enclose the monument, simple and beautiful.

The stone in the central part of the monument is a huge whole granite that is rare in the Chinese architectural history, weighing around one hundred tons. The quarry and transport of the stone took seven and a half months. On the front of the monument was inscribed with 'Eternal Glory to the Heroes of the People' by Chairman Mao. 

Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao .

Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, in the southern part of Tiananmen Square, was built in memory of Mao Zedong who is the founder father of the People's Republic of China. It was completed on May 24th, 1977, covering an area of over 5.7 hectares. It is square-shaped, with 44 granite columns standing outside. In the magnificent hall was laid the remain of Mao Zedong which is respected by visitors at home and abroad in an endless stream daily. The hall is mainly made up of the Northern Hall, Respecting Hall and Southern Hall. The Northern Hall is for holding commemorative activities. The Respecting Hall, core of the memorial hall, has a crystal sarcophagus in the center, in which the remain of Chairman Mao is kept.

Great Hall of the People .

The Great Hall of the People lies to the west of Tian'anmen Square and south of the West Chang'an Street. It is where the National People's Congress is held and also where state leaders hold diplomatic meetings and the masses stage political activities.Facing east, the Great Hall of the People is 336 meters (367 yards) long from north to south, 206 meters (225 yards) wide from east to west, and 46.5 meters (153 feet) high. It covers an area of 15 hectares, with a floor space of 17 hectares. Except there are important conferences, visitors have access to the Central Hall, 10000-Seat Auditorium, Guest Hall and Banquet Hall. 

Memorial Of Chairman Mao is surrounded by four groups of sculpture.Two on East & West of Southern Gate and two on East & West of Northern gate . This photo  is of sculptuer on West of North gate . Wiki calls it " Sculpture of revolutionary struggle at Mao Zedong Mausoleum, Tiananmen Square. "

China National Museum .

Located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square, China National Museum stands symmetrically with the Great Hall of the People. It is a comprehensive museum, specializing in showing the culture and history of China. It was built on the combination of the original Chinese History Museum and Chinese Revolutionary Museum in February, 2003. On March 1st, 2011, the newly built China National Museum was completed and opened to the public. 

Beautifuylly maintainedGrden and flower beds at Tiananmen Square .

View of Tiananmen Square from across the road . Seen here Zhengyang Gate .

Qian Men (or Zhengyang Men) is one of nine gates that lead to the imperial quarters in Beijing China's Forbidden City.

To the north of Monument to the People’s Heroes is the National Flagpole which is made of 4 seamless steel tubes, 32.6 meters high and 7 tons in weight. Flag Raising and lowering ceremony is very impressive and a major tourist attraction .

Another attraction near (Gate of Heavenly Peace) is 10 meter high marble coloumn.It  is variously called Dragon Pillar , The Stone Pillar , Stone Coloumn , White Pillar , Marble Cloud Pillar and " Huabio."

Huabio. seems to be most authantic .It is  topped by a "dish for collecting dew." A carved stone animal known as a "heaven-gazing hou"(a small, lion-like legendary creature) squats inside each dish. These dishes were used to catch the "jade dew" imbibed by the emperor to ensure long life.Lot of legends associated with it.

Beyound and after passing through the Gate of Heavenly Peace we reach Meridian Gate . 

Meridian Gate . 

It is the largest and most imposing gate to the Forbidden City, it has a height of 37.95 meters (124.5 feet). It has a concave layout with five towers appearing like a flying phoenix, which also gives it another name ‘Five-Phoenix Tower’ (Wufenglou).  Meridian Gate is double storied with double roofs made of colored glazed tiles, is 60.05 meters (198 feet) in length and 25 meters (82 feet) in width. It is on a 12 meters’ (39 feet) high red abutment, whose frontispiece has three doorways. On the east and west of the central abutment, two corridor-like buildings extend southward, separately connecting two towers with double spires on their ends. There are two smaller doors at the corners of the flanking buildings. Central Door was for the Emperor only . 

FORBIDDEN CITY 

The former Imperial Palace, known to Westerners as the Forbidden City, rectangular in shape and 720, 000 square meters in size, is surrounded by walls 10 meters high and a moat 52 meters wide. The 980 buildings with 8,707 rooms are more than 570 years old and constitute the largest and most complete existing ensemble of traditional Chinese architecture.

