Forbidden city (what is left of it) is one of the most famous tourist attractions of China. The palace complex dates back to the 15th century when the emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty ordered the construction of a new pleace for the emperors in Beijing. From that time until the 20th century, it was a city in the city and no outsider could pass through its gates (only the emperor’s immediate family as well as the most important state officials and guards had access). The Forbidden City was built on a half-night-south axis and was built in accordance with the principles of feng shui.

The history of the forbidden city is very turbulent and the city itself has been devastated many times (Mongol invasions, Japanese occupation). After the reconstruction, today we can see only part of its splendor from past centuries. Traveling around the forbidden city is a bit like traveling through a large model, most of the buildings are empty and closed to visitors, only a few have elements of the palace decor.

Before entering the forbidden city, we pass the square (which in the past was part of it), the famous – Tiananmen. This largest square in the world (measuring 800 meters from north to south and 300 from east to west), witnessed the bloody suppression of demonstrations by the army in 1989.