

An average of 80,000 visitors enter the Forbidden City every day. As I re-read that number, 80,000, I am amazed that we don't feel more like sardines as we meander through the palace. But those 80,000 visitors are spread out over the course of the day, and over the 180+ acres that comprise the grounds of the Forbidden City.
The buildings are grand. Most have been restored to their original gold and purplish-red hue. They are tall and beautiful. The roof of each building is adorned with animals along each of the four corners. The overhangs of the roofs boast colorful paintings. There are so many of the buildings that, as we near what seems like the exit, we discover we have reached the entrance. We completed our walk through the outer courtyards to the entrance of the inner court. Needless to say, we need a minimum of a couple of hours to make it through the complex with time to hear our guide recount the palace's history and to marvel at the museum's beauty and vastness.
I hope that you will join me on a Chow Fun Tour to marvel at the Middle Kingdom's Forbidden City!