Construction of the palace begins in 1406 during the reign of the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Yongle. It was finally completed in 1420. The Imperial Palace is composed of the outer palace, where the emperors held official audiences, and the inner palace, which served as the living quarters for the imperial family. This harmonious assemblage of buildings displays the best characteristics of ancient Chinese architecture – majestic style, flawless construction, and fine coordination of the whole and the parts. Now, the Forbidden City, the Palace Museum, is a treasure house of cultural relics, and a place that attracts over 10,000 each day with its magnificent architecture and precious collections of cultural and art objects.

The Forbidden City can be divided into two parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Palace. The Outer Court consists of three main buildings in the front part of the Forbidden City, which was the place where the emperor attended the grand ceremonies and conducted state affairs. While the Inner Palace is composed of the three rear main buildings, the six eastern palaces and the six western palaces. It was the place where the emperor used to handle daily affairs and the living quarter for the emperor, empress and imperial concubines.

GATE OF SUPREME HARMONY

Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen).

 Gate of Supreme Harmony, north of the square, is the main gate of the Outer Court and which is fairly grand. It is guarded by two bronze lions. These symbolise imperial power. The lion on the east side is male. Its right front paw is placed on a globe denoting that imperial power extended world-wide. The lioness on the west side has its left front paw on a lion cub. This denotes a thriving and prosperous imperial family.

The Gate of Supreme Harmony, is the second major gate encountered when entering the Forbidden City from the south. The gate was originally built during the Ming Dynasty, when it was called Fengtianmen.

Zuoyimen , (Eastern Gate) in the court yard of Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian).

General view  Gate of Blending Harmony (Xiehe men,  Western gate ) and courtyard of   Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian).

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Panoramic view of the huge courtyard in front of Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen).

Very colourful , intricate patterns and beautiful Corridor roof . Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen)

Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen)
Bronz Lions visible on either side of the gate.









Giant Bronze Lion in front of Gate of Supreme Harmony

Giant Bronze Lion in front of Gate of Supreme Harmony

In the Forbidden City, there are seven pairs of bronze lions placed in front of seven different palace gates. In addition to showing off the wealth and luxury of the court, these threshold guardians serve to impress upon visitors the dignity and importance of the emperor, making it clear that his palace is a "zone of magnified power."

The lions in the Forbidden City were cast during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Six pairs are gilded bronze, such as the one shown here. The pair in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony are plain bronze--a darker shade of gray, as opposed to the polished metallic color of this one--and are the largest, at 4.36 meters tall. In each pair, the lion in the east is a male with an ornamented sphere--possibly meant to symbolize the world--under his right paw, and the one on the west is a female with a lion cub under her left paw.

Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian). 

First view of Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian). Very impressive.

After visiting the Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen), one will see the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian) across a spacious square, which covers 30,000 square meters. Standing on a three-tier marble terrace, this grandest timber framework ever in China is overwhelming.

It was erected in 1406 and has undergone many later repairs. As the heart of the Forbidden City, the so-called Golden Carriage Palace, used to be the place where emperors received high officials and exercised their rule over the nation. Grand ceremonies would be held here when a new emperor ascended the throne. Celebrations also marked emperors' birthdays, wedding ceremonies and other important occasions such as the Winter Solstice, the Chinese New Year and the dispatch of generals into fields of war.

Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), commonly known as the Hall of Gold Throne, the magnificent structure was built in 1406 and renovated in 1695. It is 35.5 meters high and has a floor space of 2,300 square meters with 182 beams and 84 pillars. It is the largest wood structure extant in China. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the grand ceremonies such as the enthroned of the emperor, New Year’s Day, proclamation of imperial edicts, receiving successful candidates of imperial examination, and appointment of commander-in-chief of expedition troops were held here.

The interior of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is preserved as in ancient times. On the raised platform is the gilded imperial throne placed on a dais two meters high. Behind the throne is a carved screen. On either side of the throne are a crane-shaped candle-stick, an elephant-shaped incense burner and a column shaped incense burner with a pagoda on top which are all cloisonné wares.

The painted golden throne with a splendid screen behind it stands on a two-meter high dais in the center of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Its back and the lower part are covered with coiled dragons. This is the most magnificent of all the thrones in the palace. 

Stair cases , Hall of Supreme Harmony 

On the left huge kettle shaed utensil is called  copper Dings(鼎,) an ancient cooking utensils, later on, it became the symbol of a country or power.There are a total of 18 of them .

