Posts Tagged ‘Imperial Palace in Beijing’
In downtown Beijing, the Imperial Palace reverberates golden in the sun, very well defended by splendid watchtowers at each corner, the high walls and wide canals that surround it.
This was the palace of the Ming and Qing. Since 1420, when construction was completed – and over 500 years until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 – twenty-four emperors lived and exercised supreme power here.
It is also called “Forbidden City”. It was Zhu Di, the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who ordered its construction. The work began in the fourth year of his reign lasted 14 years. Read the rest of this entry »