Posts Tagged ‘Forbidden City’

Mr. Crawford responds to questions

Friday, April 10th, 2009

Q: How do you get across the moat at the Forbidden City and do people swim in the moat?

A: There is a large moat around the Forbidden City and bridges to cross it at the North, East, South, and West Gates. I don’t think any one would swim in the moat. I would be too scared myself because even today there are security guards watching everything that is going on. The Forbidden city itself was beautiful and extremely large. Check out the gallery photos to see what we saw.

Q: I want more pictures of Flat Mr. Crawford!

A: Flat Mr. Crawford has had quite an adventure so far. He has also gotten a few nicknames along the way. He enjoyed his time at the Ministry of Education, visited with the elephant statues, and saw everything he could at the Forbidden City. He has also picked up the nicknames of Flat Mr. C., Little Man, and The Little Guy. He is enjoying the trip tremendously so far! Check out more the photos from his adventures in the photo gallery.

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The Forbidden City

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Today we should be traveling to the Forbidden City which got me thinking how it got it’s name and how big it really is because it looks massive on Google Earth.  I found a map of the Forbidden City online with a description of many of almost 1,000 buildings inside of the 26 foot tall walls that surround the city.  The Forbidden City is also surrounded by a moat that is 18 feet deep and 170 feet wide.  Those seem like formidable defenses to protect the city.

The Forbidden City, also known as the Forbidden Palace, was home to the rulers of the China from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It took over fourteen years to build, starting in 1406.  The Forbidden City covers almost 7,800,000 square feet. For a comparison a football field covers about 48,000 square feet.  The Forbidden City is almost 163 football fields large! It is a rectangle 3,150 ft from north to south and 2,470 ft from east to west.

When you get a chance read about the symbolism in the colors and architecture of the Forbidden City.  Find out why most of the buildings have yellows roofs, except for the library at the Pavilion of Literary Profundity and the Crown Prince’s residences.

Zaijian,

Mr. Crawford

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Posted in Beijing, History, Places | 2 Comments »