After climbing three tiers we reach the platform of Hall of Supreme Harmony .

The Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing China is the largest and most elegant building in the Forbidden City.  The emperor's throne can be found in this palace.

Interior Hall of Supreme Harmony .

Taihedian (Hall of Supreme Harmony) in total has 72 columns to hold the total weight of the architecture. Among the columns, the mid one is the thickest and tallest with a diameter of 1.06 meters and 12.7 meters in height.

Taihedian (Hall of Supreme Harmony) has five rooms long from front to back and 11 rooms long from left to right. It has an architectural area of 2,377 square meters and 26.92 meters high. If it is added the length of the dais, it will be 35.03 meters high. Taihedian( Hall of Supreme Harmony) is the largest palace hall in Forbidden City.

The Emperors Throne, Hall Of Supreme Harmony .

In the middle of the hall, there is a gold throne with nine-dragon sculptures. On both sides of the throne, there are 6 giant pillars with a diameter of 1 meter, and the pillar also has the image of dragons on floating clouds. In the front of the throne, there are four fitments: Baoxiang (Treasured Elephant), Luduan (甪端, a legendary holy animal, partially similar to a lion. It was said that this animal can go 18,000 miles per day and understand all the languages of all the creatures), Immortal Crane and Fragrant Pavilion. The Treasured Elephant symbolizes the strengthening of national stability and sovereignty; Luduan means auspiciousness; Immortal Crane means longevity, and Fragrant Pavilion means the stability of country. On the middle ceiling, there was a crimpling dragon, and the dragon head descends and a pearl in its mouth.

copper tortoise in front of Hall Of Supreme Harmony.In the  broad dais in front of Taihedian (Hall of Supreme Harmony), people usually call it Danbi or Yuetai. On the Danbi,(broad dais) there are sundial(日晷, an ancient time calculagraph), Jialiang (嘉量, the ancient measuring equipment), a pair of copper tortoises and a pair of copper cranes as well as 18 copper Dings .

Other than Tortoise & Ding , missed all others :-(

Panoramic , General view of buildings around the Hall Of Supreme Harmony and the Court yard .

Panoramic , General view of buildings around the Hall Of Supreme Harmony and the Court yard .

Hall of Central ( Middle )Harmony (Zhonghedian) .

the Hall of Central Harmony, was originally built in 1420, restored in 1627 and again 1765. It is square in shape rather than rectangular as the other two in the Outer Court and is the smallest of the three. It served as a private retreat or office-cum-study for emperors when on their way to conduct ceremonies in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It was here that they consulted with their religious ministers. Each year prior to their departure for important sacrificial rites at the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of the Earth or elsewhere, they would read elegiac addresses. Before going to the Temple of the Ancestral Farmers, they would inspect the seeds and farming tools to be used during the ceremony. During the Qing dynasty the imperial genealogy was revised every ten years. A special ceremony was conducted in this hall so that the revision could be presented to His Majesty for approval.The Hall of Central Harmony is square in shape, with an architectural area of 580 square meters (694 square yards). It was covered with yellow glazed tiles and a golden roof. There are doors opened on four sides of the hall, in front of which there are stone steps with the imperial road carved with cloud and dragon patterns in the middle. The outer eaves of the hall were decorated with patterns of golden dragons interspersed with colored decorative paintings. There is a golden throne in the hall, in front of which are standing two golden unicorns, a kind of imaginary mythological animal. It’s said that they could travel 18,000 li (5,592.3 miles) daily, understand many kinds of languages, and know what would happen in the future. They were set beside the throne to symbolize the emperor’s great insight and wisdom and to be used as incense burners. There are also two sedan chairs laid in the hall for the emperor to move around in the Forbidden City.

               

             

                Hall of Central Harmony,

On the Left : Hall of Supreme Harmony . Center :  Hall of Central ( Middle )Harmony (Zhonghedian) . On the right :  Hall of Preserving Harmony . 

REGRET TO SAY WE DID NOT SEE Hall of Preserving Harmony . Our group got down from the stair case which is visible and proceeded to Imperial Garden through the East Corridor.

  

In the East Corridor.On our way to Imperial Garden 

In the East Corridor.On our way to Imperial Garden 

One of the bloggers has called this " Forbidden City back side Gate ", I am not sure that is the correct name . Unable to find correct name of this gate:-(

However location is correct.(See Earth Map )

Imperial Garden Forbidden City 

Sadly here again we saw only the  portion on the Eastern half of Central Axis . Only consolotaion was most of the things were similar to the one on the Eastern Side . As said earlier one the the disadvantages of Group Travels .

In the Imperial Garden . Forbidden City .

Seating Pavillion . Imperial Garden.Note the very interesting roof construction & the Animal figures in the roof corners .

The Pavilion of Myriad Springs .Also called Pavillion of Ten Thousand Springs.

The Pavilion of Myriad Springs (Wan Chun Ting) lies in the east of the garden. It was built in 1535 and restored during the Qing Dynasty. This pavilion is coordinating from afar with Qiangiu (Thousand Pavilion) in the west. It is formed by four verandas surrounding a square pavilion with marble steps leading to the pavilion. This pavilion is regarded the best pavilion in the Palace.

Pavilion of Floating Green (Fubi Pavilion) Also called Jade-green Floating Pavilion (Fubiting) (Beijing).

Square pavilions over a pond, with open roofed corridors on their southern sides.

The Hill of Acculmulated Elegance (Dui Xiu Shan).

                  The Hill of Acculmulated Elegance (Dui Xiu Shan).

The artificial hill was made by rocks piled on original site of Guan Hua Dian ( Hall of Appriciating Flowers ),against the Northern Palace Wall .Originally it was named Dui Xiu Shan ( Hill of Accimulated Embroiidary ) and in the Qianlong reign period it was given its present name . The Hill is about 10 meters high .

On the top stands Yu Jing Ting ( Pavillion of Imperial Scenery ), it is reached by a path .

At the Double Ninth Festival every year , The Emperor , Empresses and Imperial Concubines climbed the hill along this path .

Halfway up the hillthere is brick cave running fron East to West.

A cave at the foot of the hill has an arched roof with a stone  cassion inscribed with the word " Dui Xiu " ( Accumulatd Elegance ). Half way uo the There are Bronze Jars to store water. Whe water runs down the hill, it sprouts out of the Dragon Heads on the backs of Lions on the Left and Right of the Hill .

Gate Of Divine Might .

The Gate of Divine Might or Gate of Divine Prowess  is the northern gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It faces Jingshan Park. A tablet above the doorway ,( as seen after getting out of the Forbidden City looking from N to S), reads "The Palace Museum" in Chinese.

We got out of the Frrbidden City from this Gate .Last photo from the inside if Forbidden City .

View of Wanchun Pavilion. As seen after getting out of The Forbiddon City from Gate of Divine Might . It it on a hill top in Jingshan Park ac.From this Pavilion you have an excellent look across the Forbidden City, especially to sun set. But also the view in the other directions is great.

The Gate of Divine Might or Gate of Divine Prowess as seen from the Northern road , It is the northern gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It faces Jingshan Park. A tablet above the doorway reads "The Palace Museum" in Chinese.

Watch Tower on  the Nort - East Corner of the Moat around the Forbidden City .

At the four corners of the Forbidden City  wall sit towers  with intricate roofs boasting 72 ridges, reproducing the Pavilion of Prince Teng and the Yellow Crane Pavilion as they appeared in Song dynasty paintings. These towers are the most visible parts of the palace to commoners outside the walls, and much folklore is attached to them. According to one legend, artisans could not put a corner tower back together after it was dismantled for renovations in the early Qing dynasty, and it was only rebuilt after the intervention of carpenter-immortal Lu Ban.

Our Group at the North - East Corner of the moat.

Watch Towers on  the Nort - East Corner of the Moat around the Forbidden City .Towards right The Gate of Divine Might is also seen ,

Olympic Fire Statue and Park. On Chaoyanmen North Street, Bejing. Seen on our way to lunch .

 Our lunch place . Ganges Indian Restraurant . The Board and accomodation of Paddy Osheas Bar is much Bigger .

After lunch we were taken to a tea House . I think it was located in a Muliti Storied Mall . If I remember rightly we had to climb to third or fourth floor. It was a fairly big place with a tea store , Display for various types of tea and a big hall.The whole place was well decorated with paintings and objects d'atrt .The hall was big . It had mobe than eight odd tables , seating about five to six people each . our full group was seated .Each table was already laid out with traditional tea preapering pots , spirit lapm and traditional tea drinking cups , which were small !!

To the Tea House .

The whole place was well decorated with paintings and objects d'atrt .

The whole place was well decorated with paintings and objects d'atrt .

The hall was big . It had mobe than eight odd tables , seating about five to six people each table.

The tea pots in which tea was served were also exotic in material as well as construction .Most of the tea cups & pots were with Dragon motif . Some had lions and flowers.

Some were manufactures by special technique . The pots changed colour from blue to red . Changed back to blue as the tea inside cooled down !!!

Different types of tea were prepared and served .Black and ugly looking tea thing when hot water was pourd ,  turned in beautiful and exotic looking flowers . 

Different types of tea were prepared and served .Black and ugly looking tea thing when hot water was pourd ,  turned in beautiful and exotic looking flowers . 

After Tea House we proceeded to Temple Of Heaven 

Temple Of Heaven.

I have searched high and low , Left to Right and Right to Left . I have not been able to find any building / monument named Temple of Heaven , either Temple of Heaven , like all other historical monuments was also destroyed many times , While other monuments were always rebuilt , may be the Temple of heaven was never rebuilt .
 However here is one explaination why it is called Temple Of Heaven , even though no building / monument of that name exists : " Originally, the Temple of Heaven was called Temple of Heaven and Earth, because it was built according to the Temple of Heaven and Earth in Nanjing, the former Ming Capital at that time, so heaven and earth were both worshipped here. In 1530, after the Temple of Earth was built in the northern part of Beijing, then Heaven and Earth were worshipped separately. Since only Heaven was worshipped here, it was renamed as the Temple of Heaven. ". At center of The Circular Mound Altar   is a round slate called the Heart of Heaven . That could be another reason why it is called Temple of heaven . 
It was first built in 1420 during the time when the Forbidden City and some other important imperial structures were constructed. As a Taoist temple, the Temple of Heaven is not only the largest group of temple buildings in China, but also the largest heaven worshipping architecture in the world. It covers an area of 273 hectares, 1,700 meters from east to west and 1,600 meters from south to north, which is three times larger than the Forbidden City. The reason that it is much larger than the Forbidden City is because the Chinese Emperor used to regard himself as “Son of Heaven”. So he dared not to build his own house “Forbidden City” larger than the dwelling for the “God of Heaven”.

We did not see full and complete area / buildings / monuments / Parks in Temple of Heaven Complex . We only saw " The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests " and the Long Corridor . One of the disavantages of Group Tours. 

The Long Corridor 

The Long Corridor connects the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Divine Kitchen with 72 sections of rooms. It was the place to transport the sacrificial offerings during the worshipping ceremonies, because the Long Corridor could keep them from being stained by rain, snow, wind and dust. According to the ancient stipulation of rites, the place for slaughtering the sacrificial animals should be more than 200 steps away from the sacrificial altar, so a winding long corridor was built with the Divine Kitchen in the middle and the Butcher House at the end. After being slaughtered, the sacrificial animals would be carried to the Divine Kitchen through the Long Corridor and then to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Now the Long Corridor has become a popular place for the local senior to play cards and Chinese Chess, to sing and dance.

Information board on Long corridor .

Now a days  the Long Corridor has become a popular place for the local seniors to play cards and Chinese Chess, to sing and dance.

Another view Long Corridor .

Now a days  the Long Corridor has become a popular place for the local seniors to play cards and Chinese Chess, to sing and dance.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one of Beijing’s iconic buildings, also the symbol of Beijing Tourism. It was first built in 1420, but was rebuilt several times. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties came on the 15th day of the first lunar month each year to pray for a good harvest.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a cone-shaped wooden structure with triple eaves and a gilded ball on the top, which symbolizes the supreme power of the emperor. The roof of the building is covered with dark blue glazed tiles, which represents the color of the sky. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests stands on a 6 meter high triple-tired circular stone terrace with carved while marble balusters on each tier. It is 32 meters high, 30 meters in diameter and covers an area of 5,900 square meters. It was originally built after the Temple of Heaven and Earth in Nanjing, so it was once rectangular in shape and named the Hall of Great Sacrifice. In 1530, after the Temple of Earth was built in the northern part of Beijing, only Heaven was worshipped here. In 1539, the Hall of Great Sacrifice was demolished and rebuilt into a circular hall with triple eaves. It was renamed the Hall of Great Enjoyment where the emperor would come to pray for a good harvest. At that time the three-layered eaves were in three different colors, representing three different ranks. The top layer was in blue, symbolizing Heaven; the middle layer was in yellow, representing the emperor, and the bottom was in green signifying the common people. Later in 1751, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736 - 1795), the Hall was rebuilt and all three layers of the roof were changed to dark blue glazed tiles just to symbolize the color of the sky. And then the hall was given the present name, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. In 1889, the hall was burnt down by lightning. In 1890, it was rebuilt according to the original design, and that is the building people see now.

Posing with The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests .
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is completely made of wood without any use of steel, cement or even the use of a single nail. 
The floor is paved with nine rounds of green marble flagstones. In the center of the floor there is a big round marble stone with natural grain and ink patterns resembling a dragon and phoenix. It is known as the Dragon and Phoenix Stone, because the ink patterns on it are similar to the dragon and phoenix. 

To the north of the Dragon and Phoenix Stone, in the center of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the tablet of the God of Heaven was placed on a white marble pedestal. The tablets of the emperor’s ancestors were placed on either side. In front of every table, there was a sacrificial table on which sacrificial vessels are displayed for holding offerings.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The entire building is supported by 28 massive wooden pillars made of fir tree imported from Oregon. They are arranged in three rings, 4 pillars in the center are the thickest and the space between each of them symbolizes the four seasons of a year. 

There are 12 pillars in the inner ring, each space between them represents 12 months of a year. Also there are 12 pillars in the outer ring, and each space between them symbolizes the 12 time divisions of a day. Chinese people used to use Geng to mark time. One Geng equals two hours, so there are 12 Gengs in one day. Altogether, the 28 pillars represent the 28 constellations in the sky.

Photos of other main structures in the complex of The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests :

West Annex Hall to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

On the two sides of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests are the West Annex Halls and the East Annex Halls. The two annex halls used to be the storeroom of divine tablets.

Qinianmen - Gate , for Prayer for Good Harvests.

Huangqian Hall (Beijing)
The Imperial Hall of Heaven is located in the same rectangular courtyard as the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests and is connected to it by glazed doors.

Panoramic view Courtyard of Hall of  Prayer for Good Harvests.

Architectural details of joint on the roof ridges.The roof tiles over the corners joints seem to come out of Dragon mouth.

Proceeding to the parking lot after completing visit to Temple of Heaven.



After visiting The Temple of Heaven.We proceeded to the last place on the itenarary . We proceeded to Silk Street . However locally and widely it is known as Fake Street . Boasts of fakes of all types of items from clothing to electronic itams.

Silk Street/Xiu Shui market (Beijing) .
 Big shopping Mall 

Tour of  Shops and Various Departments of Fake Market , Silk Street .

Tour of  Shops and Various Departments of Fake Market , Silk Street .

Tour of  Shops and Various Departments of Fake Market , Silk Street .

Tour of  Shops and Various Departments of Fake Market , Silk Street .

Tour of  Shops and Various Departments of Fake Market , Silk Street .


 As my camera and mobile were getting low on battery during the day , I was dumb enough to get a Power Pack of MI Brand for 100 Yuan ( Rs 1000/-) As yet really do not know if I have really been taken for a ride . 
After we had finished with Silk Street we went for dinner . It was at the same place where we had lunch .

Beijing Municipal People's Congress Committee building . Seen  while proceeding to  Dinner . 

Beijing Municipal People's Congress Committee building . Seen  while proceeding to  Dinner . 

Back again at The Ganges Indian Restraurant for dinner. It is on the first flor and we had to pass through Paddy O'Shea's We had lunch at the same place . From here we went to the hotel for well earned  rest & sleep.

LAST PHOTO OF DAY SEVEN .

Tomorrow our second day in Beijing , we go to see " THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA " Balding Section,which is close to Meijing , Summer Palace and Olympic Village . plus few places of personal interest of the local guide : a designated jade shop :-)

Here is the link for photo album of China- Japan Trip : CHINA: DAY SEVEN

https://photos.google.com/u/0/album/AF1QipPwtkVaFfAPs2fDE5yeTS6sQyhHB7ABsYyCj-t5

Please Do read the captions and info given in the comment column of photos.

 Also check out mapped position  . If you are interested you may even see the street view of the photo.I hope it will be an interesting experience :-)

GOOD NIGHT DAY SEVEN  .